Sub-archive Database Archiving Minimizing Downtime

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional backup processes are not suitable for archival processes as they do not preserve historical data and require shutting down the operational database, leading to prolonged downtime and user lockouts during the archival process.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a sub-archive process that allows changes to the operational database during the initial sub-archive, followed by a final archive that locks the database, minimizing downtime by allowing user access during sub-archiving and ensuring data consistency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the operational database is shut down during the archive process to ensure data consistency, then the archive consistency is improved, but the user accessibility and system availability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearchive consistencyVSAvoiduser accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The archive process is divided into multiple sub-archives, each handling a specific time range or data subset. This segmentation allows the system to archive data in smaller, manageable chunks without requiring a complete database shutdown, thereby maintaining user accessibility while ensuring consistency within each sub-archive segment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by identifying and preparing data for archiving before actually executing the archive operation. This includes tracking changes since the last archive, preparing the archive structure in advance, and setting up the necessary conditions to minimize the impact on operational database access during the archiving process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the operational database is shut down during the archive process to ensure data consistency, then the archive consistency is improved, but the downtime increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearchive consistencyVSAvoiddowntime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The archive process is divided into multiple sub-archives, each handling a specific time range or data subset. This segmentation allows the system to archive data in smaller, manageable chunks without requiring a complete database shutdown, thereby maintaining user accessibility while ensuring consistency within each sub-archive segment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables continuous archiving operations by allowing the operational database to remain accessible throughout the process. Multiple sub-archives can be executed sequentially or in parallel, maintaining continuous data protection and historical record creation without interrupting the operational database's useful actions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional backup processes are used for archiving, then the implementation simplicity is improved, but the historical data preservation capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplementation simplicityVSAvoidhistorical data preservation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The archive process is divided into multiple sub-archives, each handling a specific time range or data subset. This segmentation allows the system to archive data in smaller, manageable chunks without requiring a complete database shutdown, thereby maintaining user accessibility while ensuring consistency within each sub-archive segment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by identifying and preparing data for archiving before actually executing the archive operation. This includes tracking changes since the last archive, preparing the archive structure in advance, and setting up the necessary conditions to minimize the impact on operational database access during the archiving process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12111814B2Logically consistent archive with minimal downtime

Publication Date: 2024.10.08 MICRO FOCUS LLC

AI summary

A sub-archive is initiated. The sub-archive saves changes that have occurred since a previous final archive. Changes to an operational database (i.e., the operational database that is being archived) are allowed during the first sub-archive. A final archive is initiated in series after the sub-archive has completed. The final archive does not allow changes to the operational database when the final archive is active. In one embodiment, the sub-archive may comprise a plurality of sub-archives that depend on an amount of outstanding changes that exist in the operational database.