Patent ID: 6996581

Claim:
A method for generating and maintaining database instances in accordance with a template, said method comprising: creating the template based on design information, said creating the template implemented by a template manager; identifying N database instances upon said creating the template, each of the N instances not having been generated and having a status of Draft, said N at least 2; storing the template in a template manager database, said storing the template implemented by the template manager; generating the N instances based on the template and on control information for the N instances, said control information including configuration control information, said configuration control information identifying N locations corresponding to the N instances, said generating the N instances implemented by the template manager, said generated N instances having a status of Created because said N instances have been generated; storing the N instances in the template manager database, said storing the N instances implemented by the template manager; transmitting the N instances to the corresponding N locations, said transmitting the N instances implemented by the template manager; refreshing M instances of the N instances based on update control information, said M less than N, said refreshing the M instances implemented by the template manager, said refreshed M instances having a status of Refreshed because said M instances have been refreshed, leaving a remaining N−M instances of the N instances still having the status of Created; transmitting the M refreshed instances to the corresponding M locations, said transmitting the M instances implemented by the template manager; and generating a view, said generated view being a table, said generated view identifying the refreshed M instances as having the status of Refreshed and identifying the remaining N−M instances as having the status of Created.