Internal database validation

• US 20020059187A1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Napier, Carolyn L., Delo, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,560,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Internal database validation is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises a database having a data table and a validation table. The data table has at least one data column and at least one data row and the validation table has a plurality of validation columns and a validation row. Also included is a database engine module for maintaining the database and a database validation module operative to read a validation value from the validation column of the validation row and using the validation value to validate a data value in the data column of the data row.

Claims

1. A computerized database validation system comprising:

a database engine module for maintaining a database, said database having a data table and a validation table, said data table having at least one data column and at least one data row, said validation table having a plurality of validation columns and a validation row; and

a database validation module operative to read a validation value from the validation column of the validation row and using the validation value to validate a data value in the data column of the data row.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation columns includes a column specifying a minimum value for the data column.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation columns include a column specifying a maximum value for the data column.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation columns include a column specifying a set of valid values for the data column.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation columns include a column specifying a set of invalid values for the data column.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation columns include a column specifying a validation category for the data column.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the validation category specifies a file name.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the validation category specifies an identifier.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the identifier is a globally unique identifier (GUID).

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation columns includes a column specifying a key column from the data table.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the database validation module is a module contained within the database engine module.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a software application installation editing tool operative to modify the data in the database and wherein the database contains a set of software application installation data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the validation table further includes a maximum value column and wherein performing a validation of a data value in the data column includes comparing the data value to a value from the maximum value column in the validation row.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the validation table further includes a minimum value column and wherein performing a validation of a data value in the data column includes comparing the data value to a value from the minimum value column in the validation row.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the validation table further includes a set column defining valid values and wherein performing a validation of a data value in the data column includes comparing the data value to each value from the set column in the validation row.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the validation table further includes a set column defining invalid values and wherein performing a validation of a data value in the data column includes comparing the data value to each value from the set column in the validation row.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the validation table includes a category column and wherein performing a validation of a data value includes determining that the data value conforms to a syntax specified by a data item in the category column.

13. A method of validating a database comprising:

determining a column to validate;

reading a validation row from a validation table, said validation table including a table name column, a column name column, a column category column, and a valid value column;

identifying a data column in a candidate row using the table name column and the column name column;

performing a validation of a data value in the data column; and

setting a results indicator based on the comparison.

19. A method of validating a database comprising:

determining a column to validate;

reading a validation row from a validation table in the database, said validation table including a table name column, a column name column, and a key identifier column;

identifying a data column in a candidate row using the table name column and the column name column; and

determining if the data column in the candidate row refers to a data row of the database identified by the key identifier column.

20. A computer comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium;

a database having a data table and a validation table, said data table having at least one data column and at least one data row, said validation table having a plurality of validation columns and a validation row;

a database engine module for maintaining the database; and

a database validation module operative to read a validation value from the validation column of the validation row and using the validation value to validate a data value in the data column of the data row.

21. The computer of claim 20, wherein the validation columns include a column specifying a minimum value, a column specifying a maximum value and a column specifying a set of valid values or a set of invalid values.

22. The computer of claim 20, wherein the validation columns include a column specifying a validation category for the data column.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein performing a validation of a data value includes comparing the data value to a column of the validation table containing a maximum value.

25. The medium of claim 23, wherein performing a validation of a data value includes comparing the data value to a column of the validation table containing a minimum value.

26. The medium of claim 23, wherein performing a validation of a data value includes determining if the data exists in a set defined by the valid value column value

27. The medium of claim 23, wherein the validation table includes a category column and wherein performing a validation of a data value includes determining that the data value conforms to a syntax specified by a data item in the category column.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

determining a column to validate;

reading a validation row from a validation table, said validation table including a table name column, a column name column, a column category column, and a valid value column;

identifying a data column in a candidate row using the table name column and the column name column;

performing a validation of a data value in the data column; and

setting a results indicator based on the comparison.

28. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

determining a column to validate;

reading a validation row from a validation table in the database, said validation table including a table name column, a column name column, and a key identifier column;

identifying a data column in a candidate row using the table name column and the column name column; and

determining if the data column in the candidate row refers to a data row of the database identified by the key identifier column.

29. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a first data field containing data specifying a table name of a database;

a second data field containing data specifying a column name of the database;

a third data field containing a minimum value, wherein during a predetermined data processing operation a data field in a column identified by the first data field and the second data field is compared to the third data field;

a fourth data field containing a maximum value, wherein during a predetermined data processing operation a data field in the column identified by the first data field and the second data field is compared to the fourth data field;

a fifth data field containing a set of values, wherein during a predetermined data processing operation a check is made to determine if the data field in a column identified by the first data field and the second data field is included in the set of values;

a sixth data field containing a category, wherein during a predetermined data processing operation a data field in a column identified by the first data field and the second data field is compared to a syntax specified by the category;

a seventh data field containing a key table name; and

an eighth data field containing a key column number wherein during a predetermined data processing operation a data field in a column identified by the first data field and the second data field is compared to a data value identified by the seventh data field and the eighth data field.

30. A method of communicating between a client application process and a database validation module, the method comprising:

issuing, by the client application process a function call having a plurality of parameters comprising a database view handle, an enumerated type, and a record handle;

receiving by the validation module the function call and parsing the function call to retrieve the parameters; and

issuing by the validation module an indicator signal indicating the status of the function call.