Backup system, backup method, database apparatus, and backup apparatus

• US 20020178174A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Ryuji
• Granted Patent: US 6,850,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1474 in transactions G06F16/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/82 Solving problems relating to consistency ensuring consistency in mirrored systems G06F11/2064
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A backup system, a backup method, a database apparatus and a backup apparatus whereby loss of data is minimized in case of damage to the system. In the database apparatus, update information generating means generates, with respect to individual databases, update information indicating updates of the databases. Interrelation information generating means generates interrelation information indicating an interrelation between the update information for a certain database and the update information for other databases. Transmitting means transmits the update information and the interrelation information. In the backup apparatus, receiving means receives the update information and the interrelation information transmitted thereto, and backup databases hold backups of the contents of the databases. Interrelation determining means looks up the interrelation information received by the receiving means to determine the interrelation of each update information. Updating means updates the backup databases based on the update information whose interrelation is verified by the interrelation determining means.

Claims

1. A backup system including a database apparatus having a plurality of databases and a backup apparatus for holding a backup of information stored in the database apparatus, wherein

said database apparatus comprises:

update information generating means for generating, with respect to the individual databases, update information indicating contents of updates of the databases;

interrelation information generating means for generating interrelation information indicating an interrelation between the update information for a certain database and the update information for other databases; and

transmitting means for transmitting the update information and the interrelation information to said backup apparatus, and

said backup apparatus comprises;

receiving means for receiving the update information and the interrelation information transmitted from said database apparatus;

backup databases for holding backups of contents of the databases owned by said database apparatus;

interrelation determining means for looking up the interrelation information received by said receiving means to determine the interrelation of each said update information; and

updating means for updating said backup databases based on the update information of which the interrelation is verified by said interrelation determining means.

2. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein said database apparatus further comprises affixing means for affixing the interrelation information to the update information, and

said backup apparatus further comprises extracting means for extracting the interrelation information from the update information received by said receiving means.

3. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein the interrelation information is information indicating presence/absence of other update information interrelated with the update information concerned.

4. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein the interrelation information is a serial number, and

if there exists no other update information interrelated with the update information concerned, a serial number of immediately preceding update information is affixed to the update information concerned.

5. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein said database apparatus further comprises transmission completion information transmitting means for transmitting, with respect to the individual databases, transmission completion information indicating update information whose transmission is completed, and

said updating means of said backup apparatus updates said backup databases while looking up the transmission completion information and the interrelation information.

6. A database apparatus having a plurality of databases, comprising:

update information generating means for generating, with respect to the individual databases, update information indicating contents of updates of the databases;

interrelation information generating means for generating interrelation information indicating an interrelation between the update information for a certain database and the update information for other databases; and

transmitting means for transmitting the update information and the interrelation information to a backup apparatus.

7. A backup method for a database apparatus having a plurality of databases, comprising:

an update information generation step of generating, with respect to the individual databases, update information indicating contents of updates of the databases;

an interrelation information generation step of generating interrelation information indicating an interrelation between the update information for a certain database and the update information for other databases; and

a transmission step of transmitting the update information and the interrelation information to a backup apparatus.

8. A program for causing a computer to function as a database apparatus having a plurality of databases, wherein said computer functions as:

update information generating means for generating, with respect to the individual databases, update information indicating contents of updates of the databases;

interrelation information generating means for generating interrelation information indicating an interrelation between the update information for a certain database and the update information for other databases; and

transmitting means for transmitting the update information and the interrelation information to a backup apparatus.

9. A backup apparatus for holding a backup of information stored in a database apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving update information and interrelation information transmitted from the database apparatus;

backup databases for holding backups of contents of databases owned by the database apparatus;

interrelation determining means for looking up the interrelation information received by said receiving means to determine the interrelation of each said update information; and

updating means for updating said backup databases based on the update information of which the interrelation is verified by said interrelation determining means.

10. A backup method enabling backup databases to hold a backup of information stored in a database apparatus, comprising:

a reception step of receiving update information and interrelation information transmitted from the database apparatus;

an interrelation determination step of looking up the interrelation information received in said reception step to determine the interrelation of each said update information; and

an update step of updating the backup databases based on the update information of which the interrelation is verified in said interrelation determination step.

11. A program for causing a computer to perform a process of holding a backup of information stored in a database apparatus, wherein said program causes the computer to function as:

receiving means for receiving update information and interrelation information transmitted from the database apparatus;

backup databases for holding backups of contents of databases owned by the database apparatus;

interrelation determining means for looking up the interrelation information received by the receiving means to determine the interrelation of each said update information; and

updating means for updating the backup databases based on the update information of which the interrelation is verified by the interrelation determining means.