Method, system, and program for maintaining data in a distributed computing environment for processing transaction requests

• US 7,130,874 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shackelford, David Michael, McBride, Gregory Edward, Makansi, Tarek
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tim
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US10/096,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/10, 707/102, 707/204, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Provider are a method, system, and program for maintaining data in a distributed computing environment. Data is stored at a primary storage site. A data structure is processed indicating an association of data sets in the stored data, secondary storage sites, and update frequencies. In response to processing the data structure, a determination is made of one of a plurality of secondary storage sites and a determination is made of at least one data set to transmit to the determined secondary storage site at an update frequency. The determined data set is transmitted to the determined secondary storage site according to the update frequency.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining data in a distributed computing environment and processing a product information request, comprising:

storing data sets at a primary storage site;

processing a data structure indicating associations of data sets in the primary storage site secondary storage sites, and update frequencies;

in response to processing the data structure, determining secondary storage sites and determining at least one data set in the primary storage site comprising information used in an electronic commerce web site to transmit the determined at least one data set to each determined secondary storage site at an update frequency associated with the determined at least one data set;

transmitting the determined at least one data set to each of the determined secondary storage sites according to the update frequency, wherein the determined secondary storage sites are at different geographical locations, and wherein different data sets transmitted to the different secondary storage sites include location specific data for the location of the secondary storage site;

receiving a client request from a client for product information at the primary storage site;

redirecting the client request for product information to one of the secondary storage sites; and

returning product information to the client originating the client request from the secondary storage site to which the client request was redirected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure includes entries, wherein each entry indicates at least one data set to be transmitted to at least one secondary site at one update frequency.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein different data sets are transmitted from the primary storage site to different secondary storage sites at different update frequencies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one update frequency comprises a high frequency update setting, wherein transmitting the determined data set to the determined secondary storage site associated with the high frequency update setting comprises transmitting one update to the determined data set to the secondary storage site when the update is applied to the primary storage site.

5. The method of claim 1,further comprising:

determining one available secondary site closest in proximity to the client, wherein the client request is redirected to the determined secondary site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the update frequency indicates at least one of:

a time interval during which data is transmitted to the secondary storage sites, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after expiration of the time interval indicated in the data structure;

a threshold percentage of modified data sets at the primary storage site, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after the percentage of data in the data set that is modified reaches the threshold percentage; and

a number of modifications threshold indicating a number of modifications made to the data sets at the primary storage site, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after the number of modifications to the data set reaches the threshold number.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the location specific data for the location of one secondary storage site comprises information on users in the location of the secondary storage site.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the users comprise customers, wherein customers at the location of the secondary storage site access the secondary storage site to perform transactions.

7. A distributed computing system for maintaining data and processing product information request from a client, comprising:

a primary storage site storing data sets;

a plurality of secondary storage sites at different geographical locations;

means for processing a data structure indicating associations of data sets in the primary storage site, secondary storage sites, and update frequencies;

means for determining secondary storage sites and determining at least one data set comprising product information used in an electronic commerce web site to transmit the determined at least one data set to each determined secondary storage site at an update frequency associated with the determined at least one data set in response to processing the data structure;

means for transmitting the determined at least one data set to each of the determined secondary storage sites according to the update frequency, wherein different data sets transmitted to the different secondary storage sites include location specific data for the location of the secondary storage site;

means for receiving a client request from the client for product information at the primary storage site;

means for redirecting the client request for product information to one of the secondary storage sites; and

means for returning product information to the client originating the client request from the secondary storage site to which the client request was redirected.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the data structure includes entries, wherein each entry indicates at least one data set to be transmitted to at least one secondary site at one update frequency.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein different data sets are transmitted from the primary storage site to different secondary storage sites at different update frequencies.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the update frequency indicates at least one of:

a time interval during which data is transmitted to the secondary storage sites, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after expiration of the time interval indicated in the data structure;

a threshold percentage of modified data sets at the primary storage site, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after the percentage of data in the data set that is modified reaches the threshold percentage; and

a number of modifications threshold indicating a number of modifications made to the data sets at the primary storage site, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after the number of modifications to the data set reaches the threshold number.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the location specific data for the location of one secondary storage site comprises information on users in the location of the secondary storage site.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the users comprise customers, wherein customers at the location of the secondary storage site access the secondary storage site to perform transactions.

11. A computer readable medium including code for maintaining data and processing product information request from a client in a distributed computing environment, wherein the code causes operations comprising:

storing data sets at a primary storage site;

processing a data structure indicating associations of data sets in the primary storage site, secondary storage sites, and update frequencies;

in response to processing the data structure, determining secondary storage sites and determining at least one data set in the primary storage site comprising product information used in an electronic commerce web site to transmit the determined at least one data set to each determined secondary storage site at an update frequency associated with the determined at least one data set;

transmitting the determined at least one data set to each of the determined secondary storage sites according to the update frequency, wherein the determined secondary storage sites are at different geographical locations, and wherein different data sets transmitted to the different secondary storage sites include location specific data for the location of the secondary storage sites;

receiving a client request from the client for product information at the primary storage site;

redirecting the client request for product information to one of the secondary storage sites; and

returning product information to the client originating the client request from the secondary storage site to which the client request was redirected.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the data structure includes entries, wherein each entry indicates at least one data set to be transmitted to at least one secondary site at one update frequency.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein different data sets are transmitted from the primary storage site to different secondary storage sites at different update frequencies.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein one update frequency comprises a high frequency update setting, wherein transmitting the determined data set to the determined secondary storage site associated with the high frequency update setting comprises transmitting one update to the determined data set to the secondary storage site when the update is applied to the primary storage site.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the update frequency indicates at least one of:

a time interval during which data is transmitted to the secondary storage sites, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after expiration of the time interval indicated in the data structure;

a threshold percentage of modified data sets at the primary storage site, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after the percentage of data in the data set that is modified reaches the threshold percentage; and

a number of modifications threshold indicating a number of modifications made to the data sets at the primary storage site, wherein the data set indicated in the data structure is transmitted to the secondary storage site after the number of modifications to the data set reaches the threshold number.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the location specific data for the location of one secondary storage site comprises information on users in the location of the secondary storage site.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the users comprise customers, wherein customers at the location of the secondary storage site access the secondary storage site to perform transactions.