Apparatus and method for a distributed storage global database

• US 20090070337A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northend Networks Ltd.
• Original Assignee: XEROUND INC., XEROUND SYSTEMS LTD. (XEROUND INC.)
• Inventors: Zlotkin, Gilad, Romem, Yaniv, Vigder, Avi, Gilderman, Ilia
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24539 using cached or materialised query results
• 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

Abstract

A geographically distributed storage system for managing the distribution of data elements wherein requests for given data elements incur a geographic inertia. The geographically distributed storage system comprises geographically distributed sites, each comprises a site storage unit for locally storing a portion of a globally coherent distributed database that includes the data elements and a local access point for receiving requests relating to ones of the data elements. The and geographically distributed storage system comprises a data management module for forwarding at least one requested data element to the local access point at a first of the geographically distributed sites from which the request is received and storing the at least one requested data element at the first site, thereby to provide local accessibility to the data element for future requests from the first site while maintaining the globally coherency of the distributed database.

Claims

1. A geographically distributed storage system for managing the distribution of a plurality of data elements, comprising:

a plurality of geographically distributed sites, each comprising a site storage unit configured for locally storing a portion of a globally coherent distributed database comprising the plurality of data elements and a local access point configured for receiving requests relating to ones of the plurality of data elements; and

a data management module configured for forwarding at least one requested data element to the local access point at a first of said plurality of geographically distributed sites from which said request is received and storing said at least one requested data element at said first site, thereby to provide local accessibility to said data element for future requests from said first site while maintaining the global coherency of said globally coherent distributed database.

2. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein each said site storage unit comprises a local storage sub-system configured for locally storing respective said portion.

3. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein each said site storage unit comprises a global storage device of a dynamic storage sub-system, said dynamic storage sub-system being configured for storing at least a unified database comprising a replica of each said data element.

4. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein said data management module is configured for forwarding said at least one requested data element while maintaining a predefined atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability (ACID) level of said globally coherent distributed database.

5. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein said at least one requested data element is replied without communication latency to at least one subsequent request following said request.

6. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 3, wherein said unified database backing up one said plurality of elements of each said local storage sub-system.

7. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 3, wherein each said data element comprises a tag indicative of one of said storage sub-systems, an access right to each said data element is exclusively granted to a respectively indicated sub-system.

8. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 7 wherein said access right comprises one member of the group consisting of:

read, write, edit, lock, and replicate.

9. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein said sites are respectively remotely located thereby to ensure a geography-based resilience.

10. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein said local access point is configured for receiving a request for a cluster comprising data elements from said plurality of data elements, said data management module being configured for forwarding said cluster to the local access point at a first of said plurality of geographically distributed sites from which said request is received.

11. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 10, wherein at least some of said data elements are associated with respective entity identifiers, each member of said cluster having a common entity identifier.

12. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 10, wherein at least some of said data elements are associated with a plurality of criteria, said request being for ones of said plurality of data elements which fulfill at least one of said criteria.

13. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 2, wherein said plurality of data elements comprises a cluster of frequently requested data elements, each said local storage sub-system being configured for caching said cluster.

14. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 2, wherein each said local storage sub-system is configured for receiving a plurality of requests such as said request;

further comprising a statistic module configured for updating said locally stored data elements according to a statistical analysis of said plurality of requests.

15. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein each said access point is configured for interfacing with a roaming management system, each said data element stores information needed for providing roaming services.

16. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, further comprising a blocking module having a list of blocked data elements, said blocking module being configured for preventing said local access point points from providing said at least one requested data element.

17. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 3, wherein each said local storage sub-system is configured for restoring said locally stored the data elements according to respective data elements of said unified database.

18. The geographically distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein said data management module is configured for identifying the type of said request, the access rights of said forwarded at least one requested data element being determined according to said type.

19. A method for managing requests for a plurality of data elements distributed over a plurality of sites, comprising:

a) distributing a plurality of local databases in a plurality of sites, each said local database stores a portion of a globally coherent distributed database that includes a plurality of data elements;

b) receiving a request for at least one of the plurality of data elements from a database client at a first site of said plurality of sites;

c) forwarding said requested at least one data element to said database client from a hosting site of said plurality of sites; and

d) locally storing the requested at least one data element at said first site, thereby providing local access to said requested at least one data element at said first site while maintaining the global coherency of the distributed database.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said distributing ensures a geography-based resilience.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said request is for a cluster comprising data elements from said plurality of data elements, said forwarding comprising forwarding said cluster to said database client.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said locally storing provides local accessibility to said requested at least one data element for future requests from said first site.

23. A distributed storage system for managing the distribution of a plurality of data elements wherein requests for given data elements incur a local inertia, comprising:

a plurality of distributed units, each comprising a storage subunit configured for locally storing a portion of a coherent distributed database comprising the plurality of data elements and a direct access point configured for receiving requests relating to ones of the plurality of data elements; and

a data management module configured for forwarding at least one requested data element to the direct access point at a first of said plurality of distributed units from which said request is received and storing said at least one requested data element at said first unit, thereby to provide direct accessibility to said data element for future requests from said first unit while maintaining the coherency of said coherent distributed database.

24. The distributed storage system of claim 23, wherein said data management module is configured for forwarding said at least one requested data element while maintaining a predefined atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability (ACID) level of said coherent distributed database.

25. The distributed storage system of claim 23, wherein said at least one requested data element being replied without communication latency to at least one subsequent request following said request.