Synchronizing recovery log having time stamp to a remote site for disaster recovery of a primary database having related hierarchial and relational databases

Claim 3

The method recited in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the hierarchial records to the remote site independent from the transmission of the relational database.

Claim 4

The method recited in claim 2, further comprising maintaining a hierarchial database in real time at the remote site that shadows the primary site hierarchial database.

Claim 5

The method recited in claim 3, further comprising: (a) continually comparing, in sequence by time stamp, the time stamp for each hierarchial record to a last entered time stamp for a relational record; and (b) processing recovery log records: (1) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is ≦ to the last entered time stamp for the relational record, processing the hierarchial record and selecting a next hierarchial record for comparison; (2) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is not ≦ to the last entered time stamp for the relational record, requesting a new last entered time stamp for a relational record; (i) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is ≦ the new last entered time stamp for the relational record, processing the hierarchial record and selecting a next hierarchial record; (ii) if no new time stamp is received within a specified period of time, periodically requesting a new last entered time stamp for a relational record until a new last entered time stamp for a relational record is obtained; and (iii) suspending hierarchial record processing until a new last entered time stamp for a relational record is obtained.

Claim 6

The method recited in claim 4, further comprising truncating a recovery log when a primary site disaster occurs at a point in time substantially coinciding with the last time stamp used for processing recovery log records.

Claim 7

The method recited in claim 5, further comprising: truncating first the hierarchial records at the point in time; reporting a truncation time; and then truncating the relational records at the truncation time.

Claim 8

The method recited in claim 6, further comprising processing the hierarchial and the relational records entered into the recovery logs and having an earlier time stamp than the truncation time.

Claim 9

The method recited in claim 7, further comprising maintaining a primary site, the primary site including a database and logs, the logs comprising updated records to be transferred to the database, the database including related hierarchial and relational databases, the remote site including recovery logs and a recovery database, the recovery database including related hierarchial and relational databases, the recovery logs comprising updated records to be transferred to the recovery database, the recovery site used to take over the database functions of the primary site if a disaster occurs at the primary site.

Claim 10

A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for synchronizing update recovery logs transmitted to a remote site for disaster recovery of a primary database having related hierarchial and relational databases, said method comprising: processing hierarchial records and relational records of the recovery logs wherein a time stamp of each hierarchial record is ≦ to a time stamp for a last entered relational record, and wherein a time stamp is used to mark a point in time and a hierarchial record reflects hierarchial database data and a relational record reflects relational database data.

Claim 11

A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for synchronizing update recovery logs transmitted to a remote site for disaster recovery of a primary database having related hierarchial and relational databases, said method comprising: processing hierarchial records and relational records of the recovery logs wherein a time stamp of each hierarchial record is ≦ to a time stamp for a last entered relational record, and wherein a time stamp is used to mark a point in time and a hierarchial record reflects hierarchial database data and a relational record reflects relational database data.

Claim 12

The medium recited in claim 9, the method further comprising transmitting the hierarchial records to the remote site independent from the transmission of the relational records.

Claim 13

The medium recited in claim 10, the method further comprising maintaining a hierarchial database in real time at the remote site that shadows the primary site hierarchial database.

Claim 14

The medium recited in claim 11, the method further comprising: (a) continually comparing, in sequence by time stamp, the time stamp for each hierarchial record to a last entered time stamp for a relational record; and (b) processing recovery log records: (1) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is ≦ to the last entered time stamp for the relational record, processing the hierarchial record and selecting a next hierarchial record for comparison; (2) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is not ≦ to the last entered time stamp for the relational record, requesting a new last entered time stamp for a relational record; (i) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is ≦ the new last entered time stamp for the relational record, processing the hierarchial record and selecting a next hierarchial record; (ii) if no new time stamp is received within a specified period of time, periodically requesting a new last entered time stamp for a relational record until a new last entered time stamp for a relational record is obtained; and (iii) suspending hierarchial record processing until a new last entered time stamp for a relational record is obtained.

Claim 15

The medium recited in claim 12, the method further comprising truncating a recovery log when a primary site disaster occurs at a point in time substantially coinciding with the last time stamp used for processing recovery log records.

Claim 16

The medium recited in claim 13, the method further comprising: truncating first the hierarchial records at the point in time; reporting a truncation time; and then truncating the relational records at the truncation time.

Claim 17

The medium recited in claim 14, the method further comprising processing the hierarchial and the relational records entered into the recovery logs and having an earlier time stamp than the truncation time.

Claim 18

The medium recited in claim 15, the method further comprising maintaining a primary site, the primary site including a database and logs, the logs comprising updated records to be transferred to the database, the database including related hierarchial and relational databases, the remote site including recovery logs and a recovery database, the recovery database including related hierarchial and relational databases, the recovery logs comprising updated records to be transferred to the recovery database, the recovery site used to take over the database functions of the primary site if a disaster occurs at the primary site.

Claim 21

The apparatus recited in claim 17, the processor further executing commands for transmitting the hierarchial records to the remote site independent from the transmission of the relational records.

Claim 22

The apparatus recited in claim 18, the processor further executing commands for maintaining a hierarchial database in real time at the remote site that shadows the primary site hierarchial database.

Claim 23

The apparatus recited in claim 19, the processor further executing commands for: (a) continually comparing, in sequence by time stamp, the time stamp for each hierarchial record to a last entered time stamp for a relational record; and (b) processing recovery log records: (1) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is ≦ to the last entered time stamp for the relational record, processing the hierarchial record and selecting a next hierarchial record for comparison; (2) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is not ≦ to the last entered time stamp for the relational record, requesting a new last entered time stamp for a relational record; (i) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is ≦ the new last entered time stamp for the relational record, processing the hierarchial record and selecting a next hierarchial record; (ii) if no new time stamp is received within a specified period of time, periodically requesting a new last entered time stamp for a relational record until a new last entered time stamp for a relational record is obtained; and (iii) suspending hierarchial record processing until a new last entered time stamp for a relational record is obtained.

Claim 24

The apparatus recited in claim 20, the processor further executing commands for truncating a recovery log when a primary site disaster occurs at a point in time substantially coinciding with the last time stamp used for processing recovery log records.

Claim 25

The apparatus recited in claim 21, the processor further executing commands for: truncating first the hierarchial records at the point in time; reporting a truncation time; and then truncating the relational records at the truncation time.

Claim 26

The apparatus recited in claim 22, the processor further executing commands for processing the hierarchial and the relational records entered into the recovery logs and having an earlier time stamp than the truncation time.

Claim 29

The apparatus recited in claim 24, including: (a) continually comparing, in sequence by time stamp, the time stamp for each hierarchial record to a last entered time stamp for a relational record; and (b) processing recovery log records: (1) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is ≦ to the last entered time stamp for the relational record, processing the hierarchial record and selecting a next hierarchial record for comparison; (2) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is not ≦ to the last entered time stamp for the relational record, requesting a new last entered time stamp for a relational record; (i) if the time stamp for the hierarchial record is ≦ the new last entered time stamp for the relational record, processing the hierarchial record and selecting a next hierarchial record; (ii) if no new time stamp is received within a specified period of time, periodically requesting a new last entered time stamp for a relational record until a new last entered time stamp for a relational record is obtained; and (iii) suspending hierarchial record processing until a new last entered time stamp for a relational record is obtained; and truncating a recovery log when a primary site disaster occurs at a point in time substantially coinciding with the last time stamp used for processing recovery log records.

Claim 30

The apparatus recited in claim 25 wherein the truncation means truncating first the hierarchial records at the point in time, reporting a truncation time, and then truncating the relational records at the truncation time.

Claim 31

The apparatus recited in claim 26, including a means for processing the hierarchial and the relational records entered into the recovery logs and having an earlier time stamp than the truncation time.