SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING DATABASE REPLICATION

• US 20100191702A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hofmann, Helmut
• Granted Patent: US 8,868,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/616
• 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

Data processing systems and methods are provided that include a relational database and an application program that performs a data processing step on data belonging to a pre-defined entity stored in the relational database. The relational database and the application program may be linked by an interface that provides an intermediate layer for extracting a self-contained temporary table out of the relational database that contains the data belonging to a user selected entity. The disclosed systems and methods may be used for various data processing purposes, including monitoring database replication.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A data processing system, comprising:

a relational database comprising database tables and relationships, the database tables including data belonging to a set of entities;

a processor executing an application program configured to process data belonging to a selected one of the entities; and

an interface providing the data of the selected entity to the application program as a temporary table, the interface configured to;

store a mapping table assigning the selected entity to a main table, the main table including at least some of the data belonging to the selected entity, wherein the main table is a root of relationship paths among related tables that relate to the selected entity;

provide a list of the entities to the application program for display and for user selection of the selected entity; and

generate the temporary table after the user selection by reading the main table, resolving the relationships paths in the main table to determine the related tables, and reading the related tables.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the interface generates the temporary table by resolving all relationships of the main table.

19. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein a set of the database tables are assigned to one of the entities in the mapping table.

20. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the interface generates the temporary table by generating the temporary table as a spreadsheet.

21. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the spreadsheet has a tab for each of the database tables that includes data belonging to the selected entity.

22. A distributed database system, comprising:

at least a first replica and a second replica of data belonging to a set of entities, the first and second replicas including database tables and relationships among the database tables;

an application program executed by a processor for monitoring database replication of data belonging to a selected one of the entities;

a first interface coupled to the first replica for generating a first temporary table by reading a first main table, the first main table assigned to the selected entity in a mapping table, and reading first related tables related to the first main table by resolving relationships specified in the first main table to locate the first related tables, wherein the first main table is a root of relationship paths among the first related tables that relate to the selected entity, and wherein the first interface provides the first temporary table to the application program; and

a second interface coupled to the second replica for generating a second temporary by reading a second main table, the second main table assigned to the selected entity in the mapping table, and reading second related tables related to the second main table by resolving relationships specified in the second main table to locate the second related tables, wherein the second main table is a root of relationship paths among the second related tables that relate to the selected entity, and wherein the second interface provides the second temporary table to the application program,

wherein the application program is further configured to detect a discrepancy between the first and second temporary tables and outputs a signal when a discrepancy is detected.

23. The distributed database system of claim 22, further comprising:

a replication component configured to receive a correction of the discrepancy in response to the signal, and to propagate the correction to the at least first and second replicas.

24. The distributed database system of claim 22, wherein:

the application is further configured to determine a cut set of a first set of names of a respective first set of entities supported by the first interface and a second set of names of a respective second set of entities supported by the second interface for a user'"'"'s selection of one of the names contained in the cut set.

25. A data processing method for providing data belonging to a selected entity from a set of entities to an application program, the data being stored in a relational database comprising a plurality of database tables and relationships among the database tables, the database tables including data belonging to the entities, the method comprising:

providing a list of the entities to an application program for a user'"'"'s selection of the selected entity;

receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the selected entity;

accessing a mapping table assigning the selected entity to a main table, the main table including at least some of the data belonging to the selected entity, wherein the main table is a root of relationship paths among related tables that relate to the selected entity;

generating, by a processor, the temporary table after the user selection by reading the main table, resolving the relationships paths in the main table to determine the related tables, and reading the related tables; and

storing the temporary table in memory.

26. The data processing method of claim 25, wherein the relationships between the tables are established by foreign keys.

27. The data processing method of claim 25, wherein the mapping table assigns a set of the plurality of database tables to one of the entities.

28. A computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a data processing method for providing data belonging to a selected entity from a set of entities to an application program, the data being stored in a relational database comprising a plurality of database tables and relationships among the database tables, the database tables including data belonging to the entities, the method comprising:

providing a list of the entities to an application program for a user'"'"'s selection of the selected entity;

receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the selected entity;

accessing a mapping table assigning the selected entity to a main table, the main table including at least some of the data belonging to the selected entity, wherein the main table is a root of relationship paths among related tables that relate to the selected entity;

generating, by a processor, the temporary table after the user selection by reading the main table, resolving the relationships paths in the main table to determine the related tables, and reading the related tables; and

storing the temporary table in memory.

29. A method for monitoring database replication of at least first and second replica of a distributed database system, the first and second replica including data belonging to a set of entities, the at least first and second replicas having database tables and relationships among the database tables, the method comprising:

monitoring database replication of data belonging to a selected one of the entities;

generating a first temporary table of the first replica by reading a first main table, the first main table assigned to the selected entity in a mapping table, and reading first related tables related to the first main table by resolving relationships specified in the first main table to locate the first related tables, wherein the first main table is a root of relationship paths among the first related tables that relate to the selected entity;

generating a second temporary table of the second replica by reading a second main table, the second main table assigned to the selected entity in the mapping table, and reading second related tables related to the second main table by resolving relationships specified in the second main table to locate the second related tables, wherein the second main table is a root of relationship paths among the second related tables that relate to the selected entity;

detecting a discrepancy between the first and second temporary tables; and

outputting a signal when the discrepancy is detected.

30. The method of monitoring database replication of claim 29, further comprising:

entering a correction of the discrepancy in response to the signal; and

propagating the correction to the at least first and second replicas.