Patent ID: 8326808

Claim:
An information processing method for verifying a hierarchical database, comprising: in response to reading a root anchor point (RAP) stored in the hierarchical database, generating a first pointer record comprising a first RAP identification value, determined from a storage location of the RAP, associated with pointer information retained at the RAP; in response to reading a root segment in the hierarchical database, generating a segment record and a second pointer record, wherein the segment record comprises a second RAP identification associated with a retention address of the root segment, the second RAP identification value calculated by a calculation module, the calculation module calculating, for the root segment in the hierarchical database, the second RAP identification value identifying a RAP which points to the root segment, wherein the second pointer record comprises the second RAP identification value associated with pointer information retained in the root segment pointing to a twin segment thereof; and verifying a consistency of a chain formed in the hierarchical database from the RAP to the root segment by comparing the segment record with the first and second pointer records, wherein the verifying the consistency further comprises: determining that the chain is inconsistent in the case where a mismatch between the RAP identification values is found for the segment record and the first pointer record whose retention address and pointer information coincide with each other; and determining that the chain is inconsistent in the case where a mismatch between the RAP identification values is found for the segment record and the second pointer record whose retention address and pointer information coincide with each other.