Techniques for automatically discovering a database device on a network

• US 9,047,322 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Ou, Yuanjiang, Thivakaram, Sivakumar, Presley, Darryl, Malla, Venkat, Tan, Dean, Sero, Pascal, Walsh, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, TUANKHANH D
• Application Number:
  US13/052,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 707609-704
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• 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 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls

Abstract

Techniques for automatically adding a database device to a network of database devices include sending a first request from the database device in response to detecting that the database device is connected to the network. In response, the database device receives data that identifies a database device-management server. The database device sends a second request to the database device-management server. The second request identifies the database device and requests that the device-management server register the database device in response to the second request. The new database device may be a database appliance having a database process and a special purpose operating system tailored to the database process. With these techniques, a new database device can be plugged into a network and automatically discovered, registered, and assigned management tasks without human intervention. This alleviates the load on human operators and makes adding database device to a network more reliable and simple.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, from a particular database server device added to a network, a first request to another server over said network in response to said particular database server device detecting a connection to said network;

wherein said particular database server device is a device that includes a database server;

receiving, at said particular database server device from said other server,

(a) first data, in response to the first request, that identifies a database device-management server, and

(b) information about a database that is to be managed by said particular database server device;

sending, from said particular database server device, a second request to the database device-management server identified in said first data, the second request identifying said particular database server device and requesting that said particular database server device be registered as a database server device on said network by the database device-management server, wherein the first data further includes at least a value of a configuration parameter for configuring the particular database server device;

said particular database server device being registered as a database server device on said network by said database device-management server; and

based at least on the information about the database that was received from the other server, the database server of said particular database server device providing database server functionality with respect to the database;

wherein providing the database server functionality comprises, in response to receiving database commands that conform to a structured query language supported by the database server, performing, by said database server, operations on data stored in the database;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending the first request is performed as part of a booting up operation of said particular database server device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first request is a request for a network address for said particular database server device; and

in response to the first request, said particular database server device also receives the network address for said particular database server device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said particular database server device providing the database device-management server with information regarding consumable resources belonging to said particular database server device;

receiving input specifying a) a website template comprising an arrangement of components, and b) modifications to the arrangement of components;

based at least on the website template and using at least a portion of the consumable resources, creating one or more database objects to support a website;

based at least on the website template and the modifications, building one or more web pages using the one or more database objects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data further includes at least an indication of a language to be installed on said particular database server device to process requests over the network for database services from said particular database server device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data further includes at least a network address for at least one of:

a database directory server or a database backup server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at said particular database server device from the database device-management server, managed node information indicating a management task to be performed by said particular database server device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising installing instructions on said particular database server device for performing the management task.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the database includes a name for the database, wherein the database is created on said particular database server device, and wherein the first data further includes at least:

an indication of a language to be installed on said particular database server device to process requests over the network for database services from said particular database server device,

a network address for a database directory server, and

a network address for a database backup server.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the managed node information further includes at least:

a value of a configuration parameter for configuring said particular database server device, and instructions necessary to perform the management task.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the management task is one of a plurality of management tasks to be performed by said particular database server device, and the managed node information includes each of the plurality of management tasks, the plurality of management tasks including at least:

a database management function,

a response to a triggering event, and

a software patch to install.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the database management function is one of a plurality of database management functions, and the managed node information includes each of the plurality of database management functions, the plurality of database management functions including at least:

a backup operation;

monitoring storage space usage;

creating an index; and

synchronizing content with another database.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the management task includes at least a database management function.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the management task includes at least a response to a triggering event.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the database management function includes at least a backup operation.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the database management function includes at least monitoring storage space usage.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the database management function includes at least creating an index.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the database management function includes at least synchronizing content with another database.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the database includes a name for the database, the method further comprising establishing the database on said particular database server device based on the information about the database.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the other server is a dynamic host configuration protocol server that is separate from the database device-management server.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:

sending, from a particular database server device added to a network, a first request to another server over said network in response to said particular database server device detecting a connection to said network;

wherein said particular database server device is a device that includes a database server;

receiving, at said particular database server device from said other server,

(a) first data, in response to the first request, that identifies a database device-management server, and

(b) information about a database that is to be managed by said particular database server device;

sending, from said particular database server device, a second request to the database device-management server identified in said first data, the second request identifying said particular database server device and requesting that said particular database server device be registered as a database server device on said network by the database device-management server, wherein the first data further includes at least a value of a configuration parameter for configuring said particular database server device;

said particular database server device being registered as a database server device on said network by said database device-management server; and

based at least on the information about the database that was received from the other server, the database server of said particular database server device providing database server functionality with respect to the database;

wherein providing the database server functionality comprises, in response to receiving database commands that conform to a structured query language supported by the database server, performing, by said database server, operations on data stored in the database.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the step of sending the first request is performed as part of a booting up operation of said particular database server device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein:

the first request is a request for a network address for said particular database server device; and

in response to the first request, said particular database server device also receives the network address for said particular database server device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

said particular database server device providing the database device-management server with information regarding consumable resources belonging to said particular database server device;

receiving input specifying a) a website template comprising an arrangement of components, and b) modifications to the arrangement of components;

based at least on the website template and using at least a portion of the consumable resources, creating one or more database objects to support a website;

based at least on the website template and the modifications, building one or more web pages using the one or more database objects.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first data further includes at least an indication of a language to be installed on said particular database server device to process requests over the network for database services from said particular database server device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first data further includes at least a network address for at least one of:

a database directory server or a database backup server.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

receiving, at said particular database server device from the database device-management server, managed node information indicating a management task to be performed by said particular database server device.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:

installing instructions on said particular database server device for performing the management task.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the information about the database includes a name for the database, wherein the database is created on said particular database server device, and wherein the first data further includes at least:

an indication of a language to be installed on said particular database server device to process requests over the network for database services from said particular database server device,

a network address for a database directory server, and

a network address for a database backup server.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25,

wherein the managed node information further includes at least:

a value of a configuration parameter for configuring said particular database server device,

and

instructions necessary to perform the management task.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the management task is one of a plurality of management tasks to be performed by said particular database server device, and the managed node information includes each of the plurality of management tasks, the plurality of management tasks including at least:

a database management function,

a response to a triggering event, and

a software patch to install.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the database management function is one of a plurality of database management functions, and the managed node information includes each of the plurality of database management functions, the plurality of management tasks including at least:

a backup operation;

cleaning out one or more logs;

monitoring storage space usage;

creating an index; and

synchronizing content with another database.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the management task includes at least a database management function.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the management task includes at least a response to a triggering event.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the database management function includes at least a backup operation.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the database management function includes at least monitoring storage space usage.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the database management function includes at least creating an index.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the database management function includes at least synchronizing content with another database.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the information about the database includes a name for the database, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause:

establishing the database on said particular database server device based on the information about the database.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the other server is a dynamic host configuration protocol server that is separate from the database device-management server.