Data synchronisation across multiple data storages when processing transactions received on a network

• US 8,572,026 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2005
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Vedula, Venkata Naga Ravikiran
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, THANH HA T
• Application Number:
  US10/906,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,187 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204, 707/610, 707/613, 707/615
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1675 Temporal synchronisation or re-synchronisation of redundant processing components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/202 where processing functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005, redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• 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 2201/80 Database-specific techniques

Abstract

A synchronization unit examines the packets on a network to determine the changes being caused to a database server, and propagates the same changes to corresponding backup server(s). As the synchronization is implemented in a separate unit, the throughput performance of database servers may not be impeded due to the synchronization requirement.

Claims

1. A data management system comprising:

a primary storage connected to a network and to store a data;

a backup storage designed to store the same data as said primary storage;

a client system to send a transaction request to said primary storage in the form of one or more packets on said network,

wherein said transaction, upon being transported to said primary storage on said network and thereafter being processed in said primary storage causes a change to the data stored by said primary storage; and

a synchronization unit to monitor said one or more packets on said network while being transported to said primary storage to determine the presence of said transaction request on said network, said synchronization unit then propagating the change to said backup storage based on the content of said one or more packets monitored while the packets are being transported from said client system to said primary storage on said network.

2. The data management system of claim 1, wherein said synchronization unit is provided as a separate unit external to each of said client system, said primary storage and said backup storage such that a throughput performance of said primary storage is not impeded due to a synchronization requirement of said backup storage with said primary storage,

and wherein each of said primary storage, said backup storage, said client system and said synchronization unit are implemented as separate systems.

3. The data management system of claim 1, wherein said client system sends said transaction request in the form of a SQL (Structured query language) query in said one or more packets according to a prespecified format, said synchronization unit parses said packet and sends said SQL query to said backup storage to perform said propagating.

4. The data management system of claim 3, wherein said synchronization unit monitors said one or more packets on said network to determine a database connection setup by said client system to said primary storage, wherein said transaction request is then received on said database connection.

5. The data management system of claim 4, wherein said synchronization unit receives data indicating that a request for setting up said database connection would be received on a specified port of a transport connection to said primary storage, wherein said synchronization unit monitors said network for packets containing said specified port, wherein said specified port is a number.

6. The data management system of claim 4, wherein said synchronization unit is configured with a configuration to indicate that said backup storage is to be synchronized with said primary storage, wherein said synchronization unit performs said monitoring and synchronization in response to the configuration.

7. The data management system of claim 4, wherein said primary storage and said backup storage respectively comprise a primary server and a backup server.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions enabling a synchronization unit to synchronize a backup storage with a primary storage, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said synchronization unit causes said synchronization unit to perform the actions of:

monitoring one or more packets on a network to determine a transaction request, wherein said one or more packets are monitored when being transported from a client system to said primary storage,

said one or more packets after being delivered at said primary storage and being processed at said primary storage being designed to cause a change to data stored in said primary storage; and

propagating said change to said backup storage based on said monitoring of said one or more packets when being transported from said client system to said primary storage,

wherein each of said synchronization unit, said client system, said backup storage and said primary storage are implemented as separate units,

wherein said client system is implemented external to each of said synchronization unit, said backup storage and said primary storage.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said monitoring examines packets on said network to determine a database connection being setup to said primary storage, wherein said transaction request is received on said database connection.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein said transaction request is in the form of a SQL query in said one or more packets, and wherein said propagating comprises sending said SQL query to said backup storage to cause said change on said backup storage.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein said primary storage and said backup storage respectively comprise a primary server and a backup server.

12. A method of synchronizing a backup storage with a primary storage, said method being performed in a synchronization unit, said method comprising:

monitoring one or more packets on a network to determine a transaction request causing a change to data stored in said primary storage, a client system sending said transaction request to said primary storage on said network in the form of said one or more packets,

wherein said transaction, upon being transported to said primary storage on said network and thereafter being processed in said primary storage causes a change to the data stored by said primary storage,

wherein said one or more packets are monitored when being transported from said client system to said primary storage on said network; and

propagating said change to said backup storage,

wherein each of said synchronization unit, said client system, said backup storage and said primary storage are implemented as separate units,

wherein said client system is implemented external to each of said synchronization unit, said backup storage and said primary storage.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said monitoring examines packets on said network to determine a database connection being setup to said primary storage, wherein said transaction request is received on said database connection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said transaction request is in the form of a SQL query in said one or more packets, and wherein said propagating comprises sending said SQL query to said backup storage to cause said change on said backup storage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said primary storage and said backup storage respectively comprise primary server and backup server.

16. A data management system comprising:

a primary database server storing a data;

a secondary database server in which it is desirable to store the same data as in said primary database server,

wherein each of said primary database server and secondary database server permits storing and retrieval of data using structured queries and are connected to a network;

a client system sending a transaction request in the form of one or more packets to said primary database server on said network, wherein said one or more packets contain a port number which identifies a transport connection from said client system to said primary database server on said network,

wherein said transaction, upon being transported to said primary storage on said network and thereafter being processed in said primary storage causes a change to the data stored by said primary database server; and

a synchronization unit examining said one or more packets on said transport connection, when said one or more packets are transported on said network to determine the presence of said transaction request in said one or more packets , said synchronization unit propagating the change to said secondary database server,

wherein said synchronization unit is provided external to all of said primary database server, secondary database server and said client system,

wherein each of said synchronization unit, said client system, said backup database server and said primary database server are implemented as separate units.

17. The data management system of claim 16, wherein said transaction request is in the form of a SQL query in said one or more packets, and wherein synchronization unit sends said SQL query to said backup database server to propagate the change to said backup database server.