Database Change Validation System for SQL Error Prevention

Solution Overview

Problem

Current database management systems lack a tool to verify that intended changes made by users through SQL statements are accurate and error-free, often resulting in unintended modifications due to syntax errors or misunderstandings of the impact of the changes.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that validate user commands against predefined business rules before execution, issuing alerts or preventing execution if the rules are not met, ensuring that only compliant commands modify the database, and providing options for users to correct non-compliant commands.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If users manually enter SQL statements to modify databases, then database changes can be made quickly and flexibly, but errors and unintended modifications occur due to syntax mistakes or misunderstanding of impact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of database modificationVSAvoidaccuracy of database changes

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation of SQL statements against predefined business rules before execution. The validation checks syntax correctness, semantic accuracy, and expected impact beforehand, allowing users to correct errors before they cause harmful database modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to users about the expected impact of their SQL statements by comparing actual statements against predefined business rules. This feedback mechanism helps users understand whether their statements will produce intended results and allows correction before execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If SQL statements are checked for syntax validity only, then basic statement correctness can be verified, but inability to verify actual impact versus intended impact remains

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of validation processVSAvoidloss of impact verification

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation of SQL statements against predefined business rules before execution. The validation checks syntax correctness, semantic accuracy, and expected impact beforehand, allowing users to correct errors before they cause harmful database modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary validation layer between the user's SQL statement and the database execution. This intermediary checks the statement against predefined business rules that encode expected impacts, providing an additional verification step without requiring complex analysis of the actual database state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If no validation beyond syntax is performed, then database operations remain simple and fast, but user mistakes go undetected until execution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of database operationVSAvoidharmful effects of user errors

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation of SQL statements against predefined business rules before execution. The validation checks syntax correctness, semantic accuracy, and expected impact beforehand, allowing users to correct errors before they cause harmful database modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by preventing execution of SQL statements that violate predefined business rules. This counter-action occurs before the harmful effect can manifest, blocking erroneous statements from being executed against the database.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS11599532B1System, method, and computer program for preventing user mistakes when making database changes

Publication Date: 2023.03.07 AMDOCS DEV LTD

AI summary

As described herein, a system, method, and computer program are provided for preventing user mistakes when making database changes. In use, a user command to modify a database is received. The user command is validated against a plurality of predefined business rules. One or more actions are conditionally performed before executing the user command, based on a result of the validating.