Understanding Data Replication

You are currently viewing Understanding Data Replication
Understanding Data Replication

UNDERSTANDING THE DATA REPLICATION: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ITS METHODS, SCHEMES, AND PROCESS

Nowadays, organizations are looking for methods and tools to replicate their database to improve data availability and accessibility, especially at any disaster. In addition, the replicated copies act as the backup improving system reliability and resilience. 

But what is data replication? When it comes to Data Replication, it refers to a process that is carried out to store and maintain several copies of the data initially residing on the physical or virtual servers or cloud to the secondary servers or cloud. 

Here in this article, we have mentioned the methods, schemes, and how data replication can be carried out in the organization.

What are the Data Replication Methods?

There are three main methods for replicating data, and these are explained as follows:

1. Full table Replication: 

In this method, everything is copied from the data source to the destined place, whether the data is newly updated or existing. The full table replication method is useful in case records are hard deleted from the source regularly or if the primary source is not equipped with a suitable column for key-based replication. 

However, this particular method requires more processing power and increases the load on the networks than copying only altered data. In addition, now that this method copies a large amount of data, the cost of its maintenance increases.

2. Key-based incremental Replication:

This data replication method, also called key-based incremental data capture, only replicates some data. Key-based incremental replication is the method that updates the altered data since the last update. This data replication method is considered more cost and space-efficient than the full table replication method as fewer rows of data are replicated each time. However, this method cannot replicate hard-deleted data because when the record is deleted, the key-value also gets deleted.

3. Log-based incremental replication:

This data replication method is a special case of replication as it applies only to the database sources. The information received from the database log is based on which incremental replication makes the copies of data. This data replication method is the most efficient one out of the three mentioned methods. This method works at its full potential if the structure of the source database is relatively static. However, the configuration of the log-based system is to be updated in case of the addition or deletion of the columns or data changes which can be a time and resource-consuming process. 

What are the data replication schemes?

The organizations can perform the data replication process by following the particular scheme to move the data. The primary purpose of the below-mentioned schemes is to dictate how an organization can replicate the data helping it meet its business needs.

  • Full database replication:

In the full database replication scheme, the entire database is replicated to be used by multiple hosts. The level of data redundancy and availability provided is high. Let’s take an example to understand the scheme better. In the case of international enterprises, this scheme helps the users in Asia access the same data as their South African counterparts at a similar speed. If there is a problem with the Asia-based servers, the users can access the same data from their South African servers as a backup. 

  • Partial replication:

The data is divided into two parts when using the partial replication scheme. Each section is stored in different locations according to its importance. Mobilized workforces, including financial planners, insurance adjusters, salespeople, etc., should better use partial replication as a scheme for replicating the data. These workers can carry partial databases on their laptops or any other devices and thus synchronize the databases with the main server after certain intervals. 

Mentioning the Data Replication Process:

Now that you know what Data Replication means, it is time to discuss the data replication process. The Daton Data Replication tool can help the organization effortlessly replicate data from the primary data storage unit. 

No matter what third-party tool is used for data replication, the general process of replicating data into secondary storage units remains the same.

Following mentioned are the steps an organization needs to carry out for a smooth data replication process:

Step 1: The first step in the data replication process is identifying the desired data source and the destination system where the organization wants to store the replicated data.

Step 2: Once the organization determines the desired data source and destination system, it’s time to copy the desired database tables and records from the primary source of the database.

Step 3: In the third step, the user needs to fix the frequency of updates. In simple words, the user needs to decide how frequently the data will be refreshed.

Step 4: Now that the user has decided on data replication frequency, the organization must choose the desired data replication mechanism. There are three different data replication mechanisms- key-based incremental replication, log-based incremental replication, and full table replication. 

Step 5: Now, the user can either develop the custom code snippets or use third-party data integration and replication tools like Daton to carry out the data replication process. 

Step 6: During the data replication process, it is essential to monitor how data is extracted, filtered, transformed, and loaded to ensure the quality of the data and seamless completion of the entire process. 

Bottom Line

If your organization is looking forward to replicating data, consider using the daton as a third-party tool. The tool provided by Saras Analytics allows organizations to seamlessly replicate data from different database sources, files, or documents without the need for data engineers to write a single line of code. 


Author Bio: With experience in a News Media company for many years with Journalistic Touch and knowledge of creating and recreating information into News and now serving to ‘The Next Hint’ to serve people with right and original Content.
Linkedin | Facebook | Twitter

Understanding Data Replication

eCommerce FAQs

Passionate advocate for digital inclusivity, leading the charge at Understanding eCommerce to provide web accessibility solutions for businesses and organizations. Committed to making the online world accessible to all.