Database anonymization for use in testing database-centric applications

• US 8,682,910 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Fu, Chen, Grechanik, Mark, Xie, Qing
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/849,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 707/688, 707/752
• US Class Current: 707/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification

Abstract

At least one quasi-identifier attribute of a plurality of ranked attributes is selected for use in anonymizing a database. Each of the ranked attributes is ranked according to that attribute'"'"'s effect on a database-centric application (DCA) being tested. In an embodiment, the selected quasi-identifier attribute(s) has the least effect on the DCA. The database is anonymized based on the selected quasi-identifier attribute(s) to provide a partially-anonymized database, which may then be provided to a testing entity for use in testing the DCA. In an embodiment, during execution of the DCA, instances of database queries are captured and analyzed to identify a plurality of attributes from the database and, for each such attribute identified, the effect of the attribute on the DCA is quantified. In this manner, databases can be selectively anonymized in order to balance the requirements of data privacy against the utility of the data for testing purposes.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing anonymization of a database comprising attributes to be used in testing a database-centric application, the method comprising:

selecting a quasi-identifier attribute from ranked attributes to provide a selected quasi-identifier attribute, wherein each of the ranked attributes is ranked according to a number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute, wherein for each of the ranked attributes the number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute is determined by quantifying the number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute, and wherein quantifying the effect of each of the ranked attributes includes;

for each of the ranked attributes, tainting variables used during execution of the database-centric application and affected by the ranked attribute to provide attribute-specific tainted variables, and

for each of the ranked attributes, determining a number of statements in the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute based on the attribute-specific tainted variables; and

anonymizing, by a processor, the database based on the selected quasi-identifier attribute to provide a partially anonymized database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected quasi-identifier attribute comprises that ranked attribute of the ranked attributes having a least effect on the database-centric application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fully anonymizing the database to provide a fully anonymized database; and

providing the fully anonymized database and the database-centric application to a testing entity, wherein the testing entity determines the ranked attributes based on execution of the database-centric application using the fully anonymized database.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing a desired test coverage parameter to the testing entity, wherein the testing entity further determines the ranked attributes based on the desired test coverage parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the partially anonymized database and the database-centric application to a testing entity for functional testing of the database-centric application.

6. An apparatus for optimizing anonymization of a database to be used in testing a database-centric application, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving information regarding a selected quasi-identifier attribute from ranked attributes, each of the ranked attributes being ranked according to a number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute, and for each of the ranked attributes the number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute being determined by quantifying the number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute, and quantifying the effect of each of the ranked attributes includes;

for each of the ranked attributes, tainting variables used during execution of the database-centric application and affected by the ranked attribute to provide attribute-specific tainted variables, and

for each of the ranked attributes, determining a number of statements in the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute based on the attribute-specific tainted variables; and

means for anonymizing the database based on the selected quasi-identifier attribute to provide a partially anonymized database.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the information regarding the selected quasi-identifier attribute corresponds to that ranked attribute of the ranked attributes having a least effect on the database-centric application.

8. A method in a processing device for determining effect of attributes within a database on a database-centric application, the method comprising:

analyzing, by the processing device, the database-centric application to identify a plurality of attributes used by the database-centric application by capturing instances of database queries during execution of the database-centric application;

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, quantifying, by the processing device, a number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the attribute, wherein quantifying the effect of each attribute includes;

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, tainting variables used during execution of the database-centric application and affected by the attribute to provide attribute-specific tainted variables, and

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, determining a number of statements in the database-centric application affected by the attribute based on the attribute-specific tainted variables; and

ranking, by the processing device, the plurality of attributes according to the number of statements in the code affected by each attribute of the plurality of attributes.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

inserting, by the processing device, callback instructions before and after substantially all instructions in code implementing the database-centric application,

wherein execution of the callback instructions provides as output complete execution status of the database-centric application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein capturing the instances of database queries further comprises executing the database-centric application using a fully anonymized database.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the number of statements affected by the attribute further comprises:

constructing a control-flow graph of the database-centric application; and

counting the number of statements affected by the attribute while traversing the control-flow graph.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein ranking the plurality of attributes further comprises:

ranking lower those attributes of the plurality of attributes for which the number of statements is relatively larger; and

ranking higher those attributes of the plurality of attributes for which the number of statements is relatively smaller.

13. An apparatus for determining effect of attributes within a database on a database-centric application, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device, operatively connected to the processor, having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

analyze the database-centric application to identify a plurality of attributes used by the database-centric application by capturing instances of database queries during execution of the database-centric application;

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, quantify a number of statements in code implementing the database centric application affected by the attribute, wherein those instructions that cause the processor to quantify the effect of each attribute are operative to;

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, taint variables used during execution of the database-centric application and affected by the attribute to provide attribute-specific tainted variables, and

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, determine a number of statements in the database-centric application affected by the attribute based on the attribute-specific tainted variables; and

rank the plurality of attributes according to the number of statements in the code affected by each attribute of the plurality of attributes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the storage device further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

insert callback instructions before and after substantially all instructions in code implementing the database-centric application,

wherein execution of the callback instructions provides as output complete execution status of the database-centric application.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein those instructions that cause the processor to capture the instances of database queries are further operative to execute the database-centric application using a fully anonymized database.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein those instructions that cause the processor to determine the number of statements affected by the attribute are further operative to:

construct a control-flow graph of the database-centric application; and

count the number of statements affected by the attribute while traversing the control-flow graph.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein those instructions that cause the processor to rank the plurality of attributes are further operative to:

rank higher those attributes of the plurality of attributes for which the number of statements is relatively smaller.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon machine readable instructions to optimize anonymization of a database comprising attributes to be used in testing a database-centric application, the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause a processor to:

select a quasi-identifier attribute from ranked attributes to provide a selected quasi-identifier attribute, wherein each of the ranked attributes is ranked according to a number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute, wherein for each of the ranked attributes the number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute is determined by quantifying the number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute, and wherein quantifying the effect of each of the ranked attributes includes;

for each of the ranked attributes, tainting variables used during execution of the database-centric application and affected by the ranked attribute to provide attribute-specific tainted variables, and

for each of the ranked attributes, determining a number of statements in the database-centric application affected by the ranked attribute based on the attribute-specific tainted variables; and

anonymize the database based on the selected quasi-identifier attribute to provide a partially anonymized database.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon machine readable instructions to determine effect of attributes within a database on a database-centric application, the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause a processor to:

analyze the database-centric application to identify a plurality of attributes used by the database-centric application by capturing instances of database queries during execution of the database-centric application;

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, quantify a number of statements in code implementing the database-centric application affected by the attribute, wherein quantifying the effect of each attribute includes;

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, tainting variables used during execution of the database-centric application and affected by the attribute to provide attribute-specific tainted variables, and

for each attribute of the plurality of attributes, determining a number of statements in the database-centric application affected by the attribute based on the attribute-specific tainted variables; and

rank the plurality of attributes according to the number of statements in the code affected by each attribute of the plurality of attributes.