Method and system for model-based replication of data

• US 8,108,338 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Castro, Paul C., Giraud, Frederique A., Konuru, Ravindranath, Purakayastha, Apratim, Yeh, Danny L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US12/262,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/809, 707/999.2, 707/694, 707/810
• 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 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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

Techniques for replicating data in a system having a data tier with a plurality of data sources and an application tier with a plurality of applications are provided. Such techniques can include creating an instance of an information model of the data that is specified by a schema. The model can be created in a form that is suitable for manipulation by at least one of the applications and that forms at least a portion of a model tier that is intermediate the data tier and the application tier. A replica of an instance of the information model can be created in a form suitable for remote transmission, and a consistency policy can be obtained that specifies a level of consistency required between the instance of the information model and the replica.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code for replicating data in a system having a data tier with a plurality of data sources and an application tier with a plurality of applications, said computer program product including:

computer-readable program code for creating an instance of an information model of the data specified by a schema, said model being created in a form suitable for manipulation by at least one of the applications of the application tier and forming at least a portion of a model tier intermediate the data tier and the application tier, said model tier comprising a virtual store interface through which said at least one of the applications accesses said instance;

computer-readable program code for creating a replica of said instance of said information model in a form suitable for remote transmission; and

computer-readable program code for obtaining a consistency policy that specifies a level of consistency required between said instance of said information model and said replica;

wherein said data tier comprises;

a store layer comprising said plurality of data sources; and

an aggregation layer intermediate said store layer and said model tier, said aggregation layer comprising a plurality of unified store model interfaces corresponding to respective ones of said plurality of data sources;

wherein said store layer comprises a plurality of store-specific information models;

wherein said aggregation layer comprises an elementary information model; and

wherein said model tier comprises a self-describing high-level information model.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said product further includes computer-readable program code for obtaining said schema, said schema specifying said information model via application-level requirements, said schema describing at least property-level content and structure to be conveyed by said model.

3. An apparatus for replicating data in a system having a data tier with a plurality of data sources and an application tier with a plurality of applications, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to said memory and operative to;

create an instance of an information model of the data specified by a schema, said model being created in a form suitable for manipulation by at least one of the applications of the application tier and forming at least a portion of a model tier intermediate the data tier and the application tier, said model tier comprising a virtual store interface through which said at least one of the applications accesses said instance;

create a replica of said instance of said information model in a form suitable for remote transmission; and

obtain a consistency policy that specifies a level of consistency required between said instance of said information model and said replica;

wherein said data tier comprises;

a store layer comprising said plurality of data sources; and

an aggregation layer intermediate said store layer and said model tier, said aggregation layer comprising a plurality of unified store model interfaces corresponding to respective ones of said plurality of data sources;

wherein said store layer comprises a plurality of store-specific information models;

wherein said aggregation layer comprises an elementary information model; and

wherein said model tier comprises a self-describing high-level information model.

4. A method for replicating data comprising the steps of:

obtaining on a first computer an application request referencing a model instance of said data on a remote computer, wherein said model instance is specified by a schema, said model instance being created in a form suitable for manipulation by at least one of a plurality of applications of an application tier and forming at least a portion of a model tier intermediate a data tier and the application tier, said model tier comprising a virtual store interface through which said at least one of the applications accesses said model instance;

forwarding said request to a local model tier via a local virtual store;

generating, via said local model tier, a request in a format suitable for transmission to a remote model tier of the remote computer; and

obtaining a replica of the model instance of said data from said remote computer, said replica being in the form of a model conveying at least property-level content and structure, said model being formatted to facilitate application of a consistency policy declaring a level of consistency required between said replica and said model instance;

wherein said data tier comprises;

a store layer comprising a plurality of data sources; and

an aggregation layer intermediate said store layer and said model tier, said aggregation layer comprising a plurality of unified store model interfaces corresponding to respective ones of said plurality of data sources;

wherein said store layer comprises a plurality of store-specific information models;

wherein said aggregation layer comprises an elementary information model; and

wherein said model tier comprises a self-describing high-level information model.