Application Tier Data Dictionary for Dependency Tracking

Solution Overview

Problem

In multi-tier database architectures, tracking dependencies between application files and database objects is time-consuming and burdensome due to the need for multiple calls from the application tier to the database tier, leading to increased load and potential instability in ACID properties.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an application tier data dictionary that populates and stores dependency information, allowing for queries to operate primarily at the application tier, reducing the need for direct database tier access by analyzing application files for dependencies and populating the data dictionary with relevant metadata from the database tier.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If multiple calls are made from the application tier to the database tier to track dependencies, then complete dependency information can be obtained, but the database tier experiences increased load and tracking becomes more time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedependency information completenessVSAvoiddependency tracking time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-fetching and caching dependency information from the database tier data dictionary into the application tier data dictionary before it is needed for dependency tracking. This allows the application tier to query local cached data instead of making multiple real-time calls to the database tier, thereby obtaining complete dependency information while significantly reducing the time and load on the database tier.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If multiple calls are made from the application tier to the database tier to track dependencies, then complete dependency information can be obtained, but the database tier experiences increased load and potential ACID property instability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedependency information completenessVSAvoidACID property stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-fetching and caching dependency information from the database tier data dictionary into the application tier data dictionary before it is needed for dependency tracking. This allows the application tier to query local cached data instead of making multiple real-time calls to the database tier, thereby obtaining complete dependency information while significantly reducing the time and load on the database tier.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the application tier data dictionary that acts as a cache between the application tier and the database tier. This intermediary stores copies of dependency information, allowing the application tier to query local data without directly contacting the database tier for every dependency check, thus reducing database load and protecting ACID property stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If the application tier queries the database tier data dictionary for each dependency, then accurate dependency tracking is achieved, but the complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedependency tracking accuracyVSAvoiddependency tracking system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies copying by creating and maintaining a copy of the database tier data dictionary at the application tier. Instead of querying the original database tier data dictionary for every dependency check, the application tier queries its local copy, which contains the same dependency information. This maintains tracking accuracy while reducing system complexity and query overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS9424323B2Application tier data dictionary

Publication Date: 2016.08.23 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A method of tracking dependencies in an application file, including analyzing the application file to identify at least one dependency in the application file, extracting information from the application file related to the dependency to allow identification of an entity to which the application file has a dependency from the information, and storing the dependency for the application file in the application tier data dictionary. A system has a memory, at a first tier, to store an application tier data dictionary and at least one application file, and a processor at the first tier to determine dependencies in the application file, store the dependencies in the application tier data dictionary, communicate with a second tier, separate from the first tier, as needed to access information with regard to the dependencies, and store the information in the application tier data dictionary.