Method of operating a distributed databse based on object ownership and transaction classification utilizing an aggressive reverse one phase commit protocol

Claim 1

A method of updating data in a distributed database residing at each of plural sites, each of the plural sites being independently operable and using the data in the distributed database for the operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing from a transaction coordinator to one or more of the plural sites a transaction for acting on the data in the distributed database; (b) attempting at each of the plural sites to which a transaction is provided to execute the provided transaction as soon as the transaction is received; (c) using at each of the plural sites the distributed database whether or not the transaction was carried out correctly or not at all by any of the plural sites; (d) operating the transaction coordinator as if the transaction had been carried out correctly at each of the plural sites to which the transaction was provided until a contrary indication has been received by the transaction coordinator; (e) providing to the transaction coordinator a fault indication from any of the plural sites to which the transaction was provided when the transaction was not executed correctly or at all.

Claim 2

A method of updating data in a distributed database residing at each of plural sites, each of the plural sites being independently operable and using the data in the distributed database for the operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing from a transaction coordinator to one or more of the plural sites a transaction for acting on the data in the distributed database; (b) attempting at each of the plural sites to which a transaction is provided to execute the provided transaction as soon as the transaction is received; (c) using at each of the plural sites the distributed database whether or not the transaction was carried out correctly or not at all by any of the plural sites; (d) operating the transaction coordinator as if the transaction had been carried out correctly at each of the plural sites to which the transaction was provided until a contrary indication has been received by the transaction coordinator; (e) providing to the transaction coordinator a fault indication from any of the plural sites to which the transaction was provided when the transaction was not executed correctly or at all.

Claim 6

A method of maintaining a distributed database at plural independently operable sites each of which independently use the entire distributed database for its operation, the method comprising the steps of: (a) defining plural transactions, each of the transactions comprising the identification of a transaction coordinator and one or more actions which act on the data in the distributed database at one or more of the plural sites; (b) receiving at the one of the plural sites identified as a transaction coordinator a transactions provided by one of the plural sites; (c) providing from the transaction coordinator the received transaction to each of the other of the plural sites; (d) attempting at the other plural sites to which the transaction is provided to execute the provided transaction; (e) transmitting from each of the other plural sites to which the transaction was provided a commit status report to the transaction coordinator indicating whether or not the transaction was executed or executed without error; (f) continuing at each of the plural sites to use the distributed database regardless of whether or not the transaction was executed or executed without error; and (g) storing at the transaction coordinator (i) the identities of the other plural sites to which the transaction was provided, (ii) the identities of the other plural sites from which commit status reports were not received, and (iii) the commit status reports.

Claim 7

A method of maintaining a distributed database at plural independently operable sites each of which independently use the entire distributed database for its operation, the method comprising the steps of: (a) defining plural transactions, each of the transactions comprising the identification of a transaction coordinator and one or more actions which act on the data in the distributed database at one or more of the plural sites; (b) receiving at the one of the plural sites identified as a transaction coordinator a transactions provided by one of the plural sites; (c) providing from the transaction coordinator the received transaction to each of the other of the plural sites; (d) attempting at the other plural sites to which the transaction is provided to execute the provided transaction; (e) transmitting from each of the other plural sites to which the transaction was provided a commit status report to the transaction coordinator indicating whether or not the transaction was executed or executed without error; (f) continuing at each of the plural sites to use the distributed database regardless of whether or not the transaction was executed or executed without error; and (g) storing at the transaction coordinator (i) the identities of the other plural sites to which the transaction was provided, (ii) the identities of the other plural sites from which commit status reports were not received, and (iii) the commit status reports.

Claim 18

A method of operating a distributed database at plural independently operable sites, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a local database at each of the plural sites, each local database including local data that is not shared with others of the plural sites and shared data that is shared with others of the plural sites; (b) defining plural transactions comprising one or more actions which act on the shared data in the distributed database at one or more of the plural sites; (c) selectively classifying the plural transactions into plural classes, each of the transaction classes having common characteristics; and (d) acting on the shared data by attempting to execute the transactions in one of the transaction classes.

Claim 19

A method of operating a distributed database at plural independently operable sites, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a local database at each of the plural sites, each local database including local data that is not shared with others of the plural sites and shared data that is shared with others of the plural sites; (b) defining plural transactions comprising one or more actions which act on the shared data in the distributed database at one or more of the plural sites; (c) selectively classifying the plural transactions into plural classes, each of the transaction classes having common characteristics; and (d) acting on the shared data by attempting to execute the transactions in one of the transaction classes.

Claim 26

A method of maintaining consistency of data at each of plural sites in a distributed database where each of the plural sites are independently operable and use the data in the distributed database for operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) defining a transaction for acting on the data in the distributed database; (b) providing the transaction to the plural sites for execution; (c) attempting to execute the transaction at each of the plural sites as soon as the transaction is received; (d) reporting from each of the plural sites whether the transaction was executed without error, or executed with error, or not executed; (e) using the distributed database at the plural sites regardless of whether the transaction was executed without error, or executed with error, or not executed; and (f) attempting to correct the data in the distributed database responsive to the reports from the plural sites.

Claim 27

A method of maintaining consistency of data at each of plural sites in a distributed database where each of the plural sites are independently operable and use the data in the distributed database for operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) defining a transaction for acting on the data in the distributed database; (b) providing the transaction to the plural sites for execution; (c) attempting to execute the transaction at each of the plural sites as soon as the transaction is received; (d) reporting from each of the plural sites whether the transaction was executed without error, or executed with error, or not executed; (e) using the distributed database at the plural sites regardless of whether the transaction was executed without error, or executed with error, or not executed; and (f) attempting to correct the data in the distributed database responsive to the reports from the plural sites.

Claim 29

A method of updating data at plural electrical power distribution control centers that are connected to a distributed database, each of the plural control centers being independently operable and using the data in the distributed database for operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a transaction for acting on the data in the distributed database from a control center coordinator to the plural control centers; (b) attempting to execute the transaction at each of the plural control centers as soon as the transaction is received; (c) using the distributed database at the plural control centers whether the transaction was carried out correctly or not, or not at all; (d) operating the control center coordinator as if the transaction had been carried out correctly at the plural control centers, until a contrary indication is received; (e) indicating from the plural control centers to the control center coordinator when the transaction was not executed correctly, or not at all.

Claim 30

A method of updating data at plural electrical power distribution control centers that are connected to a distributed database, each of the plural control centers being independently operable and using the data in the distributed database for operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a transaction for acting on the data in the distributed database from a control center coordinator to the plural control centers; (b) attempting to execute the transaction at each of the plural control centers as soon as the transaction is received; (c) using the distributed database at the plural control centers whether the transaction was carried out correctly or not, or not at all; (d) operating the control center coordinator as if the transaction had been carried out correctly at the plural control centers, until a contrary indication is received; (e) indicating from the plural control centers to the control center coordinator when the transaction was not executed correctly, or not at all.

Claim 33

A method of maintaining consistency of data at each of plural control centers in an electrical distribution system where each of the plural control centers are connected to a distributed database and use data in the distributed database for operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) defining a transaction for acting on the distributed database, the transaction definition including an owner of the transaction and the identity of the control centers that share the transaction; (b) providing the transaction to the identified control centers for execution; (c) attempting to execute the transaction at the identified control centers upon receipt when, the transaction is insertion of the transaction, deletion of the transaction, deletion of identified control centers, and only when the transaction is provided from the transaction owner, the transaction is an update of the transaction and the transaction is provided from any of the identified control centers; (d) reporting from each of the identified control centers whether the transaction was executed without error, or executed with error, or not executed; (e) using the distributed database at the identified control centers regardless of whether the transaction was executed without error, or executed with error, or not executed.

Claim 34

A method of maintaining consistency of data at each of plural control centers in an electrical distribution system where each of the plural control centers are connected to a distributed database and use data in the distributed database for operation thereof, the method comprising the steps of: (a) defining a transaction for acting on the distributed database, the transaction definition including an owner of the transaction and the identity of the control centers that share the transaction; (b) providing the transaction to the identified control centers for execution; (c) attempting to execute the transaction at the identified control centers upon receipt when, the transaction is insertion of the transaction, deletion of the transaction, deletion of identified control centers, and only when the transaction is provided from the transaction owner, the transaction is an update of the transaction and the transaction is provided from any of the identified control centers; (d) reporting from each of the identified control centers whether the transaction was executed without error, or executed with error, or not executed; (e) using the distributed database at the identified control centers regardless of whether the transaction was executed without error, or executed with error, or not executed.