System for reducing overhead of validating constraints in a database

Abstract

System for reducing the overhead of validating constraints in a database are provided. A target table and a source table are provided. The source table includes data to be loaded into the target table. Data is loaded into the target table from the source table including eliminating any logic to validate a constraint defined on the target table based on one or more pre-determined conditions.

1 . A computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium for loading data from a source table to a target table, the product comprising program instructions executed by a programmable processor to:
 provide a target table;   provide a source table, the source table including data to be loaded into the target table; and   load data into the target table from the source table including instructions to eliminate any logic to validate a constraint defined on the target table in response to one or more pre-determined conditions being met, the eliminating of any logic including not adding on the target table the logic to validate the constraint defined on the target table and wherein the logic is eliminated while keeping the constraints defined on the target table, the one or more pre-determined conditions including:
 verification that the constraint defined on the target table includes a similar definition to a similar constraint defined on the source table, and 
 determination that the data has been validated prior to validating the constraint on the target table, the prior validation being against the similar constraint defined on the source table. 
   
   
   
       2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint is one of a check constraint, a referential integrity constraint, a generated column, or an enforced functional dependency. 
   
   
       3 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more pre-determined conditions include instructions to:
 verify that data from a column of the source table involved in the constraint is to be inserted into a corresponding column of the target table that is involved in the similar constraint definition on the target table; and   verify that the data in the column of the source table is not modified during loading of the data.   
   
   
       4 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more pre-determined conditions include instructions to:
 verify that a referential integrity constraint defined between two target tables is similar to a referential integrity constraint defined between two source tables;   verify that data from one or more columns of the source tables is to be inserted into the corresponding columns of the target tables and a parent-child relationship of the referential integrity constraint is similar between the source tables and the target tables; and   verify that the data in the columns from one or more columns of the source tables involved in the constraint are not modified during loading of the data.   
   
   
       5 . The computer program product of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions to eliminate any logic to validate a constraint defined on the target table based on one or more pre-determined conditions further include instructions to verify that corresponding parent and child table rows which satisfy the referential constraint between the two source tables are loaded together in an appropriate order with no relevant data modifying operations defined on the two target tables during loading of the data. 
   
   
       6 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to eliminate any logic to validate a constraint defined on the target table based include instructions to remove pre-existing logic to validate the constraint. 
   
   
       7 . A database management system comprising:
 a target table;   a source table including data to be loaded into the target table; and   constraint validation logic operable to eliminate any logic to validate a constraint defined on the target table in response to one or more pre-determined conditions being met during loading of the data from the source table into the target table, the eliminating of any logic including not adding on the target table the logic to validate the constraint defined on the target table and wherein the logic is eliminated while keeping the constraints defined on the target table, the one or more pre-determined conditions including
 verification that the constraint defined on the target table includes a similar definition to a similar constraint defined on the source table, and 
 determination that the data has been validated prior to validating the constraint on the target table, the prior validation being against the similar constraint defined on the source table. 
   
   
   
       8 . The database management system of  claim 7 , wherein the constraint is one of a check constraint, a referential integrity constraint, a generated column, or an enforced functional dependency. 
   
   
       9 . The database management system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more pre-determined conditions includes verifying that data from a column of the source table involved in the constraint is to be inserted into a corresponding column of the target table that is involved in the similar constraint definition on the target table, and verifying that the data in the column of the source table is not modified during loading of the data. 
   
   
       10 . The database management system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more pre-determined conditions comprises:
 verifying that a referential integrity constraint defined between two target tables is similar to a referential integrity constraint defined between two source tables;   verifying that data from one or more columns of the source tables is to be inserted into the corresponding columns of the target tables and a parent-child relationship of the referential integrity constraint is similar between the source tables and the target tables; and   verifying that the data in the columns from one or more columns of the source tables involved in the constraint are not modified during loading of the data.   
   
   
       11 . The database management system of  claim 10 , wherein the constrain validation logic further verifies that corresponding parent and child table rows which satisfy the referential constraint between the two source tables are loaded together in an appropriate order with no relevant data modifying operations defined on the two target tables during loading of the data. 
   
   
       12 . The database management system of  claim 7 , wherein the constraint validation logic is operable to eliminate any logic to validate a constraint defined on the target table by removing pre-existing logic to validate the constraint. 
   
   
       13 . The database management system of  claim 7 , wherein the source table and the target table are associated with a relational database.