System and method for providing a fault-tolerant data warehouse environment

#The present invention relates generally to data storage systems, and in particular, to a method for providing fault-tolerant data warehousing.

#Generally described, most corporate and governmental entities utilize computer systems, computer networks, and integrated devices that generate vast amounts of electronic data. In some cases, data is generated, processed, and discarded after serving an intended purpose. In other cases, corporate, governmental, or other entities require that data be stored and maintained for future use. Such storage methods and systems may be generically referred to as “archival.” Accordingly, many data generating users look for storage solutions that correspond to the type and amount of data to be archived.

#A growing category of archival is known as data warehousing. Data warehousing refers to the various activities involved in the acquisition, management, and aggregation of data from various sources into a centralized repository, such as a database. The database may be hosted by one or more servers, at least some of which may be physically proximate. Additionally, the central data warehouse may be a virtualized central repository in which a number of distributed servers pool and share data. In a typical application, a data warehouse stores time-oriented data that may be gathered from disparate sources. Data warehousing may be distinguished from the broader category of data archival in that the data warehouse maintains the stored data in a static manner. Because warehoused data cannot be modified (only added to or deleted) it may be used for analysis over time or by type. The data warehouse may also include metadata used to organize and characterize the data. In addition to the ability to store and retrieve data, many database storage solutions also include some type of data restoration process or system that enable data recovery in the event of a hardware and/or software failure. This is generally referred to as storage recovery. One embodiment for storage recovery relates to “mirrored” storage solutions in which one or more identical, redundant data repositories are maintained to replicate, or mirror, the archived data contained in a primary repository. In the event some or all of the data is lost from the primary repository, one or more complete copies of the data exists in the mirrored storage repositories. Accordingly, mirrored storage solutions provide for data recovery in the event that the primary storage repository fails to replicate previously stored data. However, once the primary storage repository fails, the data warehouse cannot continue to collect new data. Accordingly, any new data transmitted to the data warehouse would be lost, or the data processing system may have to shut down.

#The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a representative portion of the Internet;

#FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrative of a premises including a premises server, monitoring devices, a number of databases, and a client computer in accordance with the present invention;

#As described above, aspects of the present invention may be embodied in a WWW or Web site accessible via the Internet. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the term “Internet” refers to the collection of networks and routers that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (“TCP/IP”) to communicate with one another. A representative section of the Internet 20 is shown in FIG. 1, where a plurality of local area networks (“LANs”) 24 and a WAN 26 are interconnected by routers 22. The routers 22 are special purpose computers used to interface one LAN or WAN to another. Communication links within the LANs may be wireless, twisted wire pair, coaxial cable, or optical fiber, while communication links between networks may utilize 56 Kbps analog telephone lines, 1 Mbps digital T-1 lines, 45 Mbps T-3 lines or other communications links known to those skilled in the art.

#Furthermore, computers 28 and other related electronic devices can be remotely connected to either the LANs 24 or the WAN 26 via a digital communications device, modem and temporary telephone, or a wireless link. It will be appreciated that the Internet 20 comprises a vast number of such interconnected networks, computers, and routers and that only a small, representative section of the Internet 20 is shown in FIG. 1.

#The Internet has recently seen explosive growth by virtue of its ability to link computers located throughout the world. As the Internet has grown, so has the WWW. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, the WWW is a vast collection of interconnected or “hypertext” documents written in HyperText Markup Language (“HTML”), or other markup languages, that are electronically stored at or dynamically generated by “WWW sites” or “Web sites” throughout the Internet. Additionally, client-side software programs that communicate over the Web using the TCP/IP protocol are part of the WWW, such as JAVA® applets, instant messaging, e-mail, browser plug-ins, Macromedia Flash, chat and others. Other interactive hypertext environments may include proprietary environments such as those provided in America Online or other online service providers, as well as the “wireless Web” provided by various wireless networking providers, especially those in the cellular phone industry. It will be appreciated that the present invention could apply in any such interactive communication environments, however, for purposes of discussion, the Web is used as an exemplary interactive hypertext environment with regard to the present invention.