Rule based compatibility module

• US 20030069696A1
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Morris, Curtis, James R., Patrizio, Jonathan, Soderberg, Eric, McGeorge, Vernon E. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A rule based compatibility module provides a single unified mechanism for testing rules where testing results depend on various combinations of database queries, computable values, and/or run-string parameters. The testing results may be evaluated within a particular operational environment. The rule based compatibility module encapsulates all versions of compatibility issues, which are highly dependant on the operational context, into one simple mechanism, thereby reducing risks of unexpected behaviors caused by improper or incomplete handling of compatibility issues. In addition, the rule based compatibility module provides a simple mechanism for handling ad-hoc run-string switches used for debugging, or for optional enabling or disabling of features under development.

Claims

1. A method for testing compatibility in a database system, comprising:

obtaining an instance of a compatibility module, wherein the instance depends on an operational environment of the compatibility module;

obtaining rules capable of testing compatibility of databases;

evaluating the rules, wherein the evaluation of the rules returns a value of “

true”

or “

false”

;

executing a conditional application code by a client program if the evaluation of the rules returns a value of “

true”

; and

executing a different conditional application code by the client program if the evaluation of the rules returns a value of “

false”

.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining an instance step comprises:

searching for a previously created instance;

creating the instance if previously created instance does not exist;

caching the instance in the database; and

returning the instance to the compatibility module.

3. The method of claim 1 ,wherein if the different conditional code does not exist, further comprising the step of executing a next unconditional code.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the creating the instance step includes creating the instance for a first time, and the creating and the caching steps comprise:

creating a first database context specific to the operational environment;

loading the rules from the database into the first database context;

associating the first database context with the instance of the compatibility module; and

registering the first database context in the compatibility module.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the creating the instance step includes subsequently creating the instance, and the creating and the caching steps comprise:

creating a database context specific to the operational environment;

copying the rules from a previously created database context;

associating the previously created database context with the instance of the compatibility module; and

registering the database context in the compatibility module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the rules and the evaluating the rules steps comprise:

evaluating the rules as simple or compound, wherein a compound rule contains multiple rules in a list;

for a simple rule, evaluating the rule by executing a query and interpreting non-true results as “

false”

;

for the compound rule,

evaluating each rule in the list;

returning a value of “

true”

or “

false”

for each rule to the compatibility module; and

evaluating the value of “

true”

or “

false”

for each rule; and

returning an overall “

true”

or “

false”

to the compatibility module.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating parameters with each database context.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the associating step includes setting the parameters at any point in time through the instance of the compatibility module.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the associating step includes retrieving the parameters at a later point in time through the instance of the compatibility module.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising passing modified parameters back to the instance of the compatibility module, to override previously stored parameters in the instance.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising substituting the parameters into query strings used to evaluate the rule.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising caching evaluated results that are independent of and do not vary based on values of the parameters.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising constructing public rules from one or more private rules.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating an embedded unit test mechanism in the compatibility module to test all rules.

15. A rule based compatibility module, comprising:

instances that depend on operational environments of the compatibility module; and

database contexts, wherein each database context is created specific to a particular operational environment, and wherein each database context comprises;

databases that interact with a client program; and

rules capable of being loaded into the database context to test compatibility of the databases.

16. A computer readable medium providing instructions for testing compatibility in a database system, the instructions comprising:

obtaining an instance of a compatibility module, wherein the instance depends on an operational environment of the compatibility module;

obtaining rules capable of testing compatibility of databases;

evaluating the rules, wherein the evaluation of the rules returns a value of “

true”

or “

false”

;

executing a conditional application code by a client program if the evaluation of the rules returns a value of “

true”

; and

executing a different conditional application code by the client program if the evaluation of the rules returns a value of “

false”

.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for obtaining the instance comprises instructions for:

searching for a previously created instance;

creating the instance if previously created instance does not exist;

caching the instance in the database; and

returning the instance to the compatibility module.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for creating the instance includes instructions for creating the instance for a first time, and the instructions for creating and caching the rules comprise instructions for:

creating a first database context specific to the operational environment;

loading the rules from the database into the first database context;

associating the first database context with the instance of the compatibility module; and

registering the first database context in the compatibility module.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for creating the instance includes instructions for subsequently creating the instance, and the instructions for creating and caching the rules comprise instructions for:

creating a database context specific to the operational environment;

copying the rules from a previously created database context;

associating the previously created database context with the instance of the compatibility module; and

registering the database context in the compatibility module.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for obtaining the rules and evaluating the rules comprise instructions for:

evaluating the rules as simple or compound, wherein a compound rule contains multiple rules in a list;

for a simple rule, evaluating the rule by interpreting non-true results as “

false”

;

for the compound rule,

evaluating each rule in the list;

returning a value of “

true”

or “

false”

for each rule to the compatibility module; and

evaluating the value of “

true”

or “

false”

for each rule; and

returning an overall “

true”

or “

false”

to the compatibility module.