Special purpose operating system for executing a database server

• US 20030023602A1
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bala Kumaresan, Balasubramanyam Sthanikam, David Stowell, Dimitris Nakos, Doherty C. Gregory, E. So, John John, Harish Rawat, Jane Chen, Jay Rossiter, Joseph Therrattil Koonen, Lalitha Ganti, Lawrence J. Ellison, Muthu Olagappan, Niloy Banerjee, Pari Bhaduri, Ramkumar Venkataraman, Srinivas Maturi, Thivakaram Prakash Sivakumar, Venkat Malla, Yuanjiang Ou
• Original Assignee: Bala Kumaresan, Balasubramanyam Sthanikam, David Stowell, Dimitris Nakos, Doherty C. Gregory, E. So, John John, Harish Rawat, Jane Chen, Jay Rossiter, Joseph Therrattil Koonen, Lalitha Ganti, Lawrence J. Ellison, Muthu Olagappan, Niloy Banerjee, Pari Bhaduri, Ramkumar Venkataraman, Srinivas Maturi, Thivakaram Prakash Sivakumar, Venkat Malla, Yuanjiang Ou
• Inventors: Koonen, Joseph Therrattil, E. So, John John, Olagappan, Muthu, Chen, Jane, Ou, Yuanjiang, Kumaresan, Bala, Malla, Venkat, Banerjee, Niloy, Venkataraman, Ramkumar, Sthanikam, Balasubramanyam, Ganti, Lalitha, Rossiter, Jay, Ellison, Lawrence J., Bhaduri, Pari, Maturi, Srinivas, Sivakumar, Thivakaram Prakash, Doherty, C. Gregory, Stowell, David, Nakos, Dimitris, Rawat, Harish
• Granted Patent: US 6,691,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A database system that incorporates numerous features that reduce the total cost of maintaining the database system is provided. That database system includes a database appliance that executes a database server on a platform that includes a special purpose operating system specifically tailored to the services required by the database server. The database appliance configures itself by detecting the environment in which it resides and setting operational parameters based on the detected environment. The configuration metadata of all components of the system are stored in a centralized repository which itself may reside external to the system. Both the database server configuration and the operating system configuration are managed by a remotely located integrated management console, which interacts with and configures the system at the database system level, the operating system level and, optionally, at the hardware subsystem level. Backup management may also be performed remotely. The remote components, such as the integrated management console, the backup server, and the configuration repository, may communicate with the system through a wide area network, such as the Internet, or directly through a dial-up connection.

Claims

1. A database appliance comprising:

a database server; and

a special purpose operating system whose configuration is dictated based on a set of services required by the database server;

wherein the configuration of said operating system prevents direct end user access to services that are provided by said operating system.

2. A method for implementing a database appliance, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a special purpose operating system that is customized for executing a database server; and

running said database server on a platform that includes said special purpose operating system,

wherein the step of generating said special purpose operating system includes;

determining a set of one or more services that are required by said database server; and

adapting a general purpose operating system to create said special purpose operating system for performing said set of one or more services.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining services required by said database server includes inspecting code of said database server to identify operating system calls made by said database server.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining services required by said database server includes tracing executing of said database server to determine which portions of said general purpose operating system are used during execution of said database server.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of modifying the general purpose operating system is performed by removing from said general purpose operating system all interfaces that allow direct end user access to services provided by said general purpose operating system.