Database system providers commonly offer technical support to their customers. As part of this support, the providers assist customers in troubleshooting problems that arise in customer databases, for example, when a SQL query fails. SQL is the dominant language for managing information in relational databases.
Troubleshooting a failed query can be difficult, since it is often necessary to attempt to reproduce the problem, possibly in the system provider's laboratory. This may require the system provider to retrieve from the customer the definitions of any objects associated with the query, including definitions of objects that are in turn referenced by these definitions. It also may require capturing configuration information regarding the computer system and a statistical view of data in the database.
To obtain the definitions, the technical support provider typically identifies each database object associated with the query, for example as a table or a view. The provider then executes an appropriate SQL command for the object, which returns the object definition. For example, in the Teradata Active Data Warehousing System, available from NCR Corporation, a SHOW TABLE command returns the definition of a table in the form of the data definition language (DDL) necessary to create the table. Similarly, the SHOW VIEW, SHOW MACRO, SHOW TRIGGER, and SHOW JOIN INDEX commands return the definitions of those database objects. The database object definitions are stored in a data dictionary (DD). The provider then identifies each object referenced within the retrieved definition, obtains definitions for those objects, and repeats the process. This continues until the provider believes that all of the necessary object definitions have been obtained. For some database objects, such as triggers and join indexes, the association of the database object with the query may only become apparent upon examination of the data dictionary.
The definitions may then be transferred to a computer in the system provider's laboratory. Possible difficulties arise when insufficient object definitions are obtained, either by the provider or by the customer, either of whom may have insufficiently stated or understood the problem. The provider may discover that definitions were not obtained for objects referenced in the definition of another object, in which case additional information must be obtained from the customer's database system. In a situation such as this, it may take multiple contacts with the customer over a period of several days to obtain the necessary information. Such multiple contacts may produce customer dissatisfaction with the service provided. Furthermore, the customer may alter one or more object definitions between the time the customer identifies the problem and the time the definitions are gathered. If the customer's alterations eliminate the problem, the service provider may spend a great deal of time trying to solve a problem that no longer exists using the gathered definitions.