Database management system based on a spreadsheet concept deployed in an object grid

• US 10,031,904 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cuomo, Gennaro A., Moore, Victor S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Shiow-Jy
• Application Number:
  US14/318,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20150378980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2237 Vectors, bitmaps or matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method for interacting with a database stored in an object grid is described. The database is given attributes of a spreadsheet. Elements stored in the database are represented and addressed as cells of a spreadsheet. Cells can store data objects, including formulas, and executable scripts. The spreadsheet can evaluate formulas, carry out the program instructions of executable scripts, and perform complex event processing. Interaction with the spreadsheet is accomplished through the use of structured data messages which include instructions, spreadsheet and cell addressing and, optionally, data elements.

Claims

1. A method comprising a database management system (a DBMS) configured to perform:

receiving from a user computer, a command message including at least a database identifier, a binary coded data component, a database command, a first row index, and a first column index;

computing a hash value based at least in part on the first row index and the first column index extracted from the command message;

indexing into a hash table, based at least in part on the hash value, to retrieve a corresponding partition of an object grid storage system comprising a plurality of storage servers including a destination storage server having a first object grid storage address;

sending the command message to the destination storage server identified by the corresponding partition of the object grid storage system; and

performing the database command with respect to the first object grid storage address;

on condition that the database command is a complex command;

retrieving data from the first object grid storage address,

sending the retrieved data to an external analysis engine,

receiving a result from the external analysis engine,

composing a return message including at least the result, and

sending the return message to the user computer;

wherein;

the first row index and the first column index, in combination, comprise a reference, resolvable to the first object grid storage address; and

the binary coded data component comprises one or more of;

(i) a computer file; and

(ii) executable code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the command message is formatted as a representational state transfer (REST) structured data message.

3. The method of claim 2, on condition that the database command is a WRITE command, further comprising:

writing, in an unchanged format, and at the first object grid storage address, the data of the binary coded data component of the command message;

wherein the unchanged format means a format of the binary coded data component of the command message is preserved at the first object grid storage address.

4. The method of claim 1, on condition that the database command is a READ command, further comprising:

retrieving data stored at the first object grid storage address;

composing a return message, including a data component comprising the retrieved data in an unchanged format; and

sending the return message to the user computer;

wherein the unchanged format means a format with which the retrieved data is stored at the first object grid storage address is preserved in the data component of the return message.

5. A computer program product comprising a database management system (a DBMS) and further comprising one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising instructions to perform:

receiving from a user computer, a command message including at least a database identifier, a database command, a binary coded data component, a first row index, and a first column index;

computing a hash value based at least in part on the first row index and the first column index extracted from the command message;

indexing into a hash table, based at least in part on the hash value, to retrieve a corresponding partition of an object grid storage system comprising a plurality of storage servers including a destination storage server having a first object grid storage address;

sending the command message to the destination storage server identified by the corresponding partition of the object grid storage system; and

performing the database command with respect to the first object grid storage address;

on condition that the database command is a complex command;

retrieving data from the first object grid storage address,

sending the retrieved data to an external analysis engine,

receiving a result from the external analysis engine,

composing a return message including at least the result, and

sending the return message to the user computer

wherein;

the first row index and the first column index, in combination, comprise a reference, resolvable to the first object grid storage address; and

the binary coded data component comprises one or more of;

(i) a computer file; and

(ii) executable code.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the command message is formatted as a representational state transfer (REST) structured data message.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, on condition that the database command is a WRITE command, further comprising program instructions comprising instructions to perform:

writing, in an unchanged format, and at the first object grid storage address, the data of the binary coded data component of the command message;

wherein the unchanged format means a format of the binary coded data component of the command message is preserved at the first object grid storage address.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, on condition that the database command is a READ command, further comprising program instructions comprising instructions to perform:

retrieving data stored at the first object grid storage address;

composing a return message, including a data component comprising the retrieved data in an unchanged format; and

sending the return message to the user computer;

wherein the unchanged format means a format with which the retrieved data is stored at the first object grid storage address is preserved in the data component of the return message.

9. A computer system comprising a database management system (a DBMS) and further comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising instructions to perform;

receiving from a user computer, a command message including at least a database identifier, a database command, a binary coded data component, a first row index, and a first column index,

computing a hash value based at least in part on the first row index and the first column index extracted from the command message,

indexing into a hash table, based at least in part on the hash value, to retrieve a corresponding partition of an object grid storage system comprising a plurality of storage servers including a destination storage server having a first object grid storage address,

sending the command message to the destination storage server identified by the corresponding partition of the object grid storage system, and

performing the database command with respect to the first object grid storage address,

on condition that the database command is a complex command;

retrieving data from the first object grid storage address,

sending the retrieved data to an external analysis engine,

receiving a result from the external analysis engine,

composing a return message including at least the result, and

sending the return message to the user computer,

wherein;

the first row index and the first column index, in combination, comprise a reference, resolvable to the first object grid storage address; and

the binary coded data component comprises one or more of;

(i) a computer file; and

(ii) executable code.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the command message is formatted as a representational state transfer (REST) structured data message.

11. The computer system of claim 10, on condition that the database command is a WRITE command, further comprising program instructions comprising instructions to perform:

writing, in an unchanged format, and at the first object grid storage address, the data of the binary coded data component of the command message;

wherein the unchanged format means a format of the binary coded data component of the command message is preserved at the first object grid storage address.

12. The computer system of claim 9, on condition that the database command is a READ command, further comprising program instructions comprising instructions to perform:

retrieving data stored at the first object grid storage address;

composing a return message, including a data component comprising the retrieved data in an unchanged format; and

sending the return message to the user computer;

wherein the unchanged format means a format with which the retrieved data is stored at the first object grid storage address is preserved in the data component of the return message.