Tenant Database Segmentation for Multi-Client Upgrade Efficiency

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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 database environments, leading to increased downtime and reliability issues, while single-client systems require significant client effort and expertise for maintenance.

Innovation Solution

The system separates data structures into tenant-specific and shared categories, allowing each tenant to have isolated and independently managed spaces, enabling efficient upgrades, backups, and recoveries without affecting other tenants.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a multi-client system shares a common database for all clients, then resource utilization and scalability are improved, but database maintenance complexity and downtime increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilizationVSAvoiddatabase maintenance complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the common database into separate physical databases for each client. Each client's data is isolated in its own database instance, allowing independent maintenance, backups, and upgrades without affecting other clients. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining resource efficiency through centralized management while eliminating the complexity and downtime issues of shared database maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts client-specific data from the shared common database and places it into separate physical databases. This extraction allows standard database tools to be applied to individual client databases for maintenance operations, resolving the maintenance complexity issue while preserving the multi-client architecture's resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If a multi-client system uses a common database, then scalability is improved, but backup and recovery time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovescalabilityVSAvoidbackup and recovery time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the database into separate physical databases for each client, the system enables independent backup and recovery operations. Each client database can be backed up and recovered separately using standard database tools, dramatically reducing the time required compared to restoring entire client environments from a shared database.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts client data into separate physical databases that can be independently managed. This extraction enables the use of efficient database backup and recovery tools on individual client databases, reducing recovery time from days or weeks to hours or minutes while maintaining scalability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of repair

If a single-client system provides separate physical databases for each client, then backup and recovery efficiency is improved, but client involvement in system maintenance increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackup and recovery efficiencyVSAvoidclient involvement in maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the benefits of separate physical databases with centralized provider management. While each client has its own physical database for efficient backup and recovery, the provider maintains centralized control over database creation, maintenance, and upgrades. This merging approach achieves backup efficiency without requiring client involvement in maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables providers to perform maintenance operations on client databases using standard database tools without requiring client intervention. The automated architecture allows providers to execute backups, recoveries, and upgrades directly on isolated client databases, achieving ease of repair while eliminating the need for client involvement in maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Productivity

If content is distributed throughout a common database, then resource sharing is improved, but content deployment time and manual effort increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource sharingVSAvoidcontent deployment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting content into separate physical databases per client, the system enables direct copying and deployment of content to specific client databases without searching through a common database. This segmentation maintains resource sharing capabilities while dramatically reducing content deployment time and manual effort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS7917607B2Software management systems and methods, including use of such systems and methods in a provider-tenant environment

Publication Date: 2011.03.29 SAP SE

AI summary

Exemplary methods and systems may associate data structures specific to a first tenant with a first tenant template, determine whether new data structures are specific to the first tenant, and if so, associate the new data structures with a second tenant template. By doing so, methods and systems may determine a difference between the first and second tenant templates, making it possible to upgrade a tenant based on the difference. With this capability a provider-tenant system may upgrade applications and data.