Patent ID: 6523036
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for incrementally scaling a database server system on which a database is served, comprisingstoring a plurality of database instances on a first server cluster comprising at least two computer servers, each having a duplicate copy of said database instance, said database instance comprising a database server application and data corresponding to the database, including metadata that defines a structure of the database and table data upon which database transactions are performed; adding a second server cluster comprising at least two computer servers, each computer having installed thereon an instance of the database server application and the metadata; migrating a portion of the table data from the first server cluster to the second server cluster by moving the portion of table data from each of said at least two computer servers in the first server cluster to said at least two computer servers in the second cluster while enabling database transactions on other portions of the table data remaining on the first server cluster, each of said at least two computer servers in the second cluster containing identical table data after the portion of the table data is migrated; and enabling database transactions across both the first and second clusters after the portion of table data has been migrated to said at least two computer servers in the second server cluster.