Data Catalog for Orphaned Data Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Enterprise systems face challenges in managing data orphaned due to changes in physical devices and software applications, leading to unknown or hidden data sets that are no longer utilized, complicating data protection and archival efforts.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that monitor data environments for data operation events, filter information to extract data location details, and modify log files to track the occurrence of such events, ensuring that only relevant data operation events are recorded, thereby identifying and managing data locations within the system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If replica copies of data are generated and stored at remote locations to meet data protection demands, then data protection and recovery capabilities are improved, but system complexity and difficulty in managing data locations worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protectionVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a data catalog as an intermediary component that sits between data production systems and data management systems. This catalog serves as a central registry that tracks data locations, types, and provenance, thereby reducing the complexity of managing distributed replica copies while maintaining data protection capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous monitoring of data operations and maintains updated catalogs that reflect current data locations and statuses. This feedback mechanism enables the system to automatically track data through replication, movement, and transformation operations, simplifying management of complex data environments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Duration of action of stationary object

If data sets are maintained for archival purposes, then data retention requirements are improved, but difficulty in detecting and measuring data locations worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata retentionVSAvoiddata location detection
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary cataloging of data at the point of creation or generation. By recording data location information, type, and provenance metadata immediately when data is produced, the system ensures that archived data can be easily located and managed in the future without requiring complex search operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If applications are taken offline to remove obsolete software, then system modernization is improved, but orphaned data becomes unknown and hidden

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem modernizationVSAvoiddata existence information
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The data catalog provides continuous feedback about data locations and dependencies even when applications are offline. By maintaining independent tracking of data through the catalog system, the patent ensures that orphaned data remains visible and manageable, preventing information loss during application lifecycle changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8595749B1System and method for cataloging data
Publication Date: 2013.11.26 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC
  • US8595749B1 patent drawing
  • US8595749B1 patent drawing
  • US8595749B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A method, computer program product, and computing system for obtaining information concerning the possible occurrence of a data operation event performed within a data environment. In the event of such an occurrence, a log file is modified to indicate the occurrence of the data operation event within the data environment.