Patent ID: 8041674

Claim:
A data processing method for use in a database management system comprising a plurality of database management units for accessing data areas respectively allocated to the plurality of database management units by transactions, and for creating a replica database by recording update logs generated by the transactions wherein the transactions become valid upon being recorded in one or more of the update logs, wherein the database management system further comprises a replica database management unit that manages the replica database, an extraction unit that extracts update information and synchronous information for creating the replica database from the update logs, and an import unit that causes the replica database management unit to import the extracted update information into the replica database, the data processing method comprising the steps of: creating the synchronous information in response to a synchronous point obtainment command which establishes a synchronous point at which each transaction is designated as valid if the transaction is completed in every database management unit and invalid if it is not completed in every database management unit, said synchronous information being indicative of said synchronous point; recording the synchronous information in the update logs at a timing at which at least one of the transactions generated is valid in every database management unit and all other transactions are invalid in every database management unit; extracting from the update logs at a predetermined timing, with the extraction unit, the update information, for the transactions that were valid at the timing of recording the synchronous information and transactions that become valid between the timing of recording the synchronous information and the predetermined timing, and the synchronous information; storing the extracted synchronous information and update information in a queue; referring to the extracted synchronous information and update information; transmitting the update information to the replica database management unit as a replication transaction when the update information is referred to; setting each of the replication transactions in the replica database management unit to be valid at a timing of the synchronous information when the synchronous information is referred to; and exporting the update information in the replica database management unit.