Tenant Database Cloning for Multi-tenant Upgrade Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-client server systems face challenges in managing database upgrades, content deployment, and data backup/recovery due to shared databases, leading to increased downtime and reliability issues, while single-client systems require significant client effort and expertise for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The system allows for cloning a tenant's database, enabling separate storage and management of each client's applications and data, facilitating efficient upgrades, backups, and recoveries by physically isolating tenant-specific data structures and using shared data structures across multiple tenants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a common database is shared by multiple clients in a multi-client system, then resource utilization and scalability are improved, but database maintenance becomes problematic and upgrade time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic common database into separate tenant-specific database schemas or tables within the same database system. Each tenant's data is isolated in its own namespace, allowing independent maintenance and upgrades without affecting other tenants. This enables the provider to upgrade individual tenant databases without coordinating system-wide downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements database cloning capability that creates copies of tenant database schemas and data. This allows the provider to create test environments, perform backups, and execute upgrades on copied databases without impacting the production system. The clone operation enables rapid provisioning and safe testing before applying changes to the original tenant databases.
2Quantity of substance
If a common database is shared by multiple clients, then infrastructure cost is reduced, but the ability to backup and recover specific client content is lost
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the common database into isolated tenant schemas with distinct namespaces, the patent enables standard database backup and recovery tools to operate on individual tenant data. Each tenant's segmented data can be independently backed up, restored, and managed using conventional database utilities, while still sharing the underlying physical infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent's database cloning feature creates complete copies of tenant database schemas and data that can be used for backup purposes. These clones can be stored separately and used for recovery operations, providing reliable backup capability without requiring separate physical databases for each tenant.
3Productivity
If client content is distributed throughout a common database, then resource sharing is optimized, but content deployment requires significant manual effort and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments tenant content into organized schemas with clear namespace separation. This structure allows the provider to efficiently locate, extract, and deploy content for specific tenants without searching through a monolithic database. Content can be targeted to individual tenant schemas, dramatically reducing the effort required for content deployment while maintaining resource sharing efficiency.
4Reliability
If physical separation of client data is implemented in a single-client system, then backup and recovery become easier, but client involvement in system maintenance increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides logical segmentation of tenant data within a shared database system, creating isolated namespaces that enable easy backup and recovery of individual tenant data. This approach gives tenants the backup capabilities of physically separate systems while eliminating the need for tenants to perform complex maintenance tasks, as the provider manages the segmented database structure centrally.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary methods and systems may clone a tenant database and send updates to the clone. By doing so, methods and systems may determine a difference between the clone and the tenant, making it possible to test upgrades for a tenant based on the difference. With this capability, a provider-tenant system may upgrade tenant business applications and customize tenant databases.