Database Backup Customization via Alter Commands
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backup and restore techniques for large databases are inefficient, leading to infrequent backups and significant data loss due to the time and storage requirements, resulting in restored databases having much older versions of data.
Innovation Solution
Implementing partial backup and restore capabilities, where the database system allows for the alteration of backup sets through 'alter backup' commands, enabling the inclusion or exclusion of specific database objects based on criteria, and specifying whether they should be included or excluded in subsequent backups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional full database backup techniques are used, then complete data protection is achieved, but backup time and storage requirements become excessively large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the database backup into two distinct parts: metadata backup (schema, structure, definitions) and data backup (actual records). This segmentation allows the metadata to be backed up completely and frequently with minimal storage overhead, while data backup can be selective and incremental, significantly reducing backup time while maintaining data protection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and separates the metadata from the actual data, treating them as independent backup targets. By taking out the metadata layer, the system can perform rapid structural backups without being constrained by the volume of actual data, thus reducing backup processing time while preserving the ability to restore complete database functionality.
2Reliability
If conventional full database backup techniques are used, then complete data protection is achieved, but storage requirements become excessively large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the backup storage into metadata storage and data storage components. Metadata, being relatively small in size, can be stored completely and frequently without consuming excessive space. Data storage can then be optimized through selective backup of only necessary data portions, reducing overall storage requirements while maintaining data protection completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the backup strategy for metadata versus data. Metadata receives complete, frequent backups with high priority, while data backup is tailored based on specific needs, allowing for selective and incremental approaches that minimize storage consumption while ensuring data protection where most critical.
3Loss of information
If backup frequency is increased to reduce data loss, then data freshness is improved, but backup time and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables different backup frequencies for metadata and data. Metadata can be backed up very frequently (even continuously) due to its small size and critical importance for database reconstruction. Data can be backed up at lower frequencies using incremental methods, reducing the time overhead while maintaining acceptable data freshness levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by backing up only the necessary portions of data at each backup interval rather than complete data sets. This allows for more frequent backup operations to be performed with reduced processing time, improving data freshness without the full time penalty of complete database backups.
4Loss of time
If selective backup of specific database objects is implemented, then backup time and storage are reduced, but backup complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (backup management system/software) that handles the complexity of selective backup operations. This intermediary abstracts the complex decisions about which data objects to backup, when to backup, and how to reconstruct databases from partial backups, presenting a simplified interface to users while managing the underlying complexity automatically.
Data Source
AI summary
Backups and restore operations of database are customized by performing partial backups and restores. The database maintains information describing database objects that are backed up by subsequent backup operations. The data set that is backed up by backup operations can be modified by executing alter backup commands. An alter backup command identifies one or more database objects and specifies whether the database object should be excluded or included from backup operations. The alter backup command can specify database objects that do not exist in the database. These objects are included or excluded in accordance with the alter backup command whenever they are created in the database. The alter backup command can associate a criteria with a database object in order for the database object to be included or excluded in accordance with the alter backup command.