Techniques for replicating groups of database objects

• US 20060155789A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan J. Demers, James W. Stamos, Lik Wong
• Original Assignee: Alan J. Demers, James W. Stamos, Lik Wong
• Inventors: Wong, Lik, Stamos, James W., Demers, Alan J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Techniques for making a replica of a particular group of database objects of a database on a particular node that does not initially have the particular group of database objects include determining whether conditions for copying a full database from a first node are satisfied. If conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied, then a database-object-copy routine is employed for each database object in the particular group of database objects. If conditions for copying the full database from the first node are satisfied, then a full-database-copy routine for performing a copy of an entire database is employed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for making a replica of a particular group of database objects on a particular node of a network, which particular node does not initially have the particular group of database objects, the method comprising:

determining whether conditions for copying a full database from a first node are satisfied, wherein the first node is a first master definition node authorized to define members of the particular group of database objects;

if conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied, then

employing a database-object-copy routine for each database object in the particular group of database objects; and

if conditions for copying the full database from the first node are satisfied, then

employing a full-database-copy routine for performing a copy of an entire database installed on a node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first node stores a set of one or more groups of database objects, the set including the particular group of database objects; and

the conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied if the set includes a group of database objects that includes a view embodied as a separate database table with rows and columns derived from one or more remote database tables.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first node further stores one or more additional groups of database objects, each additional group stored on each of a corresponding set of one or more nodes on the network; and

the conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied if a second node, different from the first node, is a second master definition node for a group of the one or more additional groups.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first node further stores one or more additional groups of database objects, each additional group stored on each of a corresponding set of one or more nodes on the network; and

the conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied if a group of the one or more additional groups is not to be copied onto the particular node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied if the particular node already stores a group of database objects from a database that also includes the particular group of database objects.

6. The method of claim 1, said step of employing a full-database-copy routine comprising employing a database function for exporting a full database.

7. The method of claim 1, said step of employing a full-database-copy routine comprising employing a database function for recovery of database changes.

8. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for making a replica of a particular group of database objects on a particular node of a network, which particular node does not initially have the particular group of database objects, 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:

determining whether conditions for copying a full database from a first node are satisfied, wherein the first node is a first master definition node authorized to define members of the particular group of database objects;

if conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied, then employing a database-object-copy routine for each database object in the particular group of database objects; and

if conditions for copying the full database from the first node are satisfied, then employing a full-database-copy routine for performing a copy of an entire database installed on a node.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the first node stores a set of one or more groups of database objects, the set including the particular group of database objects; and

the conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied if the set includes a group of database objects that includes a view embodied as a separate database table with rows and columns derived from one or more remote database tables.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the first node further stores one or more additional groups of database objects, each additional group stored on each of a corresponding set of one or more nodes on the network; and

the conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied if a second node, different from the first node, is a second master definition node for a group of the one or more additional groups.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the first node further stores one or more additional groups of database objects, each additional group stored on each of a corresponding set of one or more nodes on the network; and

the conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied if a group of the one or more additional groups is not to be copied onto the particular node.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the conditions for copying the full database from the first node are not satisfied if the particular node already stores a group of database objects from a database that also includes the particular group of database objects.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, said step of employing a full-database-copy routine comprising employing a database function for exporting a full database.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, said step of employing a full-database-copy routine comprising employing a database function for recovery of database changes.