System, method, and computer program for preventing user mistakes when making database changes

#The present invention relates to database management.

#Oftentimes, databases are managed by users, and as a result are subject to manual changes which can introduce errors or other unwanted/unintended effects. For example, when a user desires to make a change to a database in a production environment, the user must type a Structured Query Language (SQL) statement or other database language statement. If the statement, which may otherwise be a valid statement, contains an error with regard to the desired change the user is trying to make, a resulting change to the database will reflect that error. As another example, even though a user may correctly enter the statement, the user may not understand an actual impact of the statement on the database. In this case where the user's desired impact differs from the actual impact, the resulting change to the database will reflect an unwanted effect.

#To date, while database statements may be checked for validity, such as whether the statements use a correct syntax, there is currently no tool to verify that the actual changes being made to a database are the changes intended by the user. There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associated with the prior art.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a method for preventing user mistakes when making database changes, in accordance with one embodiment.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a method for mistake proofing database management, in accordance with one embodiment.

#FIGS. 3A-N illustrate exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) of a tool for mistake proofing database management, in accordance with one embodiment.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a method 100 for preventing user mistakes when making database changes, in accordance with one embodiment. The method 100 may be performed by any computer system, such as those described below with respect to FIGS. 4 and/or 5. For example, the method 100 may be performed by a computer system that provides a database management tool for managing a database. The database may be local or remote with respect to the computer system performing the method 100.

#In operation 102, a user command to modify a database is received. The user command may be received through a GUI. For example, the GUI may be included in database management tool mentioned above, in one embodiment.

#In the context of the present description, the user command may be any input provided by a user for the purpose of modifying (e.g. updating, deleting, selecting, etc.) at least a portion of a database. For example, the user command may be in the form of one or more Structured Query Language (SQL) statements, such as a Data manipulation language (DML) statement that includes a sequence of one or more SQL statements that are treated as a unit such that either all of the statements are performed, or none of them are. To this end, the user command may indicate the database, table, rows, etc. to be modified as well as the particular modification to be performed.