Database Migration Tool with Shadow System for Minimal Downtime
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software system migration tools require separate projects, multiple experts, and additional hardware, leading to complex maintenance efforts, potential incompatibilities, and costly downtimes, making upgrades and migrations complicated and costly, with a risk of system inconsistencies and prolonged downtimes.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for upgrading and migrating software systems by configuring a target database, determining the distribution of database tables to migrate, performing uptime and downtime migrations, and maintaining the source database to ensure minimal downtime and predictability, using an in-memory database and shadow system for error correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current migration tools are used to migrate the system to a new database, then the system becomes compatible with the new database, but the modification of the system creates incompatibilities with the initial database and generates long downtime intervals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a shadow system in advance that replicates the productive system's database structure. This shadow system is prepared beforehand with all necessary tables and relationships, so when migration is needed, the switch to the target database can occur rapidly without extensive modification work during the migration window, thereby reducing downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a shadow system as an intermediary between the productive system and the target database. This shadow system acts as a buffer that can be modified and tested without affecting the productive system, allowing compatibility adjustments to be made in advance rather than during the actual migration downtime.
2Productivity
If the migration procedure is performed during productive system operation, then system availability is maintained, but unexpected interruptions can ruin downtime management and cause system inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the database migration process into distinct phases: creating a shadow system, populating it with data, validating consistency, and then switching to the target database. This segmentation allows the migration to be performed in controlled steps during productive operation, maintaining availability while ensuring reliability through validation at each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a shadow system that copies the productive system's database structure and data. This copy can be manipulated and validated without affecting the productive system, allowing migration preparations to occur during operational periods without compromising system availability or introducing inconsistencies.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate migration tools and projects are used for database migration and unicode conversion, then each maintenance event can be performed with specialized tools, but the overall complexity increases and additional hardware resources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple maintenance functions (database migration, unicode conversion, and system upgrading) into a single integrated shadow system framework. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate migration tools and projects, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the specialized capabilities needed for each maintenance task through unified architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The shadow system is designed as a universal platform that can handle multiple maintenance operations including database migration, unicode conversion, and system upgrades within a single framework. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate specialized tools and hardware resources for each maintenance event.
4Reliability
If the system is restored from backup in case of migration error, then system integrity is maintained, but the migration cannot be performed at any time and must be scheduled during downtimes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary validation of the shadow system against the productive system before committing to the migration. This advance validation ensures system integrity is verified beforehand, allowing migration to proceed with confidence at any time without requiring scheduled downtimes or risking integrity issues that would necessitate backup restoration.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for upgrading and migrating software systems include configuring a target database on a computing appliance that is communicably coupled with a distributed computing environment that includes a source database, the source database including a plurality of productive database tables and a plurality of non-productive database tables; determining a distribution of database tables to migrate to the target database, the distribution including at least a portion of the plurality of productive and non-productive database tables from the source database and at least one new database table of a database upgrade; migrating the distribution of database tables to the target database; and pointing a productive system of the distributed computing environment to the target database.