Database management system risk assessment

• US 8,676,746 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tsai, Kevin, Ham, Bob, Wu, Yun, Lanclos, Dwayne, Pochiraju, Venkata Raj
• Primary Examiner(s): MENG, JAU SHYA
• Application Number:
  US11/968,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,266 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases

Abstract

A method of evaluating an implementation of a DBMS is provided. The method comprises collecting data associated with the implementation of the DBMS and accessing a database comprising problems and their associated solutions, wherein the solutions are configured to remedy at least one of the problems. The method further comprises comparing the data associated with the implementation of the DBMS with the problems and identifying at least one problem associated with the DBMS. Finally, a DBMS risk assessment report is generated that identifies the problem associated with the DBMS and a solution configured to remedy the problem.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating an implementation of a database management system (DBMS), said method comprising:

collecting data associated with said implementation of said DBMS;

accessing a database comprising a plurality of problems and their associated solutions, said solutions configured to remedy at least one problem from said plurality of problems;

comparing said data associated with said implementation of said DBMS with said plurality of problems and identifying at least one problem associated with said DBMS based on said data associated with said implementation of said DBMS indicating at least that a table utilized by said DBMS is not associated with an index for locating data stored in the table or that the table is associated with more than one index for locating data stored in the table;

generating a DBMS risk assessment report identifying said at least one problem associated with said DBMS and a solution configured to remedy said at least one problem; and

adding preventative maintenance information to said DBMS risk assessment report, said preventative maintenance information configured to help prevent a problem associated with another DBMS from being associated with said DBMS at a subsequent time, said preventative maintenance information indicating customer satisfaction issues relating to performance problems, unexpected downtimes or recovery problems, or security issues.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said collecting comprises manually collecting preliminary data from said DBMS and implementing a DBMS tool set that analyzes said preliminary data and automatically collects said data associated with said implementation of said DBMS depending on a substance of said preliminary data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said preliminary data comprises cluster information associated with said DBMS.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said data associated with said implementation of said DBMS is selected from a group of data sources consisting of a server configuration, a database configuration, security information, login information, index analysis information, and counter data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one problem is a potential problem that may negatively affect an operation of said DBMS if action is not taken to remedy said potential problem.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a link to said DBMS risk assessment report, said link identifying reference information corresponding to said at least one problem.

7. A risk assessment system for database management systems (DBMSs), said risk assessment system comprising:

a scripting module that acquires data associated with a configuration of a first DBMS, generates a custom script configured to collect a set of data from said first DBMS, runs said custom script on said first DBMS, and loads said set of data into a database,

said set of data comprising a plurality of issues associated with at least one operation of said first DBMS,

said custom script configured to obtain index analysis information associated with a table utilized by said first DBMS and further configured to identify said index analysis information in said set of data in response to said index analysis information indicating that the table is not associated with an index for locating data stored in the table or that the table is associated with more than one index for locating data stored in the table,

said custom script being customized according to operating parameters associated with an active server;

an issue identification module that analyzes said set of data, identifies at least one issue from said plurality of issues corresponding to a problem associated with a second DBMS, generates a DBMS risk assessment report that identifies said at least one issue and that includes preventative maintenance information configured to help prevent a problem associated with said second DBMS from being associated with said first DBMS at a subsequent time, accesses a database of predefined issues comprising a set of problems associated with at least one other DBMS and a set of solutions that corresponds to said set of problems, and identifies at least one solution from said set of solutions,

said preventative maintenance information indicating customer satisfaction issues relating to performance problems, unexpected downtimes or recovery problems, or security issues, and

said at least one solution corresponding to said at least one issue; and

at least one processor that implements the scripting module and the issue identification module.

8. The risk assessment system of claim 7, further comprising:

an event analysis module that accesses an event log associated with an operating system that runs on said first DBMS, filters events from said event log, said filtered events comprising errors and warnings having transpired within a predefined period of time, identifies predefined recommendations that match said filtered events, and discloses said filtered events and said predefined recommendations.

9. The risk assessment system of claim 7, further comprising:

a counter data collection module that collects counter data associated with said first DBMS and loads said counter data into said database.

10. The risk assessment system of claim 7 wherein said at least one issue is a plurality of issues;

wherein said issue identification module sorts a first issue and a second issue from said plurality of issues according to a sorting criteria; and

wherein said issue identification module adds said first and second issues to said DBMS risk assessment report according to said sorting.

11. The risk assessment system of claim 10 wherein said sorting criteria utilizes a first potential risk associated with said first issue and a second potential risk associated with said second issue;

and

wherein said issue identification module assesses said first and second potential risks to determine which of said first and second issues is more dangerous to an operation of said first DBMS to sort said first and second issues.

12. The risk assessment system of claim 7 wherein said issue identification module is configured to generate a slideshow document that presents said at least one issue.

13. The risk assessment system of claim 7 wherein said issue identification module is configured to generate a spreadsheet document comprising data associated with said at least one issue.

14. A computer-usable memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to perform a method of evaluating an implementation of a first database management system (DBMS), said method comprising:

acquiring data associated with a configuration of said first DBMS;

generating a custom script for said first DBMS, said custom script being customized according to operating parameters associated with an active server;

running said custom script on said first DBMS, said custom script collecting a set of data from said first DBMS comprising a plurality of issues associated with at least one operation of said first DBMS;

generating a preliminary database comprising said set of data;

receiving feedback identifying at least one issue from said plurality of issues based on a problem associated with a second DBMS, the at least one issue including that a table utilized by said first DBMS is not associated with an index for locating data stored in the table or that the table is associated with more than one index for locating data stored in the table;

generating a DBMS risk assessment report that identifies said at least one issue and that includes preventative maintenance information configured to help prevent a problem associated with said second DBMS from being associated with said first DBMS at a subsequent time, said preventative maintenance information indicating customer satisfaction issues relating to performance problems, unexpected downtimes or recovery problems, or security issues;

accessing a database of predefined issues comprising a set of problems associated with at least one other DBMS and a set of solutions that corresponds to said set of problems; and

identifying in said DBMS risk assessment report at least one solution from said set of solutions, said at least one solution corresponding to said at least one issue.

15. The computer-usable memory of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises:

collecting counter data associated with said first DBMS; and

adding said counter data to said preliminary database.

16. The computer-usable memory of claim 14 wherein said at least one issue is a plurality of issues, and wherein said method further comprises:

sorting a first issue and a second issue from said plurality of issues according to a sorting criteria; and

adding said first and second issues to said DBMS risk assessment report according to said sorting.

17. The computer-usable memory of claim 16 wherein said sorting criteria utilizes a first potential risk associated with said first issue and a second potential risk associated with said second issue, and wherein said sorting of said first and second issues comprises an assessment of said first and second potential risks to determine which of said first and second issues is more dangerous to an operation of said first DBMS.

18. The computer-usable memory of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises:

accessing an event log associated with an operating system that runs on said first DBMS;

filtering events from said event log, said filtered events comprising errors and warnings having transpired within a predefined period of time;

identifying predefined recommendations that match said filtered events; and

disclosing said filtered events and said predefined recommendations in said DBMS risk assessment report.

19. The computer-usable memory of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises:

generating a slideshow document that presents said at least one issue.

20. The computer-usable memory of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises:

generating a spreadsheet document comprising data associated with said at least one issue.