Methods and system for efficient association traversals
First Claim
1. A method for determining a relationship between objects related to a common information model, the objects including at least a first and second instance and an association, the method comprising:
- creating, for the first instance, a reverse link that defines a relationship between the first instance and the association; and
determining a relationship between the first and second instances based on the reverse link.
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Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for performing efficient association traversal operations in a Common Information Model (CIM) implemented environment. A CIM Object Manager creates and defines instance objects and corresponding association objects in a repository. The CIM Object Manager creates wrappers for each object that include reverse links that show the relationship from an object to any corresponding association objects. When a relationship request for a selected object is received by the CIM Object Manager, it performs an association traversal operation using the reverse links stored in the repository. The CIM Object Manager locates the target object'"'"'s wrapper in the repository, and collects relationship information from the reverse links included within the wrapper. The collected relationship information is then passed to the entity that initiated the request. Accordingly, efficient association traversals may be performed, without having to traverse each instance of defined association objects.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A method for determining a relationship between objects related to a common information model, the objects including at least a first and second instance and an association, the method comprising:
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creating, for the first instance, a reverse link that defines a relationship between the first instance and the association; and
determining a relationship between the first and second instances based on the reverse link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for maintaining reverse links in a object-oriented environment including class instances and associations, the method comprising:
for each class instance associated with N instances of an association class that each references the class instance, wherein N represents an integer value greater than or equal to one;
(i) creating a first level wrapper table including a pointer to a second level wrapper table associated with the association class; and
(ii) creating N pointers in the second level wrapper table that each references an individual instance of the association class. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method for maintaining reverse links in an object-oriented environment including instances, association classes and association class instances, the method comprising:
for each class instance associated with N association class that each includes at least one association class instance that references the class instance, wherein N represents an integer value greater than or equal to one;
creating a first level wrapper table including N pointers to N second level wrapper tables associated with the association classes.
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10. A method for maintaining reverse links in a object-oriented environment including class instances and associations, the method comprising:
for each class instance associated with N instances of a first association class that each references the class instance, and X instances of a second association class that each reference the class instance, wherein N and X represent integer values greater than or equal to one;
(i) creating a first level wrapper table including;
a first pointer to a second level wrapper table associated with the first association class, and a second pointer to a second level wrapper table associated with the second association class;
(ii) creating N pointers, in the second table wrapper table associated with the first association class, that each references an individual instance of the first association class; and
(iii) creating X pointers, in the second table wrapper table associated with the second association class, that each references an individual instance of the second association class.
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11. A method for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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receiving an association traversal request for a class instance; and
performing an association traversal process based on pointer information reflecting a relationship between the class instance and all association instances that reference the class instance. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 19, 20)
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14. A method for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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receiving an association traversal request for a class instance;
obtaining pointers to each association instance that references the class instance; and
collecting references to other class instances that are referenced by the association instance.
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15. A method for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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receiving an association traversal request for a class instance; and
obtaining pointers to each association instance that references the class instance.
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16. In a system comprising a client and a server, a method for performing association traversals performed by the client, comprising:
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generating a request for relationship information associated with a selected class instance; and
receiving a response including information reflecting a relationship between the selected class instance and other class instances that are referenced by the same association class instances, wherein the response was generated using pointers defined in a table associated with the selected class instance that reference the common association class instances.
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17. In a system comprising a client and a server, a method for performing association traversals performed by the server, comprising;
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receiving a request for relationship information associated with a selected class instance; and
generating a response including information reflecting a relationship between the selected class instance and other class instances that are referenced by the same association class instances, based on pointers defined in a table associated with the selected class instance that reference the common association class instances.
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18. A system for performing association traversals, comprising:
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a client for generating a request for information reflecting the relationship between selected objects defined in a repository; and
a server including;
the repository for storing objects, wherein a set of the objects are associated with object wrappers, and an object manager for processing the request by using an object wrapper associated with one object of the selected objects.
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21. A system for traversing associations in a common information model implemented environment, the model comprising at least a first and second instance and an association, comprising:
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means for creating, for the first instance, a reverse link that defines a relationship between the first instance and the association; and
means for determining a relationship between the first and second instances based on the reverse link. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31)
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26. A system for maintaining reverse links in a object-oriented environment including class instances and associations, comprising:
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means for creating, for each class instance associated with N instances of an association class that each references the class instance, wherein N represents an integer value greater than or equal to one, a first level wrapper table including a pointer to a second level wrapper table associated with the association class; and
means for creating N pointers in the second level wrapper table that each point to an individual instance of the association class.
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29. A system for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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means for receiving an association traversal request for a class instance; and
means for performing an association traversal process based on pointer information reflecting a relationship between the class instance and all association instances that reference the class instance.
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32. A system for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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means for receiving an association traversal request for a class instance;
means for obtaining pointers to each association instance that references the class instance; and
means for collecting references to other class instances that are referenced by the association instance.
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33. A system for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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means for receiving an association traversal request for a class instance; and
means for obtaining pointers to each association instance that references the class instance. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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34. A method for tracking relationships between objects in an object-oriented programming environment, comprising:
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determining a relationship between at least one object and a first association object; and
maintaining a record of the relationship for the at least one object.
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37. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for determining a relationship between objects related to a common information model, the objects including at least a first and second instance and an association, the method comprising:
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creating, for the first instance, a reverse link that defines a relationship between the first instance and the association; and
determining a relationship between the first and second instances based on the reverse link.
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42. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for maintaining reverse links in a object-oriented environment including class instances and associations, the method comprising:
for each class instance associated with N instances of an association class that each references the class instance, wherein N represents an integer value greater than or equal to one;
(i) creating a first level wrapper table including a pointer to a second level wrapper table associated with the association class; and
(ii) creating N pointers in the second level wrapper table that each references an individual instance of the association class. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 48, 49)
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45. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for maintaining reverse links in a object-oriented environment including class instances and associations, the method comprising:
for each class instance associated with N association classes that each includes at least one association class instance that references the class instance, wherein N represents an integer value greater than or equal to one;
creating a first level wrapper table including N pointers to N second level wrapper tables associated with the association classes.
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46. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for maintaining reverse links in a object-oriented environment including class instances and associations, the method comprising:
for each class instance associated with N instances of a first association class that each references the class instance, and X instances of a second association class that each reference the class instance, wherein N and X represent integer values greater than or equal to one;
(i) creating a first level wrapper table including;
a first pointer to a second level wrapper table associated with the first association class, and a second pointer to a second level wrapper table associated with the second association class;
(ii) creating N pointers, in the second table wrapper table associated with the first association class, that each references an individual instance of the first association class; and
(iii) creating X pointers, in the second table wrapper table associated with the second association class, that each references an individual instance of the second association class.
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47. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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receiving an association traversal request for a class instance; and
performing an association traversal process based on pointer information reflecting a relationship between the class instance and all association instances that reference the class instance.
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50. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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receiving an association traversal request for a class instance;
obtaining pointers to each association instance that references the class instance; and
collecting references to other class instances that are referenced by the association instance.
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51. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for performing association traversals in an object-oriented environment including a plurality of class instances and association instances, comprising:
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receiving an association traversal request for a class instance; and
obtaining pointers to each association instance that references the class instance.
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52. In a system comprising a client and a server, a computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for performing association traversals performed by the client, comprising:
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generating a request for relationship information associated with a selected class instance;
receiving a response including information reflecting a relationship between the selected class instance and other class instances that are referenced by the same association class instances, wherein the response was generated using pointers defined in a table associated with the selected class instance that reference the common association class instances.
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53. In a system comprising a client and a server, a computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for performing association traversals performed by the server, comprising;
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receiving a request for relationship information associated with a selected class instance;
generating a response including information reflecting a relationship between the selected S class instance and other class instances that are referenced by the same association class instances, based on pointers defined in a table associated with the selected class instance that reference the common association class instances.
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54. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method, when executed by a processor, for tracking relationships between objects in an object-oriented programming environment, comprising:
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determining a relationship between at least one object and a first association object; and
maintaining a record of the relationship for the at least one object. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56)
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Specification