Primary Database Election Using Auxiliary Node Majority Voting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing database systems face challenges in accurately determining the status of a primary database due to potential abnormalities in monitoring nodes or network connections, leading to increased workload and reduced availability, requiring manual intervention.

Innovation Solution

Introduce an auxiliary node that does not store the first table data, participating in a distributed election among clusters or copies to elect a new primary database based on majority approval votes, eliminating the need for manual intervention and ensuring high availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a monitoring node or arbitration node is used to determine the status of the primary database, then the primary-standby switching can be performed, but the accuracy of determining the primary database status deteriorates due to potential abnormalities in the monitoring node or network connections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic primary-standby switchingVSAvoidaccuracy of determining primary database status

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the monitoring function into multiple independent monitoring nodes instead of relying on a single monitoring or arbitration node. Each monitoring node independently monitors the primary database status, and their results are aggregated through voting. This segmentation eliminates the single point of failure and improves the accuracy of status determination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the results from multiple monitoring nodes through a voting mechanism to determine the primary database status. By merging multiple independent assessments, the system achieves more reliable and accurate status determination compared to any single monitoring node alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If manual intervention by operation and maintenance personnel is used to determine primary database status, then the accuracy of status determination improves, but the workload of operation and maintenance personnel increases and availability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of determining primary database statusVSAvoidworkload of operation and maintenance personnel

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements an automated system where multiple monitoring nodes independently monitor the primary database status and automatically perform primary-standby switching through voting mechanisms. This eliminates the need for manual intervention by operation and maintenance personnel, reducing their workload while maintaining high accuracy in status determination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously collects feedback from multiple monitoring nodes about the primary database status and uses this feedback to automatically make switching decisions. This closed-loop feedback mechanism replaces manual checking and decision-making, improving both accuracy and reducing operational workload.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If a single monitoring node or arbitration node is used to determine primary database status, then the system complexity is reduced, but the reliability of the system deteriorates due to single point of failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of monitoring componentsVSAvoidsystem availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the monitoring function into multiple independent monitoring nodes, eliminating the single point of failure. Each node operates independently, and the system continues to function reliably as long as a majority of nodes agree on the status, significantly improving system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each monitoring node performs localized monitoring of the primary database status independently. This distributed approach with local quality ensures that the failure of any single node does not compromise the overall system reliability, as other nodes can continue monitoring and voting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12632467B2Database system, and primary database election methods and apparatuses

Publication Date: 2026.05.19 BEIJING OCEANBASE TECHNOLOGY CO LTD

AI summary

This specification provides a database system, and primary database election methods and apparatuses. The system includes at least one auxiliary node and a plurality of clusters. If any cluster is a primary database of the first table and the other clusters are standby databases: the primary database applies to all auxiliary nodes and all clusters for extension of a term of the primary database during the current term, and if the primary database obtains more than half of approval votes before the current term ends, the primary database determines that the term of the primary database is successfully extended, otherwise, the primary database downgrades itself to a standby database; and the auxiliary node and/or the clusters that don't record the primary database of the first table in term initiate a distributed election, and elect a cluster that obtains more than half of approval votes as a new primary database.