DATA DECAY MANAGEMENT

• US 20100114836A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chan, Cynthia Mee Yee, Jain, Chetana, Song, Haidong, Tahiliani, Manoj, Li, Wenxin
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/662
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2322 using timestamps

Abstract

Embodiments presented herein provide systems and methods for managing data decay. A system is provided for maintaining metadata about data attributes or relationships between data. A data decay engine can read the metadata and perform a decay calculation. The type of decay calculation can be associated with the type of data or be determined from user inputs. The decay engine can provide a score as to the staleness of the data. An update engine can determine specific data attributes that may require updating. The update engine may be able to update the data from external data sources.

Claims

1. A method executed on a computer system, wherein the computer system comprises a processor, memory, and a user interface, for determining decay for an item of data in a database, comprising:

retrieving a date/time stamp from the database for an item of data;

calculating a time from a last update, wherein the last update is represented by the date/time stamp;

retrieving one or more decay rules;

calculating a decay score for the item of data according to one or more decay rules; and

reporting the decay score to the user interface.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a decay score for the entire database based on the decay scores of one or more items of data in the database; and

reporting the decay score for the entire database.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more decay rules includes a decay calculation.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the decay calculation is one of a linear function, logarithmic function, or an exponential function.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the decay score is calculated periodically.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising calculating a decay score for one or more relationships between two or more items of data.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the decay score crosses a threshold; and

setting an out-of-date flag if the decay score crossed the threshold.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

storing the decay score for the item of data as a decay metric;

retrieving the decay metric;

retrieving a threshold;

determining if the decay metric crosses the threshold;

if the decay metric crosses the threshold, retrieving an update for the item of data; and

storing the update for the item of data in the database.

9. A computer system for managing data decay in a database, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device in communication with the processor and encoded with a database program that causes the processor to execute;

the database;

a decay engine in communication with the database, the decay engine operable to cause the processor to execute a method for determining decay in the database, the method comprising;

retrieving a date/time stamp from the database for an item of data;

calculating a time from a last update, wherein the last update is represented by the date/time stamp;

retrieving one or more decay rules;

calculating a decay score for the item of data according to one or more decay rules; and

storing the decay score as a decay metric; and

an update engine in communication with the database, the update engine operable to cause the processor to execute a method for updating decayed data, the method comprising;

retrieving the decay metric;

retrieving a threshold;

determining if the decay metric crosses the threshold;

if the decay metric crosses the threshold, retrieving an update for the item of data; and

storing the update for the item of data in the database.

10. The computer system as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

a decay rules database in communication with the decay engine, the decay rules database operable to store the one or more decay rules.

11. The computer system as defined in claim 10, further comprising a database engine, the database engine in communication with the decay engine and the update engine, the database engine receiving one or more requests from the decay engine and the update engine, the database engine providing one or more data files to the decay engine and the update engine.

12. The computer system as defined in claim 9, wherein update engine is in communication with one or more external databases, the update engine operable to receive the update for the item of data from the one or more external databases.

13. The computer system as defined in claim 9, wherein a database administrator creates the one or more decay rules.

14. The computer system as defined in claim 9, wherein the database comprises one or more items of metadata, the metadata comprising:

a date stamp field, the date stamp field storing a date for the date/time stamp, wherein the date is a date of a last update;

a time stamp field, the time stamp field storing a time for the date/time stamp, wherein the time is a time of a last update; and

a decay metric field, the decay metric field storing the decay score as a decay metric.

15. The computer system as defined in claim 14, the metadata further comprising:

an out-of-date flag field, the out-of-date flag field storing an out-of-date flag that represents to the update engine that the item of data needs to be updated; and

an update flag field, the update flag field storing an update flag that represents to the update engine that a user wants the item of data to be updated if the out-of-date flag is set.

16. The computer system as defined in claim 15, wherein one or more of the metadata is associated with one or more items of data and one or more relationships between two or more items of data.

17. A computer program product encoded on a computer-readable medium, the computer program product having one or more instructions for updating decayed data in a database, the instructions comprising:

instructions for retrieving the decay metric for a first item of data;

instructions for retrieving a threshold associated with the item of data;

instructions for determining if the decay metric crosses the threshold;

if the decay metric crosses the threshold, instructions for retrieving an update for the item of data;

if the decay metric does not cross the threshold, retrieving a decay metric for a second item of data; and

instructions for storing the update for the first item of data in the database.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising instructions for setting an out-of-date flag if the decay metric crosses the threshold.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, further comprising:

determining if an update flag is set for the first item of data; and

determining if an update is requested on the first item of data, wherein the update is requested if the update flag is set.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising instructions for retrieving the update from one of one or more external databases.