Method and arrangement for the management of database schemas

• US 6,970,876 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2001
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Solid Information Technology
• Inventors: Hotti, Timo, Parkkinen, Jarmo
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Linh
• Application Number:
  US09/851,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-204
• US Class Current: 707/634
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A management of distributed databases, and a method and an arrangement associated with managing database schemas and configuration of software that uses those schemas. A method and a system, which allows managing database schemas and application software in large distributed multi-database systems and avoiding problems that are related to the prior art systems preferably by using a configuration manager apparatus (231), which is external to the configuration and databases being managed (200) or by providing a mechanism for keeping multiple, possibly different database schemas and application software in synchronization. The external configuration management node (231) manages the configuration management replicas (203, 213, 223) in each part (201, 211, 221) of the distributed database system (200). These synchronized configuration management replicas comprise scripts that are used for creating and/or updating the schemas of the database nodes and configuration of software that uses these database nodes (202, 212, 222).

Claims

1. A method for managing database application configuration data in at least one database system comprising at least one application master database node, at least one application replica database node, at least one application having access to the application master database node or the replica database node, at least one configuration management master database node and at least one configuration management replica database node, wherein the at least one configuration management master database node and at least one configuration management replica database node are for managing at least one of the at least one application master database node, the at least one application replica database node and/or at least one application, the method which comprises the steps of:

storing new configuration data in the configuration management master database node,

synchronizing at least part of the configuration data to the at least one configuration management replica database node, and

altering the configuration of the at least one application master database node and/or at least one application replica database node and/or application on the basis of at least part of the configuration data of the at least one configuration management replica database.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

storing information about configuration status of the application master database and/or application replica database by the at least one configuration management replica database node, and

synchronizing the information about the configuration status to the at least one configuration management master database node by the at least one configuration management replica database node.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a schema of the application master database node and/or a schema of the application replica database node is altered on the basis of the configuration data.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein configuration parameters of the application are altered on the basis of the configuration data.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises application software binaries.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises at least one application installation program.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one configuration management replica database node is managed by a data management system, wherein at least one application master database or at least one application replica database is managed with the same data management system.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one configuration management replica database node is managed by a data management system, wherein not any application master database nor application replica database is managed with the same data management system.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one configuration management master database node is managed by a data management system, wherein at least one application master database or at least one application replica database is managed with the same data management system.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one configuration management master database node is managed by a data management system, wherein not any application master database nor application replica database is managed with the same data management system.

11. A storage media comprising a stored, readable computer program, wherein the program comprises instructions for controlling a database system or components thereof to implement a method according to claim 1.

12. An arrangement for managing database application configuration data in at least one database system, wherein the database system comprises at least one application master database node, at least one application replica database node, and at least one application having access to the application master database node or to the replica database node, wherein the arrangement comprises:

at least one configuration management master database node, and

at least one configuration management replica database node, wherein the at least one configuration management master database node and at least one configuration management replica database node are for managing at least one of the at least one application master database node, the at least one application replica database node and/or at least one application;

a means for storing new configuration data in the configuration management master database node,

a means for synchronizing at least part of the configuration data to the at least one configuration management replica database node, and

a means for altering the configuration of the at least one application master database node and/or at least one application replica database node and/or application on the basis of at least part of the configuration data of the at least one configuration management replica database.

13. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein:

the at least one configuration management replica database node is arranged to store information about configuration status of the application master database and/or application replica database, and

the at least one configuration management replica database node is arranged to synchronize the information about the configuration status to the at least one configuration management master database node.

14. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the arrangement comprises means for altering a schema of the application master database node and/or a schema of the application replica database node on the basis of the configuration data.

15. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the arrangement comprises means for altering configuration parameters of the application on the basis of the configuration data.

16. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the configuration data comprises application software binaries.

17. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the configuration data comprises at least one application installation program.

18. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein a data management system is arranged to manage at least one configuration management replica database node, wherein the same data management system is arranged to manage at least one application master database or at least one application replica database.

19. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein a data management system is arranged to manage at least one configuration management replica database node, wherein the same data management system is arranged not to manage any application master database or any application replica database.

20. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein a data management system is arranged to manage at least one configuration management master database node, wherein the same data management system is arranged to manage at least one application master database or at least one application replica database.

21. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein a data management system is arranged to manage at least one configuration management master database node, wherein the same data management system is arranged not to manage any application master database or any application replica database.