Method and apparatus for scanning records

• US 20020016935A1
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stratus Technologies Bermuda Ltd. (Stratus Technologies Bermuda Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Stratus Technologies Bermuda Ltd. (Stratus Technologies Bermuda Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mutalik, Praveen G., Bhide, Hrushikesh Vinayak, Bergsten, Bjorn
• Application Number:
  US09/961,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016935A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2329 using versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing one or more records. A scan module transmits a scan request to a session storage manager. The scan request identifies a particular record at which the scan module 612 starts a scan session. The session storage manager also receives an application request from an application to modify the record. The session storage manager then transforms the requested record into a version if the record exhibits a predetermined characteristic.

Claims

1. A method for managing one or more records comprising:

(a) receiving a scan request identifying a record exhibiting a predetermined characteristic;

(b) receiving an application request to modify the record; and

(c) transforming the requested record into a version.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the version in persistent memory.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising storing the version in a persistent volatile memory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the scan request further comprises a first time and a second time.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined characteristic is whether a timestamp associated with the record is between the first time and the second time.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a pointer to point to a start address of the current requested record.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined characteristic is whether the requested record is located at an address after the start address of the current requested record.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the version to a scan module.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an additional scan request identifying a next record.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising copying the record into an update copy if the application request is an update to the requested record and the record exhibits the predetermined characteristic.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising performing the update on the update copy.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the scan request further comprises an identifier.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the identifier is a random number.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the modification further comprises deleting the requested record.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining whether a bit of a version number is equal to zero.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing data mining and statistical analysis on a collection of records that includes the version.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a decision support system in communication with the scan module.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a persistent mass storage to store the version of the requested record.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the scan request further comprises a first time and a second time.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the predetermined characteristic is whether a time stamp associated with the record is between the first time and the second time.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the scan request further comprises an identifier that identifies the requested record.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising an index for the records based on the identifier.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the means for storing the version in a persistent memory further comprises means for storing the version in a persistent volatile memory.

17. A method for managing one or more records comprising:

(a) receiving a scan request identifying a record exhibiting a predetermined characteristic;

(b) receiving an application request to modify the record;

(c) transforming the requested record into a version; and

(d) storing the version in a persistent memory.

18. An apparatus for managing one or more records, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a scan module; and

(b) a session storage manager in communication with the scan module, the session storage manager receiving a scan request from the scan module identifying a record exhibiting a predetermined characteristic and receiving an application request to modify the record,

wherein the session storage manager transforms the requested record into a version and stores the version in a persistent volatile memory before performing the modification.

25. An apparatus for managing one or more records, the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a scan request identifying a record exhibiting a predetermined characteristic;

(b) means for receiving an application request to modify the record;

(c) means for transforming the requested record into a version; and

(d) means for storing the version in a persistent memory.