Database Failover via Automatic Server Mirroring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current database failover systems require complete shutdown of all databases on an instance when one database fails, leading to downtime and disruption in service, as they are tightly coupled and lack efficient mechanisms for seamless data transfer during server maintenance or failures.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where an application server can automatically fail over to a secondary database server, mirroring data and maintaining continuous access by transferring DNS requests and mirroring data between primary and secondary servers, allowing for uninterrupted service during maintenance or failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single database causes a failure, then the entire instance must be shut down and restarted on the failover database server, but this results in no application access to any databases on the instance during the restart period
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the instance into individual database components that can be independently managed. When one database fails, only that specific database is migrated to the failover server while other databases remain accessible on the original server, eliminating the need to shut down the entire instance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary mirroring of databases to the failover server before failures occur. This allows for rapid restoration of failed databases by switching connections to the pre-synchronized copy on the failover server, minimizing downtime without requiring full instance restarts.
2Productivity
If all databases on an instance are tightly coupled to a single server process, then data processing efficiency is improved, but any single database failure requires complete instance shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tightly coupled instance architecture into independently migratable database units. Each database can be individually restored on the failover server while maintaining the performance benefits of the original server process for databases that remain operational.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different databases within the same instance to have different availability states. Some databases can continue operating on the original server while failed databases are restored on the failover server, creating localized failure handling rather than system-wide shutdowns.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a first database, a second database, a third database, and an application server. The first database server includes a database instance. The second database server is in communication with the first database server. The second database server includes a mirror of the database instance. The third database server is in communication with the second database server. The third database server is configured to store a copy of a database within the database instance. The application server is configured to be placed in communication with the first, second, and third database servers, configured to fail over between the first and second database servers, and further configured to fail over between the second and third database servers.