System and method for arranging database restoration data for efficient data recovery in transaction processing systems

A method for collating database recovery information on an external storage media on a per-transaction basis in a transaction processing system having one or more host processors and a database, wherein the database recovery information includes valid database records which are used to restore the database to a previously valid condition upon recognition of one or more database storage media errors;

• the method comprising:
• (a) requesting execution of a plurality of database transactions from user terminals to one or more of the host processors;
• (b) creating a transaction memory structure for each of the database transactions, wherein each of the transaction memory structures include a transaction identifier and a pointer to a unique storage bank designated for each of the database transactions;
• (c) chronologically storing database records resulting from each of the database transactions in their respective ones of the storage banks;
• (d) queuing the database records from the storage banks associated with completed database transactions in an order that the database transactions were completed;
• and
• (e) transferring the queued database records to the external storage media, whereby the queued database records are grouped according to transaction in the order that the database transactions were completed.

A memory architecture for allowing transaction recovery information to be arranged according to transaction, wherein the transaction recovery information includes previously valid database information used to restore the database to a valid state upon the occurrence of a transaction failure, the memory architecture comprising:

• (a) a plurality of storage modules, wherein each of the storage modules stores the transaction recovery information associated with a distinct one of the transactions;
• and
• (b) a plurality of memory structures each corresponding to a distinct one of the transactions to isolate accessibility of the transaction recovery information associated with the distinct one of the transactions to the corresponding memory structure, each memory structure comprising:
• (i) a control information field to store a transaction identifier that identifies the distinct transaction to which it corresponds;
• and
• (ii) at least one information address field to store a pointer to the storage module that stores the transaction recovery information associated with the transaction identifier;
• (c) a storage queue to collectively store each of the memory structures in an order in which each of the transactions is completed;
• and
• (d) a storage media to consecutively store the contents of the storage modules corresponding to the completed transactions by receiving contents of the queue in the order that each of the transactions is completed.