Efficient deletion of archived data
A method and apparatus for deleting archived data are disclosed. Identification keys of archived data objects to be deleted from a database are requested. At least one data object identified in response to a request for the identification keys is deleted while additional identification keys of data objects to be deleted are requested.
1. A method, comprising:
a) assigning an identifier for a data object and storing said identifier, said data object stored in a database;
b) providing said identifier in response to a request requesting one or more identifiers of one or more data objects to be deleted, locking said identifier, and confirming that content of an archived version of said data object corresponds to said data object's content; and,
c) deleting said data object from said database and deleting said identifier.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising marking said data object as available for deletion after said version of said data object has been archived.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said storing of said identifier further comprises storing said identifier into a relational database.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining if a computing system that uses information stored in said database is currently sufficiently under-utilized to permit performing a), b) and c).
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeatedly performing the following:
issuing a request to a software module that performs said storing and said locking, said request requesting one or more identifiers of data objects marked for deletion and deleting a corresponding one or more data objects identified by said one or more identifiers.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the number of said one or more identifiers is limited to a value specified by an administrator.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein said one or more data objects are within the same logical partition of said database.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
ai) assigning and storing a second identifier for a second data object, said second data object stored in a database;
bi) locking said identifier and confirming that content of an archived version of said second data object corresponds to said second data object's content; and,
ci) deleting said second data object from said database.
wherein bi) is performed in parallel with c).
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising limiting the number of parallel deleting operations to a value specified by an administrator.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said data object is formatted according to an XML format.
11. An article of manufacture comprising program code stored on a machine readable medium, said program code able to be processed by a machine, said program code being organized into:
a first module comprising first program code that when processed by said machine perform a first method, comprising:
assigning an identifier for a data object and storing said identifier, said data object stored in a database;
providing said identifier in response to a request made by a second module requesting one or more identifiers of one or more data objects to be deleted, locking said identifier;
a second module comprising second program code that when processed by said machine performs a second method, comprising:
confirming that content of an archived version of said data object corresponds to said data object's content;
deleting said data object;
wherein said first method also includes deleting said identifier after said confirming.
12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein said first method further comprises:
receiving a request from said second software module, said request requesting the identity of data objects marked for deletion;
responding to said request by providing to said second software module one or more identifiers identifying a corresponding one or more data objects marked for deletion.
13. The article of manufacture of claim 12 wherein said first method further comprises limiting the number of said one or more identifiers to a value specified by an administrator.
14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein said first method is written to permit said first module to comprehend that said one or more data objects are within the same logical partition of said database.
15. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein said second method further comprises repeatedly issuing requests for the identity of data objects marked for deletion.
16. An article of manufacture comprising program code stored on a machine readable medium, said program code to implement a method when processed by a machine, said method comprising:
a) assigning an identifier for a data object and storing said identifier, said data object stored in a database;
b) providing said identifier in response to a request requesting one or more identifiers of one or more data objects to be deleted, locking said identifier, and confirming that content of an archived version of said data object corresponds to said data object's content; and,
c) deleting said data object from said database and deleting said identifier.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising marking said data object as available for deletion after said version of said data object has been archived.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein said storing of said identifier further comprises storing said identifier into a relational database.
19. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining if a computing system that uses information stored in said database is currently sufficiently under-utilized to permit performing a), b) and c).
20. The method of claim 16 further comprising repeatedly performing the following:
issuing a request to a software module that performs said storing and said locking, said request requesting one or more identifiers of data objects marked for deletion and deleting a corresponding one or more data objects identified by said one or more identifiers.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the number of said one or more identifiers is limited to a value specified by an administrator.
22. The method of claim 20 wherein said one or more data objects are within the same logical partition of said database.
23. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
ai) assigning and storing a second identifier for a second data object, said second data object stored in a database;
bi) locking said identifier and confirming that content of an archived version of said second data object corresponds to said second data object's content; and,
ci) deleting said second data object from said database.
wherein bi) is performed in parallel with c).
24. The method of claim 16 further comprising limiting the number of parallel deleting operations to a value specified by an administrator.
25. The method of claim 16 wherein said data object is formatted according to an XML format.