Version Management Cache with Historical Timestamps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing database systems fail to effectively manage and retrieve historical data versions, particularly in scenarios like airline ticket changes, where the previous version's content is lost once a new version is stored, making it difficult to determine parameters like reimbursement levels.
Innovation Solution
A system that stores multiple versions of data entities in a database with a cache mechanism, where each active version includes a list of previous versions and their timestamps, allowing for easy identification of the active version at a specific time, thereby enabling accurate parameter determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a new version replaces the previous version in the database, then the data is updated efficiently, but the ability to retrieve the previous version's content is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the previous active version and stores it as a previous version in the cache when a new version is created. This copying mechanism preserves historical data while allowing the new version to replace the old one as the active version, thus maintaining both update efficiency and information retrieval capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by creating a list of previous versions with their associated timestamps before the new version fully replaces the old one. This preliminary preservation of version information in the cache structure ensures that historical data can be retrieved later without affecting the efficiency of the update process
2Reliability
If multiple versions are stored in the database, then historical data can be retrieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the version management system into two distinct storage areas: a database for storing all versions and a cache for storing the active version and a list of previous versions with timestamps. This segmentation allows the system to manage multiple versions while maintaining a simple, efficient access structure through the cache layer
Solution Approach 2:
The cache acts as an intermediary between the user and the database, providing a simplified interface for version access. The cache stores the active version and a list of previous versions with timestamps, allowing users to retrieve historical data without directly interacting with the complex database structure, thus reducing system complexity
3Speed
If the cache stores only the active version, then access speed is optimized, but the ability to identify historical parameters is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by creating and maintaining a list of previous versions with their associated timestamps in the cache. This preliminary organization of version information allows the system to quickly identify which version was active at a specific time without sacrificing the fast access speed provided by the cache structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the cache by storing not just the active version but also a list of previous versions with their timestamps. This additional dimension allows the system to answer historical queries efficiently while maintaining the fast access characteristics of the cache
Data Source
AI summary
A system for identifying a parameter in a version of a data entity created at a specific time, wherein at a first time the version is an active version and at a second time the version is a previous version, the system comprising: a database for storing the plurality of versions of the data entity as they are created; a cache for storing the first active version of the data entity; wherein when a new version of the data entity is created by updating at least one parameter of the data entity, a new active version replaces the first active version stored in a cache and the first active version becomes a previous version stored in the cache; and wherein the new active version includes a list of the or each previous version of the data entity with an associated time at which the version was an active version, such that by identifying the version of the data entity which was active at the specific time the parameter is determined.