Sandbox Database Creation via Metadata Copying and Cache Isolation

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing database test environments lack efficient mechanisms for creating sandbox databases that ensure high availability, performance stability, and disaster recovery, potentially leading to production system degradation or malfunction during testing.

Innovation Solution

Creating a sandbox database involves establishing a sandbox cache and copying metadata from a main database, allowing for a simpler process to test software by isolating and replicating records based on defined rules, thereby providing a temporary and controlled testing environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sandbox database is created by copying all data from the main database, then the test environment reliability is improved, but the device complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetest environment reliabilityVSAvoidsandbox creation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the database copying process by selectively copying only necessary data subsets based on test requirements rather than copying the entire main database. This divides the large-scale copying task into smaller, manageable segments that can be created faster and with less complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by copying only the portion of data needed for testing purposes. Instead of performing excessive action (copying all data), the system performs just enough copying to satisfy test requirements, reducing time and complexity while maintaining sufficient reliability for testing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If a sandbox database is created by copying all data from the main database, then the test environment reliability is improved, but the time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetest environment reliabilityVSAvoidsandbox creation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the database copying process by selectively copying only necessary data subsets based on test requirements rather than copying the entire main database. This divides the large-scale copying task into smaller, manageable segments that can be created faster and with less complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by copying only the portion of data needed for testing purposes. Instead of performing excessive action (copying all data), the system performs just enough copying to satisfy test requirements, reducing time and complexity while maintaining sufficient reliability for testing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of operation

If the sandbox database uses a simplified creation process, then the ease of operation is improved, but the test environment reliability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesandbox creation easeVSAvoidtest environment reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the data copying process adaptive and configurable. The system can dynamically adjust what data to copy based on test requirements, allowing operators to easily create sandboxes with appropriate data subsets while maintaining reliability through configurable data selection rather than fixed simplified copying.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20240354226A1Sandboxing Databases

Publication Date: 2024.10.24 ROCKET SOFTWARE

AI summary

A sandbox database is created. The sandbox database is typically a temporary database. For example, the sandbox database may be a test database for evaluating a new version of software. Creating the sandbox database comprises creating a sandbox cache in the sandbox database and copying metadata from a main database to the sandbox database. The sandbox cache is used to store record(s) that are accessed during the use of the sandbox database. The metadata is used to reference the record(s). This allows for a simpler process for creating a temporary database to be used for testing software.