Fault tolerant database for picture archiving and communication systems

• US 6,564,336 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Majkowski, Gerald Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): PUENTE, EMERSON C
• Application Number:
  US09/474,394
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/5, 714/6, 714/11, 714/12, 714/13, 714/39, 714/43, 707/201, 707/202, 707/204, 711/154, 711/170, 711/171
• US Class Current: 714/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A fault tolerant database including one or more work stations (50-52) providing transaction data to be added to a database, including a primary network (100), a primary storage system (80) and a secondary storage system (90). A primary server (10) is coupled to the primary network (100) and receives the transaction data which is stored in the primary storage system. At time intervals, the primary server (10) transfers the transaction data from the primary storage system for storage in the secondary storage system. The primary server (10) defines a port for establishing connections to the work stations through the primary network (100). A secondary server (20) is coupled to the primary network (100) and receives transaction data from the primary server which is stored in the secondary storage system (90). The secondary server (20) also defines a port for establishing connections to the one or more work stations (50-52) through the primary network (100) in the event of a failure of the primary server (10).

Claims

1. In a picture archiving and communication system, apparatus for providing a fault tolerant database comprising in combination:

one or more workstations providing transaction data to be added to said database;

a primary network;

a primary storage system storing said database;

a secondary storage system storing said database;

a primary server coupled to said primary network receiving said transaction data over said primary network, transferring said transaction data to said primary storage system and at time intervals transferring said transaction data from said primary storage system for storage in said secondary storage system, said primary server defining a port for establishing connections to said one or more workstations through said primary network; and

a secondary server coupled to said primary network receiving said transaction data from said primary server and transferring said transaction data to said secondary storage system for storage, said secondary server defining a second port for establishing connections to said one or more workstations through said primary network in the event of a failure of said primary server, said secondary server at regular intervals causing said second port to establish connections to said one or more workstations through said primary network so that the operability of said secondary server can be tested.

2. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a secondary network coupling said primary server and secondary server for enabling a determination of the state of the primary server and the secondary server in the event of a failure of the primary network.

3. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said secondary server monitors the space available in said secondary storage system and generates a signal when the space falls below a predetermined minimum.

4. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said time intervals are at least once every five minutes.

5. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said primary server transfers said transaction data to said secondary server in the exact order in which said transaction data is received from said primary storage system.

6. In a picture archiving and communication system comprising a primary storage system and a secondary storage system, a method of providing a fault tolerant database comprising in combination:

providing transaction data to be added to said database;

storing said database in said primary storage system;

storing said database in said secondary storage system;

establishing first connections enabling the transfer of said transaction data to said primary storage system;

transferring said transaction data to said primary storage system along a first path;

storing said transaction data in said primary storage system;

at time intervals reading said transaction data from said primary storage system;

transferring said read transaction data from said primary storage system for storage in said secondary storage system;

storing said transaction data in said secondary storage system;

establishing second connections enabling the transfer of said transaction data to said secondary storage system without first storing said transaction data in said primary storage system in the event of a failure of said database stored in said primary storage system, said second connections being established at regular intervals so that the operability of said first connections can be tested.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said system further comprises a second path enabling a determination of the state of said first connections and second connections in the event of a failure of said first path.

8. A method, as claimed in claim 6, and further comprising:

monitoring the space available in said secondary storage system; and

generating a signal when the space falls below a predetermined minimum.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said time intervals are at least once every five minutes.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said storing said transaction data in said secondary storage system occurs in the exact order in which said transaction data is read from said primary storage system.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

identifying sets of said transaction data at regular intervals which have not been archived to a backup storage medium; and

archiving said sets of said transaction data to said backup storage medium.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 6, further comprising archiving sets of said transaction data to a backup storage medium based on a scheduled interval.

13. A system for providing a fault tolerant database in a picture archiving and communication system, comprising:

a primary storage system coupled to a primary network and storing a database;

a secondary storage system coupled to said primary network and storing said database;

one or more workstations coupled to said primary network, said one or more workstations providing transaction data to be added to said database;

a primary server coupled to said primary network receiving said transaction data over said primary network, transferring said transaction data to said primary storage system and at time intervals transferring said transaction data from said primary storage system to said secondary storage system for storage, said primary server defining a first port for establishing connections to said one or more workstations through said primary network;

a secondary server coupled to said primary network receiving said transaction data from said primary server and transferring said transaction data to said secondary storage system for storage, said secondary server defining a second port for establishing connections to said one or more workstations through said primary network; and

a secondary network coupling said primary server and secondary server for enabling a determination of the state of said primary and secondary servers, said secondary network being fully independent of said primary network.

14. The system of claim 13, said secondary server monitoring available space in said secondary storage system and generating a signal when said available space is within a range of less than a predetermined minimum and greater than zero.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a data backup device, said secondary server monitoring available space in said secondary storage system and transferring said transaction data to said data backup device when said available space is less than a predetermined minimum, said predetermined minimum being greater than zero.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a data backup device, said secondary server transferring said transaction data to said data backup device based upon a scheduled interval.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said secondary network is a dialup phone line.