Method for managing simultaneous modification of database objects during development

• US 8,768,966 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2007
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D.B. Maestro Ltd.
• Original Assignee: D.B. Maestro Ltd.
• Inventors: Yaniv, Yehuda, Ozeri, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABRAHAM, AHMED M
• Application Number:
  US12/439,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,493 Days
• Field of Search: 707/785, 707/781, 707/782, 707/783, 707/786
• US Class Current: 707/785
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for preventing the simultaneous modification of the same database object in a shared database by more than one user during the database development stage comprising the steps of: (a) creating security roles for said users, wherein each of the security roles has a modification permission set for denying or granting at least one modification permission to at least one said database object; (b) assigning each of said security roles to each of said users; (c) providing means for said users to request said modification permission to said database object; (d) receiving said request from a first user for said modification permission to said at least one database object; (e) determining that said security roles of said users, excluding the security role of first user, are set to deny said modification permissions to said object; (f) updating said security role of said first user to grant said modification permission to said object; (g) allowing said first user to modify said object; (h) receiving a termination notification from said first user for concluding said modification permission to said object; and (i) updating said security role of said first user to cease said modification permission to said object.

Claims

1. A method for enforcing check-in and check-out policies in a database and automatically preventing out of process or simultaneous modification of a same database object in a shared database by more than one user during a database development stage comprising the steps of:

a. providing one or more Data Definition Language (DDL) triggers to impose said enforcement of the check-in and check out policies and drive updates for each structural object of said database, which automatically execute in response to a DDL event, during any attempt to modify said database structural object;

b. providing means for the users to request a modification permission to said database structural object by performing a check-out attempt;

c. receiving a request from a user for modification permission with respect to a selected database structural object;

d. automatically determining that the database object modification permission has not been granted to a second user who performed a check-out action but has not performed a check-in action yet and performing a check-out action to allow said user to modify said selected object causing a DDL event to commence automatically initiating a locking condition, using said one or more DDL triggers, with respect to said selected object by a control layer of said database upon detecting commencement of said event, whereby to block remaining users from performing modifications to said database structural object after imposing for said remaining users;

e. a check-in action to thereby receive a termination notification for concluding the modification permission to said selected object, wherein said locking condition continues as long as said user has not concluded a modification operation; and

f. upon conclusion of said modification operation, terminating said locking condition to enable one of said remaining users to perform a check-out action with respect to said selected object.

2. A method for enforcing check-in and cheek-out policies in a database and automatically preventing out of process or simultaneous modification of a same database object in a shared database by more than one user during a database development stage comprising the steps of:

a. setting database objects access lists to deny modification permissions from all users;

b. providing means for said users to request modification permission to a database structural object by performing a check-out attempt;

c. automatically receiving the request from a first user for a modification permission to a selected database structural object;

d. automatically determining that the modification permission to the database structural object has not been granted to a second user who performed a check-out action, but has not yet performed a check-in action;

e. automatically updating the database access lists to grant the modification permission of the database object only to the first user;

f. allowing the first user to modify the structural object while blocking, by a control layer of said database, any attempt sent by a different user to modify said object or to restore said object to a former state;

g. allowing the first user to perform a check-in action, to thereby receive a termination notification for concluding the modification permission to said structural object; and

h. automatically updating the database access lists to cease the modification permission of said structural object to the first user;

wherein each listed user has a corresponding security role, for controlling the modification permissions of the users.