Database cloning and migration for quality assurance

• US 9,229,964 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stevelinck, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacob, Ajith
• Application Number:
  US13/662,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 707/640
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/119 Details of migration of file systems migration mechanisms in storage systems G06F3/0647
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/214 Database migration support
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for cloning a production database for quality assurance (QA) by the merchant users. A QA user may request tokens, card types and other data associated with a payment device for quality assurance purposes. The payment network redirects the QA request to a go-between database that is present between the QA user and the production environment of the payment network rather than pull the information directly from the production environment. As a result, the merchant is able to use tokens for testing, without violating consumer privacy and security rules and regulations (e.g., PCI rules). The QA user does not have to create a customized testing solution.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for migrating a database comprising:

receiving a migration request for migrating a first database associated with a first database server to a second database associated with a second database server, wherein the migration request comprises information specifying a target environment of the second database server and information identifying a requestor that sent the migration request;

storing the migration request in an intermediary database associated with an intermediary database server;

receiving a first query from the first database server for the migration request stored in the intermediary database;

receiving, at the intermediary database, a snapshot of the first database from the first database server using a link between the first database and the intermediary database, the link created by the first database server;

storing the snapshot of the first database in the intermediary database;

receiving a second query from the second database server for migrating snapshot data into the second database; and

migrating the snapshot data from the intermediary database for loading into the second database for use in the target environment, in response to the second query.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the link created by the first database server is a one-way link from the first database to the intermediary database.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein loading the snapshot data from the intermediary database into the second database comprises determining that a request for migration was received before loading the snapshot data into the second database.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the migration request is submitted using a browser-based form.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein a status of the migration request is updated in the intermediary database as a result of migration.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the link between the first source database and the intermediate database after receiving the snapshot of the first database at the intermediary database.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the requestor, a notification that the snapshot data was successfully migrated from the intermediary database to the second database.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the notification comprises an email.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by the first database server if the requestor has the proper permissions to access the intermediary database.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating by the server database server an error log that the requestor has does not have the proper permissions to access the intermediary database.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the target environment of the second database server comprises a quality assurance environment for functional testing of the first database.

6. An intermediary database server, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises code executable by the processor for implementing a method for migrating a database, the method comprising;

receiving a migration request for migrating a first database associated with a first database server to a second database associated with a second database server, wherein the migration request comprises information specifying a target environment of the second database server and information identifying a requestor that sent the migration request;

storing the migration request in an intermediary database associated with an intermediary database server;

receiving a first query from the first database server for the migration request stored in the intermediary database;

receiving, at the intermediary database, a snapshot of the first database from the first database server using a link between the first database and the intermediary database, the link created by the first database server;

storing the snapshot of the first database in the intermediary database;

receiving a second query from the second database server for migrating snapshot data into the second database; and

migrating the snapshot data from the intermediary database for loading into the second database for use in the target environment, in response to the second query.

8. The intermediary database server of claim 6, wherein the snapshot data is updated before loading into the second database.

10. The intermediary database server of claim 6, wherein all snapshot data encrypted before loading into the second database.

16. The intermediary database server of claim 6, further comprising:

removing the link between the first source database and the intermediate database after receiving the snapshot of the first database at the intermediary database.

18. The intermediary database server of claim 6, wherein the target environment of the second database server comprises a quality assurance environment for functional testing of the first database.

19. The intermediary database server of claim 6, further comprising:

determining by the first database server if the requestor has the proper permissions to access the intermediary database.

20. The intermediary database server of claim 6, wherein the link between the first database and the intermediate database passes through a firewall.

7. An intermediary database server, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises code executable by the processor for implementing a method for migrating a database, the method comprising;

receiving a migration request for migrating a first database associated with a first database server to a second database associated with a second database server;

storing the migration request in an intermediary database associated with the intermediary database server;

receiving a first query from the first database server for the migration request stored in the intermediary database;

storing a snapshot of the first database in the intermediary database, after receiving the first query, using a link created by the first database server;

receiving a second query from the second database server for migrating snapshot data into the second database; and

migrating the snapshot data from the intermediary database for loading into the second database in response to the second query, wherein the snapshot data includes a plurality of payment tokens, card types and a target environment.

9. An intermediary database server, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises code executable by the processor for implementing a method for migrating a database, the method comprising;

receiving a migration request for migrating a first database associated with a first database server to a second database associated with a second database server;

storing the migration request in an intermediary database associated with the intermediary database server;

receiving a first query from the first database server for the migration request stored in the intermediary database;

storing a snapshot of the first database in the intermediary database, after receiving the first query, using a link created by the first database server;

receiving a second query from the second database server for migrating snapshot data into the second database; and

migrating the snapshot data from the intermediary database for loading into the second database in response to the second query, wherein the snapshot data is updated before loading into the second database, and wherein updating the snapshot data includes generating fake credit card numbers.