AUTOMATIC REPLICATION OF AMBIGUOUS DATA BASED ON A POINT SYSTEM

• US 20130325799A1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chakra, Al, Holtz, Juergen, Friessinger, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 10,776,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/610
• 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: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

A method for automatic data synchronization between a source system and a buffer system. The method includes identifying a configurable set of penalties, wherein each penalty defines a number of penalty points associated with a respective one of a plurality of events related to data set stored by the source system. The method also includes, in response detecting one or more events, calculating a total penalty score using the penalty points corresponding to each of the events. The method also includes determining that the total penalty score satisfies a predetermined penalty threshold indicating that the copy of the data set stored on the buffer system is presumed stale and, in response, initiating a data replication operation that updates the copy of data set stored on the buffer system with current data from the data set stored on the source system.

Claims

1. A method for automatic data synchronization between a source system and a buffer system, the method comprising:

identifying a configurable set of penalties, wherein each penalty in the configurable set of penalties defines a number of penalty points associated with a respective one of a plurality of events related to data set stored by the source system, wherein the buffer system is configured to store a copy of the data set stored on the source system;

in response detecting one or more events among the plurality of events, calculating a total penalty score using the penalty points corresponding to each of the one or more events;

determining that the total penalty score satisfies a predetermined penalty threshold indicating that the copy of the data set stored on the buffer system is presumed stale; and

in response to determining that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold, initiating a data replication operation that updates the copy of data set stored on the buffer system with current data from the data set stored on the source system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of more events comprises at least a first event and a second event, wherein the first event is associated with a number of penalty points that does not satisfy the predetermined penalty threshold, and wherein the sum of the number of penalty points associated with the first event and a number of penalty points associated with the second event satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that a user has requested to initiate the data replication operation;

storing, in a historical records database, a record of conditions related to the source system at each time the user requests to initiate the data replication operation;

identifying a common condition among the stored records; and

modifying the configurable set of penalties to increase the number of penalty points assigned to an event corresponding to the common condition.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to detecting that the user has requested to initiate the data replication operation;

determining a number of penalty points associated with the user requesting to initiate the data replication operation,

recalculating the total penalty score by adding the determined number of penalty points to the previously calculated total penalty score,

determining that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold; and

in response to determining that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold, initiating the data replication operation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to initiating the data replication operation:

determining a cost of completing the data replication operation;

determining that the cost of completing the data replication operation satisfies a predetermined cost threshold; and

in response to determining that the cost of completing the data replication operation satisfies the predetermined cost threshold, modifying the configurable set of penalties to minimize a cost of future data replication operations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cost is measured by at least one of the group including:

an amount of power used in completing the data replication operation, a monetary cost required to complete the data replication operation, the amount of time required to complete the data replication operation, and an amount of resources required to complete the data replication operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the total penalty score exceeds the predetermined penalty threshold:

identifying a portion of the data set stored in the source system to replicate based on the one or more events, wherein initiating the data replication operation comprises storing the identified portion of the data set on the buffer system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying historical records indicating the one or more events;

prompting a user to modify the configurable set of penalties based on the historical records; and

recalculating the total penalty score based on the modified configurable set of penalties based on input from the user.

9. A data processing system for automatic data synchronization, the data processing system comprising:

a processor;

data storage coupled to the processor; and

program code stored within the data storage that, when processed by the processor, causes the data processing system to;

identify a configurable set of penalties, wherein each penalty in the configurable set of penalties defines a number of penalty points associated with a respective one of a plurality of events related to data set stored by the source system, wherein the buffer system is configured to store a copy of the data set stored on the source system;

in response detecting one or more events among the plurality of events, calculate a total penalty score using the penalty points corresponding to each of the one or more events;

determine that the total penalty score satisfies a predetermined penalty threshold indicating that the copy of the data set stored on the buffer system is presumed stale; and

in response to determining that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold, initiate a data replication operation that updates the copy of data set stored on the buffer system with current data from the data set stored on the source system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one of more events comprises at least a first event and a second event, wherein the first event is associated with a number of penalty points that does not satisfy the predetermined penalty threshold, and wherein the sum of the number of penalty points associated with the first event and a number of penalty points associated with the second event satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system to:

detect that a user has requested to initiate the data replication operation;

store, in a historical records database, a record of conditions related to the source system at each time the user requests to initiate the data replication operation;

identify a common condition among the stored records; and

modify the configurable set of penalties to increase the number of penalty points assigned to an event corresponding to the common condition.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system to, in response to detecting that the user has requested to initiate the data replication operation:

determine a number of penalty points associated with the user requesting to initiate the data replication operation,

recalculate the total penalty score by adding the determined number of penalty points to the previously calculated total penalty score,

determine that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold; and

in response to determining that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold, initiate the data replication operation.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system to:

determine a cost of completing the data replication operation;

determine that the cost of completing the data replication operation satisfies a predetermined cost threshold; and

in response to determining that the cost of completing the data replication operation satisfies the predetermined cost threshold, modify the configurable set of penalties to minimize a cost of future data replication operations.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the cost is measured by at least one of the group consisting of:

an amount of power used in completing the data replication operation, a monetary cost required to complete the data replication operation, the amount of time required to complete the data replication operation, and an amount of resources required to complete the data replication operation.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system, in response to determining that the total penalty score exceeds the predetermined penalty threshold, to:

identify a portion of the data set stored in the source system to replicate based on the one or more events, wherein initiating the data replication operation comprises storing the identified portion of the data set on the buffer system.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system to:

display historical records indicating the one or more events;

prompt a user to modify the configurable set of penalties based on the historical records; and

recalculate the total penalty score based on the modified configurable set of penalties based on input from the user.

17. A computer program product for automatic data synchronization, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer readable storage device; and

program code stored within the tangible computer readable storage device that, when processed by the processor, cause the data processing system to;

identify a configurable set of penalties, wherein each penalty in the configurable set of penalties defines a number of penalty points associated with a respective one of a plurality of events related to data set stored by the source system, wherein the buffer system is configured to store a copy of the data set stored on the source system;

in response detecting one or more events among the plurality of events, calculate a total penalty score using the penalty points corresponding to each of the one or more events;

determine that the total penalty score satisfies a predetermined penalty threshold indicating that the copy of the data set stored on the buffer system is presumed stale; and

in response to determining that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold, initiate a data replication operation that updates the copy of data set stored on the buffer system with current data from the data set stored on the source system.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the one of more events comprises at least a first event and a second event, wherein the first event is associated with a number of penalty points that does not satisfy the predetermined penalty threshold, and wherein the sum of the number of penalty points associated with the first event and a number of penalty points associated with the second event satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system to:

detect that a user has requested to initiate the data replication operation;

store, in a historical records database, a record of conditions related to the source system at each time the user requests to initiate the data replication operation;

identify a common condition among the stored records; and

modify the configurable set of penalties to increase the number of penalty points assigned to an event corresponding to the common condition.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system to, in response to detecting that the user has requested to initiate the data replication operation:

determine a number of penalty points associated with the user requesting to initiate the data replication operation,

recalculate the total penalty score by adding the determined number of penalty points to the previously calculated total penalty score,

determine that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold; and

in response to determining that the total penalty score satisfies the predetermined penalty threshold, initiate the data replication operation.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system to:

determine a cost of completing the data replication operation;

determine that the cost of completing the data replication operation satisfies a predetermined cost threshold; and

in response to determining that the cost of completing the data replication operation satisfies the predetermined cost threshold, modify the configurable set of penalties to minimize a cost of future data replication operations.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the cost is measured by at least one of the group consisting of:

an amount of power used in completing the data replication operation, a monetary cost required to complete the data replication operation, the amount of time required to complete the data replication operation, and an amount of resources required to complete the data replication operation.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system, in response to determining that the total penalty score exceeds the predetermined penalty threshold, to:

identify a portion of the data set stored in the source system to replicate based on the one or more events, wherein initiating the data replication operation comprises storing the identified portion of the data set on the buffer system.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code further causes the data processing system to:

display historical records indicating the one or more events;

prompt a user to modify the configurable set of penalties based on the historical records; and

recalculate the total penalty score based on the modified configurable set of penalties based on input from the user.