Method for flagging differences in resource attributes across multiple database and transaction systems

• US 20040044685A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McBride, Kevin Michael, Huynh, Bill Thanh, Shah, Mehul Mahendra
• Granted Patent: US 7,007,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

A system and associated method for flagging differences in resource attributes across multiple database and transaction systems, to substantially improve database maintenance operations performed by database administrators. The system and method perform search for object attributes that define a resource across a large number of database systems, and return the information to a database administrator, with the information in an exception state flagged. The system and method offer significant advantages for database administration in the ability to simplify the views of multiple systems into a single system image, and the ability to provide a significant degree of flexibility in displaying database information, thus making it relatively easy to identify resources that do not necessarily conform to the single system definition. These features substantially enhance the efficiency of database administration operations and reduce the labor demand associated with performing two-dimensional searches for exception states.

Claims

1. A method for flagging differences in attributes across multiple database systems, comprising:

collecting the attributes from the multiple database systems;

grouping the attributes in groups, by resource identifiers, across the multiple database systems;

comparing the attributes across the multiple database systems, within each group;

identifying the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier, within each group, across the multiple database systems; and

flagging exception states associated with the differences that have been identified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the attributes from the multiple database systems comprises collecting the attributes in a table form.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein collecting the attributes in a table form comprises presenting the attributes in a table form comprised of a row for each resource on each database system and a column for each attribute.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging exception states comprises providing a visual indication that reflects the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the visual indication comprises highlighting the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging exception states comprises providing an audible indication that reflects the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein grouping the attributes in groups, by resource identifiers, comprises grouping the attributes by transaction names.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein grouping the attributes in groups, by resource identifiers, further comprises grouping the attributes by database system names.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing administration operations based on the exception states that have been flagged.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging the exception states comprises flagging all the differences identified between the attributes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging the exception states comprises flagging the differences identified in selected attributes.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein flagging the exception states comprises flagging a cell in a roll-up row associated with differences identified between the attributes.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein flagging the exception states comprises flagging a single attribute on one database system that differs from the attributes on other database systems.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein flagging the exception states comprises flagging all the attributes when two or more attributes corresponding to the same transaction name and database system name, are different from attributes corresponding to the same transaction name but different database system names.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein flagging the exception states comprises flagging a resource that is defined on one or more database systems, but not on other database systems.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein flagging the exception states comprises inserting and flagging a row for a resource identifier that is missing from one or more database systems.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein flagging the exception states comprises flagging a column in which differences between the attributes have been identified.

18. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting a single column in which differences between the attributes have been identified;

and

removing all other columns that have not been selected.

19. The method of claim 3, further comprising rearranging the rows to display roll-up rows with differences between the attributes at the beginning of the table, and other rows at the end of the table.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising automatically expanding the roll-up rows.

21. A computer program product for flagging differences in attributes across multiple database systems, comprising:

a first set of instruction codes for collecting the attributes from the multiple database systems and for grouping the attributes in groups, by resource identifiers, across the multiple database systems;

a second set of instruction codes for comparing the attributes across the multiple database systems, within each group, and for identifying the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier, within each group, across the multiple database systems; and

a third set of instruction codes for flagging exception states associated with the differences that have been identified.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the first set of instruction codes for collecting the attributes from the multiple database systems collects the attributes in a table form.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the first set of instruction codes for collecting the attributes in a table form presents the attributes in a table comprised of a row for each resource on each database system and a column for each attribute.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the third set of instruction codes for flagging exception states provides a visual indication that reflects the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the third set of instruction codes provides the visual indication by highlighting the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the third set of instruction codes provides an audible indication that reflects the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the third set of instruction codes groups the attributes by transaction names.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the third set of instruction codes further groups the attributes by database system names.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the third set of instruction codes flags all the differences identified between the attributes.

30. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the third set of instruction codes flags the exception states identified in selected attributes.

31. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the third set of instruction codes flags a cell in a roll-up row associated with differences identified between the attributes.

32. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the third set of instruction codes flags the exception states by inserting and flagging a row for a resource identifier that is missing from one or more database systems.

33. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the third set of instruction codes flags the exception states by flagging a column in which differences between the attributes have been identified.

34. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the third set of instruction codes removes all columns that have not been selected.

35. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the third set of instruction codes rearranges the rows to display roll-up rows with differences between the attributes at the beginning of the table, and other rows at the end of the table.

36. A system for flagging differences in attributes across multiple database systems, comprising:

means for collecting the attributes from the multiple database systems and for grouping the attributes in groups, by resource identifiers, across the multiple database systems;

means for comparing the attributes across the multiple database systems, within each group, and for identifying the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier, within each group, across the multiple database systems; and

means for flagging exception states associated with the differences that have been identified.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the means for collecting the attributes from the multiple database systems collects the attributes in a table form.

38. A method for flagging differences in attributes across multiple transaction management systems, comprising:

collecting the attributes from the multiple transaction management systems;

grouping the attributes in groups, by resource identifiers, across the multiple transaction management systems;

comparing the attributes across the multiple transaction management systems, within each group;

identifying the differences between the attributes for the same resource identifier, within each group, across the multiple transaction management systems; and

flagging exception states associated with the differences that have been identified.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein collecting the attributes from the multiple transaction management systems comprises collecting the attributes in a table form.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising performing administration operations based on exception states that have been flagged.