Method and arrangement for providing an audit of a replica database

• US 20030084073A1
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Solid Information Technology Oy (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Hotti, Timo, Parkkinen, Jarmo
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The invention is in the area of distributed system and database security. The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for increasing the level of trust between a master and a replica database by allowing the master database to perform an “unpredictable” audit of the replica database whenever deemed appropriate by the master database. The master database may for example define and generate an audit application and send it to at least one replica database using push synchronization and force the replica database to perform the audit application. The master database may also prepare expected results of the audit of the replica database and store them for later verification. After auditing the replica database may synchronize the results of the audit back to the master database for verification. The information flow between the master and replica databases is advantageously encrypted in a secure manner.

Claims

1. A method for establishing an audit to a database system comprising at least two databases, characterized in that,

at least one first database, said first database being an auditing database, prepares and sends an audit request to at least one second database to be audited,

at least one second database runs the said audit request,

at least one second database sends the results of the said run to at least one first database,

at least one first database verifies the said results.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that instructions of the audit are unavailable to the second database to be audited before the sending of the audit request.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said instructions are at least one of the following:

what the audit will exactly do, what algorithms are used and when the audit will be performed.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the following audit procedure is delivered to at least one second database to be audited prior the auditing:

an audit application, an algorithm and a program code to be executed in the database.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that said audit procedure is defined and/or generated on at least one of the first database.

6. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that said audit procedure depends at least partly on the state of at least one second database to be audited.

7. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that said audit procedure is pushed from the first database to at least one second database using synchronization that is initiated by the first database.

8. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that said audit procedure is downloaded from a third computer to at least one second database to be audited.

9. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the necessity for an audit of at least one second database to be audited is determined before the audit by at least one first database.

10. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the instructions for an audit performance is delivered to a least one second database to be audited.

11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that said instructions comprise at least one of the following information:

encrypting key, decrypting key, information about when and how to perform the audit and when and how to generate, encrypt and synchronize the results and information about an event that triggers the audit.

12. A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the audit process of at least one second database is triggered by at least one of the following events:

date, time, time limit, a certain transaction, a certain user, a certain limit of the performed transactions, a command delivered by at least one of the first database, a command delivered by an administrator and remote procedure call (RPC).

13. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one second database to be audited synchronize the results of the audit to at least one of the following:

to at least one first database, to a public server and/or to at least one other second database.

14. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one second database to be audited stores the results of the audit.

15. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one first database prepares expected results of the audit of the audited database and stores the expected results for later verification.

16. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the following is delivered between the databases in an encrypted form:

an audit application, an algorithm, a program code, instructions and results of the audit.

17. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of following performances is applied on the database if the audit of said database does not pass:

excluding said database completely from the system, suspending all synchronization activities with the said database, conducting another audit for said database and imposing stricter limits to what said database is allowed to do in the system.

18. A method according to the claim 1, characterized in that the method is compliant with at least one of the following communication specifications:

TCP/IP, CDMA, GSM, HSCSD, GPRS, WCDMA, EDGE, Bluetooth, UMTS, Teldesic, Iridium, Inmarsat, WLAN, DIGI-TV, ISDN, xDSL, RPC, Home-PNA, and imode.

19. A method according to the claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the following operating systems is used in at least one terminal comprising at least one of the second databases of the database system:

Unix, MS-windows, EPOC, NT, MSCE, Linux, PalmOS and GEOS.

20. A method according to the claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the following operating systems is used in at least one server comprising at least one of the first databases of the database system:

Unix, MS-windows, and Linux.

21. An arrangement for establishing an audit to a database system comprising at least two databases, characterized in that,

at least one first database, said first database being an auditing database, is arranged to prepare and send an audit request to at least one second database to be audited,

at least one second database is arranged to run the said audit request,

at least one second database is arranged to send the results of the said run to at least one first database,

at least one first database is arranged to verify the said results.

22. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for storing instructions of the audit unavailably to the second database to be audited before the sending of the audit request.

23. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for delivering at least one of the following audit procedure from at least one of the first database to at least one of the second databases:

an audit application, an algorithm and a program code to be executed in the database.

24. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for defining and/or generating the audit procedure on at least one first database.

25. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for pushing said audit procedure from the first database to at least one second database using synchronization that is initiated by the first database.

26. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for determining the necessity of an audit for at least one second database before the audit.

27. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for delivering the instructions for an audit performance to at least one second database to be audited.

28. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for synchronizing the results of the audit of at least one second audited database to at least one of the following:

to at least one first database, to the public server and to at least one another second databases.

29. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for storing the actual results of the audit, means for preparing the expected results of the audit of the database to be audited and means for verifying the actual results against the expected results.

30. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for triggering said audit process on at least one of the second database by at least one of the following event:

time limit, a certain transaction, a certain user, a certain limit of the performed transactions, a command delivered by at least one of the first database, a command delivered by an administrator and remote procedure call (RPC).

31. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for encrypting and decrypting at least one of the following information delivered between the databases:

an audit application, an algorithm, a program code, instructions and results of the audit.

32. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement comprises means for applying at least one of following performance on the database if the audit of said database does not pass:

excluding said database completely from the system, suspending all synchronization activities with the said database, conducting another audit for said database and imposing stricter limits to what said database is allowed to do in the system.

33. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the arrangement is compatible with at least one of the following communication specifications:

TCP/IP, CDMA, GSM, HSCSD, GPRS, WCDMA, EDGE, Bluetooth, UMTS, Teldesic, Iridium, Inmarsat, WLAN, DIGI-TV, ISDN, xDSL, RPC, Home-PNA, and imode.

34. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the database servers are provided in a terminal, which is at least one of the following:

a mobile station, a computer, a workstation and personal digital assistant.

35. An arrangement according to claim 34, characterized in that the terminal has at least one of the following operating systems:

Unix, MS-windows, EPOC, NT, MSCE, Linux, PalmOS and GEOS.

36. A first database server comprising at least one first database, where said first database is in data connection with at least one second database, characterized in that said first database is arranged to send an audit request to said at least one second database.

37. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that said first database is a master database and said second database is a replica database.

38. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that said first database server comprises at least one second database.

39. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is arranged to define and/or generate the audit procedure on at least one first database server.

40. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that said first database is arranged to push an audit procedure to at least one second database in second database server using synchronization that is initiated by the first database.

41. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is arranged to determine the necessity of an audit for at least one second database before the audit of said second database.

42. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is arranged to deliver the instructions for an audit performance to at least one second database to be audited.

43. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is arranged to prepare expected results of the audit of the audited database and means for storing the expected results.

44. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is arranged to encrypt and decrypt at least one of the following:

an audit application, an algorithm, a program code, instructions and results of the audit.

45. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is arranged to apply at least one of following actions on the second database if the audit of said second database does not pass:

excluding said second database completely from the system, suspending all synchronization activities with the said second database, conducting another audit for said second database and imposing stricter limits to what said second database is allowed to do in the system.

46. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is implemented by a terminal, which is compatible with at least one of the following communication specifications:

TCP/IP, CDMA, GSM, HSCSD, GPRS, WCDMA, EDGE, Bluetooth, UMTS, Teldesic, Iridium, Inmarsat, WLAN, DIGITV, ISDN, xDSL, RPC, Home-PNA, and imode.

47. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is implemented by terminal, which is at least one of the following:

a computer, a workstation, a mobile station and a personal digital assistant.

48. A first database server according to claim 36, characterized in that the first database is implemented by a terminal, which comprises at least one of the following operating systems:

Unix, MS-windows, EPOC, NT, MSCE, Linux, PalmOS and GEOS.

49. A second database server comprising at least one second database, characterized in that said second database is arranged to receive an audit request and perform an audit of said second database according to the received request.

50. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that said second database is a replica database.

51. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is arranged to receive at least one of the following:

an audit application, an algorithm and a program code to be executed in said second database and instructions for an audit performance from at least one of the first database and a command that triggers an audit process.

52. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is arranged to download an audit procedure from a third computer.

53. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is arranged to perform the audit.

54. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is arranged to store the results of the audit.

55. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is arranged to encrypt and decrypt at least one of the following:

an audit application, an algorithm, a program code, instructions and results of the audit.

56. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is arranged to synchronize the results of the audit to at least one of the following:

to at least one first database, to a third computer and/or to at least one other second database.

57. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is implemented in a terminal, which is compatible with at least one of the following communication specifications:

TCP/IP, CDMA, GSM, HSCSD, GPRS, WCDMA, EDGE, Bluetooth, UMTS, Teldesic, Iridium, Inmarsat, WLAN, DIGI-TV, ISDN, xDSL, RPC, Home-PNA, and imode.

58. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is implemented in a terminal, which is at least one of the following:

a computer, a workstation, a mobile station and a personal digital assistant.

59. A second database server according to claim 49, characterized in that the second database is implemented in a terminal, which comprises at least one of the following operating systems:

Unix, MS-windows, EPOC, NT, MSCE, Linux, PalmOS and GEOS.