Database scattering system

• US 6,898,609 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnterpriseDB Corporation
• Original Assignee: Douglas W. Kerwin
• Inventors: Kerwin, Douglas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy N.
• Application Number:
  US10/431,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 707/8, 707/10, 707/101, 707/200, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/205, 707/3, 709/201, 709/223, 713/100, 711/162
• US Class Current: 707/634
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A computer system for providing load balancing and scalable access to a network database system by providing multiple database instances with each instance being substantially identical in data content, database structure, and primary key system. Requests from users are received by the system, examined to determine their nature as transactional or non-transactional and, in the case of non-transactional queries, scattered among the multiple database instances. Such scattering of queries permits multiple instances of the database to be serving responses to multiple users at substantially the same time. In the case of transactional queries, the system automatically propagates the transactional query to all instances of the database to maintain homogeneity.

Claims

1. A computer system for use in providing load balancing and scalable access to at least two first database replicated instances in a networked environment comprising a plurality of such first replicated database instances, available to a population of users, comprising:

a) at least one first computer processor structured and arranged to perform record retrieval essentially simultaneously from each of such at least two first database replicated instances;

b) at least one second computer processor structured and arranged to control processing of at least one update request onto each of such at least two first database replicated instances

c) at least one third computer processor structured and arranged to assign at least one unique identifier for each unique record in such at least two first database replicated instances;

d) at least one second database structured and arranged to store such at least one unique identifier;

e) at least one third database structured and arranged to store at least one copy of each such update request;

f) at least one fourth database structured and arranged to store location information for each at least two first database replicated instances used for record retrieval; and

g) wherein such at least one first computer processor is further structured and arranged to randomly select at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances from such at least one fourth database.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a) at least one fifth database structured and arranged to store location information for each at least two first database replicated instances to be updated; and

b) at least one fourth computer processor structured and arranged to restore at least one instance of at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of at least two first database replicated instances to substantial identicalness with all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances.

3. The computer system according to claim 2 wherein such at least one first computer processor is further structured and arranged to:

a) replicate itself automatically for each of at least two operating end-user computer processor systems; and

b) permit each copy of such at least one first computer processor for each of such at least two end-user computer processing systems direct communication with such at least one first database replicated instance.

4. The computer system according to claim 2 wherein such at least one first computer processor is further structured and arranged to:

a) receive at least one database request form at least one end-user computer processor system;

b) determine the nature of such at least one database request;

c) retrieve at least one requested record from at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances;

d) transmit such at least one retrieved requested record to the at least one end-user computer processor system;

e) transmit such at least one update request to such at least one second computer processor structured and arranged to control processing of at least one update request onto each of such at least two first database replicated instances; and

f) transmit update outcome information to the at least one end-user computer processor system.

5. The computer system according to claim 2 wherein such first computer processor is further structured and arranged to:

b) update such at least one fourth database when at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances is non-responsive to retrieval requests by such at least one second computer processor; and

c) randomly select at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances from such at least one fourth database when at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances is non-responsive to retrieval requests by such at least one second computer processor.

6. The computer system according to claim 2 wherein such at least one second computer processor is further structured and arranged to:

a) receive such at least one update request from such at least one first computer processor;

b) insert at least one copy of such at least one update request onto such at least one third database;

c) retrieve such location information for at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances from such at least one fifth database;

d) transmit at least one such update request to each such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances using such location information;

e) receive such update outcome information for each such update request transmitted to each such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances;

f) add such update outcome information to such at least one copy of such at least one update request on such at least one third database;

g) recognize failure of such at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances to accept at least one such update request;

h) transmit such update outcome information to such at least one first computer processor; and

i) initiate such at least one fourth computer processor.

7. The computer system according to claim 3 wherein such at least one fourth computer processor is further structured and arranged to:

a) test presence of such at least one instance of at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of at least two first database replicated instances;

b) test readiness of such at least one instance of at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of at least two first database replicated instances to accept update requests;

c) retrieve at least one unprocessed update request for such at least one instance of at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances from such at least one third database;

d) transmit at least one unprocessed such update request to such at least one instance of at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances;

e) receive such update outcome information for each unprocessed such update request transmitted to each such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances;

f) add such update outcome information to each such update request on such at least one third database;

g) manage transmission of all such unprocessed update requests until completion; and

h) transmit completion progress information to such at least one second computer processor.

8. The computer system according to claim 7 wherein such second computer processor is further structured and arranged to:

a) receive such completion progress information from such fourth computer processor;

b) suspend receiving such at least one update request from such at least one first computer processor when such completion progress information reaches a preset value;

c) resume receiving such at least one update request from such at least one first computer processor when such completion progress indicates all unprocessed such updates have been applied; and

d) transmit notification that such at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances is substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances to at least one such first computer processor.

14. The computer software program according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

a) testing for presence of such at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances;

b) testing for readiness of such at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances to accept update requests;

c) retrieving at least one unprocessed update request for such at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances from such at least one third database;

d) transmitting at least one unprocessed such update request to such at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances;

e) receiving such update outcome information for each unprocessed such update request transmitted to each such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances;

f) adding such update outcome information to each such update request on such at least one third database; and

g) managing transmission of all such unprocessed update requests until completion.

15. The computer software program according to claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

a) suspending receiving such at least one update request when such completion progress information reaches at least one preset value; and

b) resuming receiving such at least one update request when such completion progress indicates all unprocessed such updates have been processed.

9. A computer software program, for use in providing load balancing and scalable access to at least two first database replicated instances in a networked environment comprising a plurality of such first replicated database instances, available to a population of users, comprising the step(s) of:

a) performing record retrieval essentially simultaneously from each of such at least two first database replicated instances;

b) controlling processing of at least one update request onto each of such at least two first database replicated instances;

c) assigning at least one unique identifier for each unique record in such at least two first database replicated instances;

d) storing such at least one unique identifier;

e) storing at least one copy of each such update request;

f) storing location information for each such at least two first database replicated instances used for record retrieval in at least one fourth database; and

g) randomly selecting at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances used for record retrieval from such at least one fourth database.

10. The computer software program according to claim 9 further comprising the step(s) of:

a) storing location information for each such at least two first database replicated instances to be updated; and

b) restoring at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances not substantially identical to all other such instances of at least two first database replicated instances to substantial identicalness with all other such instances of such at least two first database replicated instances.

11. The computer software program according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

a) receiving at least one database request from at least one end-user computer processor system;

b) determining the nature of such at least one database request;

c) retrieving at least one requested record from at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances;

d) transmitting such at least one retrieved requested record to the at least one end-user computer processor system; and

e) transmitting update outcome information to the at least one end-user computer processor system.

12. The computer software program according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

b) updating such at least one fourth database when at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances is non-responsive to retrieval requests; and

c) randomly selecting at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances from such at least one fourth database when at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances is non-responsive to retrieval requests.

13. The computer software program according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

a) inserting at least one copy of such at least one update request onto such at least one third database;

b) retrieving such location information for at least one such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances from such at least one fifth database;

c) transmitting at least one such update request to each such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances using such location information;

d) receiving such update outcome information for each such update request transmitted to each such instance of such at least two first database replicated instances;

e) adding such update outcome information to such at least one copy of such at least one update request on such at least one third database; and

f) recognizing failure of such at least one instance of such at least two first database replicated instances to accept at least one such update request.

16. A software method, for network database environments, permitting load balancing, scalability and substantially simultaneous use by client users, comprising the steps of:

a) providing multiple database instances wherein each such instance is substantially identical in data content, database structure, and primary key system;

b) maintaining substantially real time records of status for each such multiple database instance;

c) receiving a database query from at least one end-user application and determining such query to be a transactional query or non-transactional query;

d) directing such database query to at least one selected instance of such multiple database instances upon a determination of such query being a non-transactional query;

e) returning such non-transactional query results to the at least one end-user application;

f) directing such database query to all instances of such multiple database instances upon a determination of such query being a transactional query;

g) controlling such transactional queries to maintain substantial identicalness among such multiple database instances;

h) propagating such transactional queries to such multiple database instances;

i) returning such query results to the user;

j) recognizing a failure in at least one instance of such multiple database instances, and adjusting to store such transactional query for later propagation;

k) restoring such failed at least one instance of such multiple database instances to substantial identicalness with other such multiple database instances.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein each such non-transactional query is executed upon a randomly selected instance of such multiple database instances.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the processing of such non-transactional query commands as directed by a plurality of users is substantially simultaneous.

19. A business system, for network database environments, permitting load balancing, scalability and substantially simultaneous use by client users, comprising the steps of:

a) providing multiple database instances wherein each such instance is substantially identical in data content, database structure, and primary key system;

b) providing a middleware software management to directly manage access to such multiple instances of the database, wherein such middleware software management performs the steps of;

i) establishing a single source for maintaining substantially real time records of status for such multiple database instances;

ii) providing a plurality of interface instances to receive a database query from at least one user,

iii) determining such query to be a transactional query or non-transactional query;

iv) directing such non-transactional query to an available instance of such multiple database instances determined to be available by such real time records of status;

v) directing such transactional query to all available instances of such multiple database instances determined to be available by such real time records of status;

vi) returning such query results to the user.

20. A business method according to claim 19 wherein the processes of such middleware software management and existence of such multiple instances of the database are transparent to the user, the user perceiving only a single, ultra responsive database.