METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MODEL-BASED REPLICATION OF DATA

• US 20090055430A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Castro, Paul C., Giraud, Frederique A., Yeh, Danny L., Konuru, Ravindranath, Purakayastha, Apratim
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Techniques for replicating data in a system having a data tier with a plurality of data sources and an application tier with a plurality of applications are provided. Such techniques can include creating an instance of an information model of the data that is specified by a schema. The model can be created in a form that is suitable for manipulation by at least one of the applications and that forms at least a portion of a model tier that is intermediate the data tier and the application tier. A replica of an instance of the information model can be created in a form suitable for remote transmission, and a consistency policy can be obtained that specifies a level of consistency required between the instance of the information model and the replica.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code for replicating data in a system having a data tier with a plurality of data sources and an application tier with a plurality of applications, said computer program product including:

computer-readable program code for creating an instance of an information model of the data specified by a schema, said model being created in a form suitable for manipulation by at least one of the applications of the application tier and forming at least a portion of a model tier intermediate the data tier and the application tier;

computer-readable program code for creating a replica of said instance of said information model in a form suitable for remote transmission; and

computer-readable program code for obtaining a consistency policy that specifies a level of consistency required between said instance of said information model and said replica

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said product further includes computer-readable program code for obtaining said schema, said schema specifying said information model via application-level requirements, said schema describing at least property-level content and structure to be conveyed by said model.

3. An apparatus for replicating data in a system having a data tier with a plurality of data sources and an application tier with a plurality of applications, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to said memory and operative to;

create an instance of an information model of the data specified by a schema, said model being created in a form suitable for manipulation by at least one of the applications of the application tier and forming at least a portion of a model tier intermediate the data tier and the application tier;

create a replica of said instance of said information model in a form suitable for remote transmission; and

obtain a consistency policy that specifies a level of consistency required between said instance of said information model and said replica.

4. A method for replicating data comprising the steps of:

obtaining on a first computer an application request referencing a model instance on a remote computer;

forwarding said request to a local model tier via a local virtual store;

generating, via said local model tier, a request in a format suitable for transmission to a remote model tier of the remote computer; and

obtaining a replica of the model instance from said remote computer, said replica being in the form of a model conveying at least property-level content and structure, said model being formatted to facilitate application of a consistency policy declaring a level of consistency required between said replica and said model instance.