Reliable database administration arrangement

An apparatus comprising:

• a database having a plurality of modifiable portions having a first format;
• a plurality of storage means connected to the database, each corresponding with a different one of the database portions, each for storing records of modifications made to the corresponding database portion;
• memory means connected to the database for storing a plurality of boot copies of the database portions, each boot copy corresponding with a different one of the database portions and having a second format different from the first format;
• means connected to the plurality of storage means and responsive to modification of a database portion, for making a record of the modification in the storage means corresponding to the modified database portion;
• and
• means connected to the plurality of storage means and to the memory means, responsive to a request from a requester for a cache copy of a database portion, for sending to the requester the boot copy of the requested portion and the modifications presently recorded in the storage means corresponding to the requested portion.

A distributed system comprising:

• a plurality of system portions interconnected for communications;
• a database having a plurality of portions and stored in a first system portion, the database portions having a first format;
• cache copies of the database portions stored in a plurality of the system portions, the cache copies having a second format;
• means connected to the database in the first system portion for making changes in the database portions;
• a plurality of storage means in the first system portion each corresponding with a different one of the database portions, each for storing records of changes made to the corresponding database portion;
• a plurality of boot copies of the database portions stored in the first system portion, each corresponding with a different one of the database portions, the boot copies having the second format;
• means connected to the plurality of storage means in the first system portion and responsive to the change making means, for making a record of a change in a database portion in the storage means corresponding to the modified database portion, and for notifying of the change the system portion at which a cache copy of the database portion is located;
• means connected to the plurality of boot copies in the first system portion, for occasionally regenerating a boot copy to reflect in the boot copy changes that are presently recorded in the storage means corresponding to a same database portion as the boot copy, and for deleting from that storage means the records of the changes that were reflected in the regenerated boot copy;
• and
• means located at the first system portion and responsive to a request from a system portion for a new cache copy of a database portion, for sending to the requesting system portion the boot copy of the requested portion and the changes presently recorded in the storage means corresponding to the requested portion.

A method of administering a database by a database manager means, the database having plurality of modifiable portions, the portions having a first format, comprising the steps of:

• generating boot copies of the database portions, the boot copies having a second format;
• modifying a database portion;
• storing a record of the modification;
• and
• sending to a requester the boot copy of a requested portion and the presently-stored records of modifications made to the requested portion, in response to a request from the requester for the database portion.

A method of administering a database by a database manager means, the database having a plurality of modifiable portions, comprising the steps of:

• (A) making a boot copy of each of the database portions, the database portions having a first format and the boot copies having a second format different from the first format;
• (B) modifying a database portion;
• (C) making a record of the modification in a storage means corresponding to the modified database portion;
• (D) repeating steps B and C;
• and
• (E) in response to a request from a requester for a database portion, sending to the requester the boot copy of the requested portion and the modifications presently recorded in the storage means corresponding to the requested portion.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for modifying a database having a plurality of modifiable portions;
• means for storing records of modifications made to the database portions;
• means for occasionally generating and storing boot copies of the database portions;
• and
• means responsive to a request from a requester for a database portion, for sending to the requester the stored boot copy of the requested database portion and the stored records of modifications that have been made to the requested database portion since the stored boot copy was generated.

A method of administering a database by a database manager means, the database having a plurality of modifiable portions, comprising the steps of:

• occasionally generating and storing boot copies of the database portions;
• modifying a database portion;
• storing a record of the modification;
• and
• sending to a requester the stored boot copy of a requester database portion and the stored records of modifications that have been made to the requested database portion since the stored boot copy was generated, in response to a request from the requester for the database portion.