Customer statistics based on database lock use

• US 9,020,997 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hartman, Philip Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): LIAO, JASON G
• Application Number:
  US11/868,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,762 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 705/1
• US Class Current: 707/899
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method and service for establishing a web-based network that includes an enterprise locking service. The enterprise locking service is able to coordinate multiple, cooperating applications that need to ensure that one and only one user is modifying a database record at a given time. These database records may be stored in multiple databases having potentially different database record locking protocols. Through monitoring and tracking of requests for database locks, the enterprise locking service is also able to determine database usage trends under various metrics.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a data processing system that implements an enterprise locking service, one or more database lock requests of a first database included in a plurality of databases, wherein each database lock request of the one or more database lock requests comprises a user identifier of an individual requesting the lock and a user type that identifies whether the individual is an internal or external user and whether the individual is representing themselves or a business;

determining, by the data processing system, a database usage trend for one or more databases of the plurality of databases based on the one or more database lock requests;

in response to locking the first database, locking, by the enterprise locking service, one or more second databases of the plurality of databases in order to maintain data coherency with the first database, wherein the first database and the one or more second databases employ differently formatted database locks and wherein the enterprise locking service includes a map of the one or more second databases that are to be simultaneously locked due to relational issues to maintain data coherency and a list of active locks, and wherein the list of active locks includes information identifying any entity that is currently locking the one or more second databases;

reporting, by the enterprise locking service, information as to which of the plurality of databases is being used and under what parameters, based on the database usage trend;

wherein a lock for an object to be locked identifies a real-time present location of the individual.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock request message comprises:

at least one of an access channel identifier that identifies a type of access channel being utilized by the individual; and

a user metric utilized to categorize and prioritize users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the database usage trend is based on whether the database lock request was initiated by an individual or an enterprise.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database usage trend is based on a profitability metric of a requester that requested the database lock based on past transaction history.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database usage trend is based on a profitability metric of an object being locked, wherein the profitability metric identifies, based on a past transaction history, a financial strength and past profitability of the object to be locked.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the database usage trend is based on a class of a customer that initiated the database lock request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the database usage trend is based on a time of day that the database lock requests were sent and a length of time that a requested database record lock will be valid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database usage trend is based on an access channel identifier that identifies a type of access channel from which the database lock request was sent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the enterprise locking service comprises a file table of all files in all databases, the method further comprising:

identifying a particular file in a database to be locked when the request is to lock only the particular file; and

transmitting the database lock to only lock the particular file;

in response to another user having locked a requested database, generating a lock unavailable message, displaying an error message, and informing the user of an identity of the other user holding the lock;

generating a real-time customer dashboard display depicting a type of access channel source of customer orders;

comparing lock usage across all customer access channels;

in response to comparing the lock usage across all customer access channels, performing, based on the comparison, one or more of;

increasing server capacity for customer access channels with higher lock usage, decreasing capacity for low lock usage channels, opening new channels, and closing existing channels; and

communicating a requirement for one of additional and fewer infrastructure resources to promote an on demand server infrastructure.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a lock request message being received from a user who already has a lock on a requested database record, updating a timestamp on the lock within the lock database; and

building a lock available message, and updating potentially multiple business objects on multiple databases with the lock available message, wherein when a user needs access to multiple databases that can be locked in a single database lock, the access to the multiple databases is provided via the enterprise locking service.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable storage device; and

program code embodied on the computer usable storage device, wherein the program code, when executed by a processor of a data processing system, configures the processor to provide an enterprise locking service that;

receives one or more database lock requests of a first database that is included in a plurality of databases, wherein each database lock request of the one or more database lock requests comprises a user identifier of an individual requesting the lock and a user type that identifies whether the individual is an internal or external user and whether the individual is representing themselves or a business;

determines a database usage trend for one or more databases of the plurality of databases based on the one or more database lock requests;

in response to locking the first database, locks one or more second databases of the plurality of databases to maintain data coherency with the first database, wherein the first database and the one or more second databases employ differently formatted database locks, wherein the enterprise locking service includes a map of the one or more second databases that are to be simultaneously locked due to relational issues to maintain data coherency and a list of active locks, and wherein the list of active locks includes identifying any entity that is currently locking the one or more second databases;

reports information, based on the database usage trend, as to which of the plurality of databases is being used and under what parameters; and

wherein a lock for an object to be locked identifies a real-time present location of the individual.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the database usage trend is based on one or more of:

a geographic region from which the database lock request originated;

a geographic region associated with a database being locked; and

whether the database lock request was initiated by an individual or an enterprise.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the database usage trend is based on one or more of a class of a customer that initiated the database lock request and a profitability metric of a product line object being locked.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the database usage trend is based on an access channel identifier that identifies what type of access channel from which the database lock request was sent.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the database usage trend is based on a profitability metric of a requester that requested the database lock.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the database usage trend is based on a time of day that the database lock requests were sent.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the enterprise locking service comprises a translation table that translates an authorized database lock into a format that is understood by a database that is to be locked.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, the program code further comprises program code, that configures the enterprise locking service to:

in response to a lock request message being received from a user who already has a lock on a requested database record, update a timestamp on the lock within the lock database; and

build a lock available message, and updating potentially multiple business objects on multiple databases with the lock available message, wherein when a user needs access to multiple databases that can be locked in a single database lock, the access to the multiple databases is provided via the enterprise locking service.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a data processing system that implements an enterprise locking service, one or more database lock requests of a first database included in a plurality of databases;

determining, by the data processing system, a database usage trend for one or more databases of the plurality of databases based on the one or more database lock requests;

in response to locking the first database, locking, by the enterprise locking service, one or more second databases of the plurality of databases in order to maintain data coherency with the first database, wherein the first database and the one or more second databases employ differently formatted database locks and wherein the enterprise locking service includes a map of the one or more second databases that are to be simultaneously locked due to relational issues to maintain data coherency and a list of active locks, and wherein the list of active locks includes information identifying any entity that is currently locking the one or more second databases; and

reporting, by the enterprise locking service, information as to which of the plurality of databases is being used and under what parameters, based on the database usage trend;

wherein the enterprise locking service comprises a translation table that translates an authorized database lock into a format that is understood by a database that is to be locked.