Automatic Failover Mechanism for Database Session State Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing client-server database systems require manual intervention and loss of session state data when a database session fails, leading to interrupted queries and the need for users to reconnect manually.

Innovation Solution

An automatic failover mechanism that detects failed connections and automatically reconnects clients to a backup server, using checksums to ensure uninterrupted query processing and restore session state data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual reconnection is required after database session failure, then system reliability is improved through human verification, but ease of operation deteriorates due to manual intervention requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession failure handling reliabilityVSAvoidreconnection operation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically detects database session failures and performs reconnection operations without requiring user intervention. The client driver interface monitors session health, detects failures, and initiates reconnection procedures autonomously, allowing the system to serve itself during failure recovery scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-establishes backup database server connections and maintains session state information in advance of failures. When a failure occurs, the pre-prepared backup connection and stored session state enable immediate reconnection without requiring users to manually re-establish connections or resubmit queries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If manual reconnection is required after database session failure, then data integrity is improved through user verification, but loss of time increases due to manual reconnection steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession state data lossVSAvoidreconnection time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously maintains session state information in the client driver interface and pre-establishes backup database server connections before failures occur. This preliminary preparation ensures that when a failure happens, the session state is already captured and a backup connection is ready, eliminating the time required for manual reconnection and query resubmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous monitoring of database session health through callback mechanisms that provide feedback on connection status. When failures are detected, the feedback loop triggers automatic reconnection procedures, reducing the time users experience service interruption while maintaining data integrity through verified connection restoration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If automatic failover is implemented, then ease of operation is improved through automated reconnection, but device complexity increases due to failover mechanism requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereconnection operation easeVSAvoidfailover system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The client driver interface serves as an intermediary layer between the database application and the database server. It absorbs the complexity of failover mechanisms, session state management, and backup connection handling, while presenting a simple interface to the database application. This intermediary approach shields the user from complexity while enabling automatic failover functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Device complexity

If session state data is not restored after failover, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to query resubmission requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession state management complexityVSAvoidquery processing productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system maintains copies of session state information in the client driver interface and on the backup database server. When failover occurs, these pre-captured copies are automatically transferred and restored, allowing the database application to resume processing without resubmitting queries. This copying mechanism preserves productivity while keeping the complexity managed through the intermediary layer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS9582375B2Method and system for automatic failover for clients accessing a resource through a server using hybrid checksum location

Publication Date: 2017.02.28 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

Some embodiments are directed to a method and apparatus for implementing an automatic failover mechanism for a resource. A client accesses a source through a first server using a first session. During the session, the client stores checksum information corresponding to data received via the session with the first server. When it is detected that the session between the first server and the client has failed, the client is automatically connected with second server that has access to the resource. The checksum information is transmitted from the client to the second server, where it is compared with checksum information calculated at the second server, so that a determination can be made as to whether the client can continue processing where it left off when connected to the second server.