Transportable database

• US 20050256908A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Potapov, Dmitry Mikhailovich, Sinha, Bipul, Loaiza, Juan R., Hu, Wei, Ganesh, Amit, Bridge, William H., Pareek, Alok, Yang, Wanli, Lee, J. William, Sanchez, Francisco M., Wertheimer, Steven Charles, Meng, Shen-Ban, Hwang, Alexander H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for creating a target database on a target platform based on a source database on a source platform is provided. A target database is created on the target platform based on data, metadata (for example, data in the system tablespace and control files), and external objects (for example, password files and externally stored tables) comprised within the source database. Data and metadata stored in tablespaces of the source database are converted to the format compatible with the target platform. The conversion of the data and metadata may be performed either at the source database or the target database. Redo information and undo information of the source database are not copied from the source database to the target database. Certain files, e.g., a password files, and links to externally stored object may be recreated on the target database.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method for creating a target database on a target platform based on a source database on a source platform, comprising the steps of:

identifying, within said source database, first information that cannot be used, in its current state, within the target database;

determining a first subset of said first information;

automatically converting said first subset to first converted information that is in a state that can be used within the target database;

converting data files of said source database to produce converted files that can be attached to the target database; and

creating said target database, and including in said target database said first converted information,

wherein the step of creating the target database includes attaching to said target database said converted files.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying, within said first information, a second subset that cannot be automatically converted to be valid in the target database; and

in response to identifying said second subset, prompting a user to supply data values, associated with said second subset, that would be valid in the target database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying, within said first information, a third subset that may be automatically converted to be valid in the target database;

in response to identifying said third subset, generating possible data values associated with said third subset that would be valid on said in said target database on said target platform; and

prompting a user to accept or reject said possible data values associated with said third subset.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying, within said first information, a fourth subset that cannot be automatically converted to be valid in the target database,

wherein the step of creating said target database is performed without creating any reference to the contents of said fourth subset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said fourth subset includes a redo log file on said source platform.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of creating said target database includes the steps of:

opening said source database in a read-only mode to quiesce said source database; and

omitting reference to the contents of all redo log files on said source platform in said target database.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of creating said target database includes the step of:

creating a first set of one or more redo log files on said target database, wherein said first set of one or more redo log files as the same size as a second set of one or more redo log files on said source database.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said fourth subset includes undo information on said source platform.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of creating said target database includes the steps of:

scanning said source database to locate said undo information in said source database; and

modifying said undo information so that said undo information will not be used by said target database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of creating said target database is initiated on said source platform.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of creating said target database is initiated on said target platform.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of converting data files includes:

prompting a user for supply references values, valid at said target platform, that identify a location to one or more objects stored externally to said target platform.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said source platform and said target platform are implemented in the same endian format.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said source platform and said target platform are implemented in different endian formats.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

after said target database is created on said target platform, receiving, from a user, reference data that establishes a reference from said target database to one or more externally stored objects.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

prior to performing said step of identifying, within said source database, said first information, determining if said source database may be copied to said target platform.

17. A machine-implemented method for removing reference to undo information, comprising the steps of:

locating metadata that indicates the transactions for which the undo information was generated; and

modifying the metadata so that the metadata ceases to indicate that the undo information was generated for the transactions for which the undo information was actually generated.

18. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for creating a target database on a target platform based on a source database on a source platform, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

identifying, within said source database, first information that cannot be used, in its current state, within the target database;

determining a first subset of said first information;

automatically converting said first subset to first converted information that is in a state that can be used within the target database;

converting data files of said source database to produce converted files that can be attached to the target database; and

creating said target database, and including in said target database said first converted information,

wherein the step of creating the target database includes attaching to said target database said converted files.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

identifying, within said first information, a second subset that cannot be automatically converted to be valid in the target database; and

in response to identifying said second subset, prompting a user to supply data values, associated with said second subset, that would be valid in the target database.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

identifying, within said first information, a third subset that may be automatically converted to be valid in the target database;

in response to identifying said third subset, generating possible data values associated with said third subset that would be valid on said in said target database on said target platform; and

prompting a user to accept or reject said possible data values associated with said third subset.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

identifying, within said first information, a fourth subset that cannot be automatically converted to be valid in the target database,

wherein the step of creating said target database is performed without creating any reference to the contents of said fourth subset.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said fourth subset includes a redo log file on said source platform.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the step of creating said target database includes the steps of:

opening said source database in a read-only mode to quiesce said source database; and

omitting reference to the contents of all redo log files on said source platform in said target database.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said step of creating said target database includes the step of:

creating a first set of one or more redo log files on said target database, wherein said first set of one or more redo log files as the same size as a second set of one or more redo log files on said source database.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said fourth subset includes undo information on said source platform.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the step of creating said target database includes the steps of:

scanning said source database to locate said undo information in said source database; and

modifying said undo information so that said undo information will not be used by said target database.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said step of creating said target database is initiated on said source platform.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said step of creating said target database is initiated on said target platform.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said step of converting data files includes:

prompting a user for supply references values, valid at said target platform, that identify a location to one or more objects stored externally to said target platform.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said source platform and said target platform are implemented in the same endian format.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said source platform and said target platform are implemented in different endian formats.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

after said target database is created on said target platform, receiving, from a user, reference data that establishes a reference from said target database to one or more externally stored objects.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

prior to performing said step of identifying, within said source database, said first information, determining if said source database may be copied to said target platform.

34. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for removing reference to undo information, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

locating metadata that indicates the transactions for which the undo information was generated; and

modifying the metadata so that the metadata ceases to indicate that the undo information was generated for the transactions for which the undo information was actually generated.