Method and system for updating a remote database

• US 20030084075A1
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Haworth, William Frederick Jr., McMillen, Bradley Thomas, Balogh, Aristotle Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2315 Optimistic concurrency control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5018 Thread allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• 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 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method and system for updating a remote database over a network. A plurality of periodic updates, called sendfiles, based on incremental changes to a local database are generated. Each of the periodic updates includes at least one transaction. An initialization update, called an initializing sendfile, including a version of the local database at a start time is generated. Additionally, an identifier associated with the last periodic update generated before the start time and an identifier associated with the last transaction committed prior to the start time are generated.

Claims

1. A method for updating a remote database over a network, comprising:

generating a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to a local database, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction;

sending the plurality of periodic updates to the remote database over the network; and

while generating the plurality of periodic updates, p1 generating an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time,

determining a last periodic update of the plurality of periodic updates based on the start time,

determining a last transaction based on the start time, and

sending the initialization update, a last periodic update identifier, and a last transaction identifier to the remote database over the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the initialization update includes:

associating the last periodic update identifier with the last periodic update; and

associating the last transaction identifier with the last transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of periodic updates are generated at regular or irregular intervals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the start time of the initialization update generation is the same as a start time of a periodic update generation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the start time of the initialization update generation is later than a start time of a periodic update generation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a periodic update includes a plurality of transactions, each of the plurality of transactions having a unique transaction identifier.

7. A method for updating a remote database over a network, comprising:

receiving a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to a local database over the network, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction;

receiving an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time over the network;

reading a last periodic update identifier from the initialization update;

reading a last transaction identifier from the initialization update;

determining a last periodic update from the last periodic update identifier, said determining the last periodic update based on the start time;

determining a last transaction from the last transaction identifier, said determining the last transaction based on the start time;

applying transactions generated after the last transaction to the remote database; and

applying the periodic updates generated after the last periodic update to the remote database.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

discarding the periodic updates generated at an earlier time than the start time of the initialization update.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of periodic updates are received one at a time at periodic intervals.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of periodic updates are received in batches at periodic intervals.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein a periodic update includes a plurality of transactions, each of the plurality of transactions having a unique transaction identifier.

12. A method for updating a remote database over a network, comprising:

generating a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to a local database, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction; and

generating an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time, an update identifier associated with a last periodic update generated before the start time, and a transaction identifier associated with a last transaction committed before the start time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of periodic updates are generated at regular intervals.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of periodic updates are generated at irregular intervals.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the start time of the initialization update generation is the same as a start time of a periodic update generation.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the start time of the initialization update generation is later than a start time of a periodic update generation.

17. A system for updating a remote database over a network, comprising:

at least one processor coupled to the network; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including a local database and instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to implement a method for updating the remote database over the network, the method including;

generating a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to the local database, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction,

sending the plurality of periodic updates to the remote database over the network, and

while generating the plurality of periodic updates,

generating an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time,

determining a last periodic update of the plurality of periodic updates based on the start time,

determining a last transaction based on the start time, and

sending the initialization update, a last periodic update identifier, and a last transaction identifier to the remote database over the network.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sending the initialization update includes:

associating the last periodic update identifier with the last periodic update; and

associating the last transaction identifier with the last transaction.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of periodic updates are generated at regular or irregular intervals.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the start time of the initialization update generation is the same as a start time of a periodic update generation.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the start time of the initialization update generation is later than a start time of a periodic update generation.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein a periodic update includes a plurality of transactions, each of the plurality of transactions having a unique transaction identifier.

23. A system for updating a remote database over a network, comprising:

at least one processor coupled to the network; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including the remote database and instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to implement a method for updating the remote database over the network, the method including;

receiving a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to a local database over the network, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction,

receiving an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time over the network,

reading a last periodic update identifier from the initialization update,

reading a last transaction identifier from the initialization update,

determining a last periodic update from the last periodic update identifier, the last periodic update being based on the start time,

determining a last transaction from the last transaction identifier, the last transaction being based on the start time,

applying transactions generated after the last transaction to the remote database, and

applying the periodic updates generated after the last periodic update to the remote database.

24. The system of claim 23, further including:

discarding the periodic updates generated at an earlier time than the start time of the initialization update.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of periodic updates are received one at a time at regular or irregular intervals.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of periodic updates are received in batches at regular or irregular intervals.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein a periodic update includes a plurality of transactions, each of the plurality of transactions having a unique transaction identifier, the transaction identifiers being random in order.

28. A machine readable medium including program instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to implement a method for updating a remote database over a network, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to a local database, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction;

sending the plurality of periodic updates to the remote database over the network; and

while generating the plurality of periodic updates,

generating an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time,

determining a last periodic update of the plurality of periodic updates based on the start time,

determining a last transaction based on the start time,

associating a last periodic update identifier with the last periodic update,

associating a last transaction identifier with the last transaction, and

sending the initialization update, the last periodic update identifier and the last transaction identifier to the remote database over the network.

29. A machine readable medium including program instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to implement a method for updating a remote database over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to a local database over the network, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction;

receiving an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time over the network;

reading a last periodic update identifier from the initialization update;

reading a last transaction identifier from the initialization update;

determining a last periodic update from the last periodic update identifier, the last periodic update being based on the start time;

determining a last transaction from the last transaction identifier, the last transaction being based on the start time;

applying transactions generated after the last transaction to the remote database; and

applying the periodic updates generated after the last periodic update to the remote database.

30. A method for updating a remote database over a network, comprising:

generating a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to a local database, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction;

generating an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time; and

associating the initialization update with the periodic updates, an update identifier associated with a last periodic update generated before the start time, and a transaction identifier associated with a last transaction committed before the start time.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the periodic updates include updates to a domain name server.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the update identifier is associated with the last periodic update to a domain name server.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the transaction identifier is associated with the last transaction committed to a domain name server.

34. An update generator, comprising:

means for generating a plurality of periodic updates based on incremental changes to a local database, each of the plurality of periodic updates having at least one transaction; and

means for generating an initialization update including a version of the local database at a start time, an update identifier associated with a last periodic update generated before the start time, and a transaction identifier associated with a last transaction committed before the start time.