Use of agents and control documents to update a database structure

• US 20030061223A1
• Filed: 09/27/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Houston, William M., Martin, James A. Jr., Morin, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,988,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for updating a database structure. The database structure includes a dynamically changing list of control documents. A control document specifies tasks to be performed on the database structure. An agent finds an approved control document on the list such as by looking into a view of control documents. Processing the approved control document includes causing an execution of at least one task on the approved control document. Execution of a such task includes updating of the database structure, and may be implemented by the agent that found the control document or by another agent called by the agent.

Claims

1. A method for updating a database structure, comprising:

generating a dynamically changing list of control documents; and

processing by a first agent a first approved control document on the list, wherein processing the first approved control document includes causing executing at least one task on the first approved control document, and wherein executing a task on the first approved control document includes updating the database structure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a view of the list; and

accessing the view by the first agent prior to processing the first approved control document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a first task on the first approved control document includes executing the first task by the first agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a first task on the first approved control document includes directly calling a second agent by the first agent and executing the first task by the second agent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a first task on the first approved control document includes indirectly calling a second agent by the first agent and executing the first task by the second agent.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing by a second agent a second approved control document on the list, wherein processing the second approved control document includes causing executing at least one task on the second approved control document, and wherein executing a task on the second approved control document includes updating the database structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a first task on the first approved control document includes updating a plurality of databases of the database structure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a first task on the first approved control document includes updating a first database of the database structure, and wherein executing a second task on the first approved control document includes updating a second database of the database structure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a first task and a second task on the first approved control document are not independent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first agent is a LOTUS script operating within a LOTUS DOMINO software environment, and wherein the database structure includes LOTUS NOTES databases.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein executing a first task on the first approved control document includes replacing a name of a first person with a name of a second person in a plurality of databases of the database structure.

12. A system for updating a database structure, comprising:

a dynamically changing list of control documents; and

a first agent adapted to process a first approved control document on the list including to cause an execution of at least one task on the first approved control document, wherein an execution of a task on the first approved control document includes an updating of the database structure.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a view of the list, wherein the first agent is adapted to access the view before processing the first approved control document.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein an execution of a first task on the first approved control document includes an execution of the first task by the first agent.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein an execution of a first task on the first approved control document includes a direct calling of a second agent by the first agent and an execution of the first task by the second agent.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein an execution of a first task on the first approved control document includes an indirect calling of a second agent by the first agent and an execution of the first task by the second agent.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a second agent adapted to process a second approved control document on the list including to cause an execution of at least one task on the second approved control document, wherein an execution of a task on the second approved control document includes an updating of the database structure.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein an execution of a first task on the first approved control document includes an updating of a plurality of databases of the database structure.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein an execution of a first task on the first approved control document includes an updating of a first database of the database structure, and wherein an execution of a second task on the first approved control document includes an updating of a second database of the database structure.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein a first task and a second task on the first approved control document are not independent.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the first agent is a LOTUS script operating within a Lotus DOMINO software environment, and wherein the database structure includes LOTUS NOTES databases.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein an execution of a first task on the first approved control document includes a replacing of a name of a first person with a name of a second person in a plurality of databases of the database structure.

23. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable code embodied therein, said computer readable code including an agent adapted to process an approved control document on a dynamically changing list of control documents, said to process including to cause an execution of at least one task on the approved control document, said execution of a task on the approved control document including an updating of the database structure.