Use of proxy objects for integration between a content management system and a case management system

• US 10,346,422 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Babich, Alan F., Marin, Mike A., Vo, Mimi P.
• Primary Examiner(s): McAtee, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US13/655,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20140114918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,455 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/184 implemented as replicated file system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor

Abstract

Provided are techniques for synchronization. In response to an event that modifies a real object at a first content management system, another event is triggered to perform an action to modify a corresponding proxy object at a second content management system. In response to an event that modifies a real object at the second content management system, another event is triggered to perform an action to modify a corresponding proxy object at the first content management system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a processor(s) set of first and second content management systems that executes first and second respective event infrastructures and that is programmed to improve query performance and file browsing performance across multiple content repositories while keeping the multiple content repositories operationally isomorphic without full data replication by;

designating the first content management system to store local proxy objects that represent real objects for root case instance folders stored and managed remotely by the second content management system, real objects for documents, and real objects for other folders in a first folder sub-hierarchy, where the local proxy objects (i) omit metadata and properties of the respective real objects for the root case instance folders, (ii) include a global identifier that provides an external reference to the respective real objects for the root case instance folders, and (iii) are controlled remotely according to a first set of synchronous remote procedure calls (S-RPCs) issued from the second event infrastructure of the second content management system, and where the first set of S-RPCs invoke and ensure completion of matching local case folder operations on the local proxy objects in synchronization with completion of remote root case instance folder operations performed on the real objects for the root case instance folders in the second content management system;

designating the second content management system to store the real objects for the root case instance folders, local proxy objects that represent the real objects for the documents stored remotely in the first content management system, and local proxy objects that represent the real objects for the other folders stored remotely in the first content management system in a second folder sub-hierarchy, where the respective local proxy objects (i) omit metadata and properties of the respective real objects for the documents and the respective real objects for the other folders, (ii) include a global identifier that provides an external reference to the respective real objects for the documents and the respective real objects for the other folders, and (iii) are controlled remotely according to a second set of synchronous remote procedure calls (S-RPCs) issued from the first event infrastructure of the first content management system, and where the second set of S-RPCs invoke and ensure completion of matching local document and local other folder operations in synchronization with completion of remote document and other folder operations performed on the real objects for the documents and the real objects for the other folders in the first content management system;

in response to receiving a first real-time operation to modify one of

     1) a real object for a document among the real objects for the documents and

     2) a real object for another folder among the real objects for the other folders, causing the first content management system to process the first real-time operation that results in triggering of a first S-RPC by the first event infrastructure of the first content management system that controls synchronous updating of the respective real object stored at the first content management system and of the corresponding respective proxy object stored at the second content management system under control of the first S-RPC issued by the first event infrastructure of the first content management system; and

in response to receiving a second real-time operation to modify a real object for a root case instance folder among the real objects for the root case instance folders, causing the second content management system to process the second real-time operation that results in triggering of a second S-RPC by the second event infrastructure of the second content management system that controls synchronous updating of the real object for the root case instance folder stored at the second content management system and of the corresponding proxy object of the root case instance folder stored at the first content management system under control of the second S-RPC issued by the second event infrastructure of the second content management system;

where distribution of the storage of the respective real objects and distribution of the synchronous control of updating of the respective proxy objects between the first and second content management systems provides automated computer-controlled device integration that improves the query performance and the file browsing performance while keeping the first and second content management systems operationally isomorphic without full data replication, which further reduces storage by eliminating conventional storage of full mirror copies of the respective real objects.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first real-time operation is one of creating, updating, deleting, filing, unfiling, and querying.

3. The method of claim 1, where the real object includes an attribute that is used to access the corresponding proxy object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the processor(s) set:

providing a workflow process management system coupled to a workflow queue database and coupled to a case management system, the first content management system and the second content management system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the processor(s) set:

causing the case management system to issue real-time requests to the workflow process management system, the first content management system, and the second content management system.

6. The method of claim 1, where a Software as a Service (SaaS) is provided to perform the method.

7. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code, when executed by a processor(s) set of first and second content management systems, is configured to execute first and second respective event infrastructures and is configured to improve query performance and file browsing performance across multiple content repositories while keeping the multiple content repositories operationally isomorphic without full data replication by;

designating the first content management system to store local proxy objects that represent real objects for root case instance folders stored and managed remotely by the second content management system, real objects for documents, and real objects for other folders in a first folder sub-hierarchy, where the local proxy objects i) omit metadata and properties of the respective real objects for the root case instance folders, (ii) include a global identifier that provides an external reference to the respective real objects for the root case instance folders, and (iii) are controlled remotely according to a first set of synchronous remote procedure calls (S-RPCs) issued from the second event infrastructure of the second content management system, and where the first set of S-RPCs invoke and ensure completion of matching local case folder operations on the local proxy objects in synchronization with completion of remote root case instance folder operations performed on the real objects for the root case instance folders in the second content management system;

designating the second content management system to store the real objects for the root case instance folders, local proxy objects that represent the real objects for the documents stored remotely in the first content management system, and local proxy objects that represent the real objects for the other folders stored remotely in the first content management system in a second folder sub-hierarchy, where the respective local proxy objects (i) omit metadata and properties of the respective real objects for the documents and the respective real objects for the other folders, (ii) include a global identifier that provides an external reference to the respective real objects for the documents and the respective real objects for the other folders, and (iii) are controlled remotely according to a second set of synchronous remote procedure calls (S-RPCs) issued from the first event infrastructure of the first content management system, and where the second set of S-RPCs invoke and ensure completion of matching local document and local other folder operations in synchronization with completion of remote document and other folder operations performed on the real objects for the documents and the real objects for the other folders in the first content management system;

in response to receiving a first real-time operation to modify one of

     1) a real object for a document among the real objects for the documents and

     2) a real object for another folder among the real objects for the other folders, causing the first content management system to process the first real-time operation that results in triggering of a first S-RPC by the first event infrastructure of the first content management system that controls synchronous updating of the respective real object stored at the first content management system and of the corresponding respective proxy object stored at the second content management system under control of the first S-RPC issued by the first event infrastructure of the first content management system; and

in response to receiving a second real-time operation to modify a real object for a root case instance folder among the real objects for the root case instance folders, causing the second content management system to process the second real-time operation that results in triggering of a second S-RPC by the second event infrastructure of the second content management system that controls synchronous updating of the real object for the root case instance folder stored at the second content management system and of the corresponding proxy object of the root case instance folder stored at the first content management system under control of the second S-RPC issued by the second event infrastructure of the second content management system;

where distribution of the storage of the respective real objects and distribution of the synchronous control of updating of the respective proxy objects between the first and second content management systems provides automated computer-controlled device integration that improves the query performance and the file browsing performance while keeping the first and second content management systems operationally isomorphic without full data replication, which further reduces storage by eliminating conventional storage of full mirror copies of the respective real objects.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, the first real-time operation is one of creating, updating, deleting, filing, unfiling, and querying.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, where the real object includes an attribute that is used to access the corresponding proxy object.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, where the computer readable program code, when executed by the processor(s) set of the first and second content management systems, is configured to perform:

providing a workflow process management system coupled to a workflow queue database, a case management system, the first content management system, and the second content management system.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, where the computer readable program code, when executed by the processor(s) set of the first and second content management systems, is configured to perform:

causing the case management system to issue real-time requests to the workflow process management system, the first content management system, and the second content management system.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, where a Software as a Service (SaaS) is configured to perform the computer program product operations.

13. A computer system, comprising:

a processor(s) set of first and second content management systems that executes first and second respective event infrastructures and that is programmed to improve query performance and file browsing performance across multiple content repositories while keeping the multiple content repositories operationally isomorphic without full data replication; and

a storage device connected to the processor(s) set, where the storage device has stored thereon a program, where the processor(s) set is configured to execute instructions of the program to perform operations, and where the operations comprise;

designating the first content management system to store local proxy objects that represent real objects for root case instance folders stored and managed remotely by the second content management system, real objects for documents, and real objects for other folders in a first folder sub-hierarchy, where the local proxy objects (i) omit metadata and properties of the respective real objects for the root case instance folders, (ii) include a global identifier that provides an external reference to the respective real objects for the root case instance folders, and (iii) are controlled remotely according to a first set of synchronous remote procedure calls (S-RPCs) issued from the second event infrastructure of the second content management system, and where the first set of S-RPCs invoke and ensure completion of matching local case folder operations on the local proxy objects in synchronization with completion of remote root case instance folder operations performed on the real objects for the root case instance folders in the second content management system;

designating the second content management system to store the real objects for the root case instance folders, local proxy objects that represent the real objects for the documents stored remotely in the first content management system, and local proxy objects that represent the real objects for the other folders stored remotely in the first content management system in a second folder sub-hierarchy, where the respective local proxy objects (i) omit metadata and properties of the respective real objects for the documents and the respective real objects for the other folders, (ii) include a global identifier that provides an external reference to the respective real objects for the documents and the respective real objects for the other folders, and (iii) are controlled remotely according to a second set of synchronous remote procedure calls (S-RPCs) issued from the first event infrastructure of the first content management system, and where the second set of S-RPCs invoke and ensure completion of matching local document and local other folder operations in synchronization with completion of remote document and other folder operations performed on the real objects for the documents and the real objects for the other folders in the first content management system;

in response to receiving a first real-time operation to modify one of

     1) a real object for a document among the real objects for the documents and

     2) a real object for another folder among the real objects for the other folders, causing the first content management system to process the first real-time operation that results in triggering of a first S-RPC by the first event infrastructure of the first content management system that controls synchronous updating of the respective real object stored at the first content management system and of the corresponding respective proxy object stored at the second content management system under control of the first S-RPC issued by the first event infrastructure of the first content management system; and

in response to receiving a second real-time operation to modify a real object for a root case instance folder among the real objects for the root case instance folders, causing the second content management system to process the second real-time operation that results in triggering of a second S-RPC by the second event infrastructure of the second content management system that controls synchronous updating of the real object for the root case instance folder stored at the second content management system and of the corresponding proxy object of the root case instance folder stored at the first content management system under control of the second S-RPC issued by the second event infrastructure of the second content management system;

where distribution of the storage of the respective real objects and distribution of the synchronous control of updating of the respective proxy objects between the first and second content management systems provides automated computer-controlled device integration that improves the query performance and the file browsing performance while keeping the first and second content management systems operationally isomorphic without full data replication, which further reduces storage by eliminating conventional storage of full mirror copies of the respective real objects.

14. The computer system of claim 13, where the first real-time operation is one of creating, updating, deleting, filing, unfiling, and querying.

15. The computer system of claim 13, where the real object includes an attribute that is used to access the corresponding proxy object.

16. The computer system of claim 13, where the operations further comprise:

providing a workflow process management system coupled to a workflow queue database, a case management system, the first content management system, and the second content management system.

17. The computer system of claim 16, where the operations further comprise:

causing the case management system to issue real-time requests to the workflow process management system, the first content management system, and the second content management system.

18. The computer system of claim 13, where a Software as a Service (SaaS) is provided to perform the system operations.