Methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting and restoring missing or corrupted data in a distributed, scalable, redundant measurement platform database

• US 20070179993A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Arruza, Dwayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1612 where the redundant component is persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1658 Data re-synchronization of a redundant component, or initial sync of replacement, additional or spare unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting and restoring missing or corrupted data in a distributed, scalable, redundant measurement platform database are disclosed. According to one method, a local database including local database entries is audited to identify suspect local database entries having at least one of missing and corrupted data. The local database is cross-compared with a redundant remote database that is a peer of the local database and that includes redundant remote database entries that are associated with the local database entries to identify local database entries that are inconsistent with the redundant remote database entries. For each local database entry identified as suspect and inconsistent with the corresponding redundant remote database entry, the local database entry is replaced with the redundant remote database entry.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and restoring missing or corrupted data in a distributed, scalable, redundant measurement platform database, the method comprising:

(a) auditing a local database including a plurality of local database entries to identify suspect local database entries having at least one of missing and corrupted data;

(b) cross-comparing the local database with a redundant remote database that is a peer of the local database and that includes a plurality of redundant remote database entries, wherein the plurality of redundant remote database entries is associated with the plurality of local database entries, to identify local database entries that are inconsistent with the redundant remote database entries; and

(c) for each local database entry identified as suspect and inconsistent with the corresponding redundant remote database entry, replacing the local database entry with the redundant remote database entry.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein auditing the local database includes calculating a checksum for each of the plurality of local database entries.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein auditing the local database includes calculating a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) for each of the plurality of local database entries.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein auditing the local database comprises setting a suspect data indicator for each identified suspect local database entry.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein setting the suspect data indicator includes setting the suspect data indicator based upon a checksum failure for each identified suspect local database entry.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein setting the suspect data indicator includes setting the suspect data indicator based upon an expired timestamp indicator for each identified suspect local database entry.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein cross-comparing includes requesting a plurality of checksums for the redundant remote database entries from the redundant remote database.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein, in response to receiving the requested plurality of checksums, cross-comparing includes comparing the received plurality of checksums with checksums associated with the plurality of local database entries to identify local database entries that are inconsistent with the redundant remote database entries.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein replacing the local database entry with the redundant remote database entry includes requesting the redundant remote database entry from the redundant remote database and, in response to receiving the redundant remote database entry, copying the redundant remote database entry to the local database to replace the local database entry.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising operating the local database in a secondary capacity for collection, measurement and reporting and operating the redundant remote database operates in a primary capacity for collection, measurement and reporting for a distributed, scalable, redundant measurement platform.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising operating the local database and the redundant remote database in a load sharing capacity and operating the local database in a secondary capacity for collection, measurement and reporting for a portion of the distributed, scalable, redundant measurement platform and operating the redundant remote database in a primary capacity for collection, measurement and reporting for the portion of the distributed, scalable, redundant measurement platform.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the local and redundant remote database entries contain telecommunications measurement data.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a)-(c) are performed at a signaling transfer point (STP).

14. A system for detecting and restoring missing or corrupted data in a distributed, scalable, redundant measurement platform database, the system comprising:

(a) a measurement collection platform (MCP) adapted to collect, maintain, and report operational parameters; and

(b) a plurality of measurement collection processor modules (MCPMs) controlled by the MCP, each including a local database which is a redundant remote database for the remaining MCPMs, wherein the MCPMs are adapted to;

(i) audit the local database including a plurality of local database entries to identify suspect local database entries having at least one of missing and corrupted data;

(ii) cross-compare the local database with at least one of the redundant remote databases that is a peer of the local database and that includes a plurality of redundant remote database entries, wherein the plurality of redundant remote database entries are associated with the plurality of local database entries, to identify local database entries that are inconsistent with the redundant remote database entries; and

(iii) for each local database entry identified as suspect and inconsistent with the corresponding redundant remote database entry, replace the local database entry with the redundant remote database entry.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the MCPMs are adapted to audit the local database by calculating a checksum for each of the plurality of local database entries.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the MCPMs are adapted to audit the local database by calculating a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) for each of the plurality of local database entries.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the MCPM are adapted to set a suspect data indicator for each identified suspect local database entry.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the MCPM are adapted to set the suspect data indicator based upon a checksum failure for each identified suspect local database entry.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the MCPM are adapted to set the suspect data indicator based upon an expired timestamp indicator for each identified suspect local database entry.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the MCPMs are adapted to cross-compare by requesting a plurality of checksums for the redundant remote database entries from the redundant remote database.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the MCPMs are adapted to cross-compare by comparing the received plurality of checksums with checksums associated with the plurality of local database entries to identify local database entries that are inconsistent with the redundant remote database entries.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein, in replacing the local database entry with the redundant remote database entry, the MCPMs are adapted to request the redundant remote database entry from the redundant remote database and, in response to receiving the redundant remote database entry, copy the redundant remote database entry to the local database to replace the local database entry.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the MCP is adapted to operate at least one of the plurality of MCPMs in a primary capacity for collection, measurement and reporting and to operate the remainder of the MCPMs in a secondary capacity for collection, measurement and reporting.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the MCP is adapted to operate the plurality of MCPMs in a load sharing capacity wherein each of the plurality of MCPMs is assigned a portion of the collection, measurement and reporting of operational parameters for the MCP, and wherein each of the plurality of MCPMs operates its local database in a primary capacity for the portion of the collection, measurement and reporting of operational parameters assigned to it, and wherein each of the remainder of the plurality of MCPMs operates its local database in a secondary capacity for the portion of the collection, measurement and reporting of operational parameters assigned to each other remaining MCPMs of the plurality of MCPMs.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the local and redundant remote database entries contain telecommunications measurement data.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the MCP and the plurality of MCPMs are co-located with a signaling transfer point (STP).

27. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:

(a) auditing a local database including a plurality of local database entries to identify suspect local database entries having at least one of missing and corrupted data;

(b) cross-comparing the local database with a redundant remote database including a plurality of redundant remote database entries, wherein the plurality of redundant remote database entries is associated with the plurality of local database entries, to identify local database entries that are inconsistent with the redundant remote database entries; and

(c) for each local database entry identified as suspect and inconsistent with the corresponding redundant remote database entry, replacing the local database entry with the redundant remote database entry.