Data storage schema independent programming for data retrieval using semantic bridge

• US 20030110467A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SREE Ayyanar Spinning and Weaving Mills Limited
• Original Assignee: SREE Ayyanar Spinning and Weaving Mills Limited
• Inventors: Balakrishnan, Prabaharan
• Granted Patent: US 6,711,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer implemented process accesses data stored on one or more computers, the data on each computer having a data storage schema. A program is generated to access the data using terms and constructs of a semantic programming interface. The semantic programming interface provides an abstract, object-oriented representation of the data that is independent of the data storage schemas of the data. Mappings of the representation of the data in the semantic programming interface to each of the data storage schemas of the data stored on the one or more computers are created. The data mappings are used to translate the interface-based program into one or more executable programs. The executable programs are run to access the data stored on the one or more computers. System security and data security are maintained on the one or more computers.

Claims

1. A method of accessing data stored on one or more computers, the data on each computer having a data storage schema, the method comprising:

(a) generating a program to access the data using terms and constructs of a semantic programming interface, the semantic programming interface providing an abstract, object-oriented representation of the data that is independent of the data storage schemas of the data;

(b) creating mappings of the representation of the data in the semantic programming interface to each of the data storage schemas of the data stored on the one or more computers;

(c) translating the interface-based program into one or more executable programs using the data mappings; and

(d) running the executable programs to access the data stored on the one or more computers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data stored on the one or more computers is contained in one or more databases.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each data mapping is a field level mapping that associates the terms and constructs of the semantic programming interface with expressions built from database fields of one of the one or more databases.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the expressions use SQL syntax.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a user seeks access to the data stored in the one or more computers, the data having access permissions, the method further comprising:

(e) identifying and authenticating the user to determine the user'"'"'s access permissions for the data.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the data stored on the one or more computers is contained in one or more databases and the access permissions of the databases define which fields, rows and tables within the databases the user is entitled to access.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the data stored on the one or more computers is contained in one or more documents stored on the one or more computers and the access permissions of the documents define which portions of the documents the user is entitled to access.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation of the data in the semantic programming interface includes a specification of properties of the data and relationships among the data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein data is denoted using the semantic programming interface directly, indirectly using its relationship with other data, or indirectly using properties of the data.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the data stored on the one or more computers is contained in one or more documents stored on the one or more computers.

11. A method of accessing from a client computer data stored on one or more server computers, the data on each server computer having a data storage schema, the method comprising:

(a) generating a program at the client computer to access the data using terms and constructs of a semantic programming interface, the semantic programming interface providing an abstract, object-oriented representation of the data that is independent of the data storage schemas of the data;

(b) creating mappings of the representation of the data in the semantic programming interface to each of the data storage schemas of the data stored on the one or more server computers;

(c) transmitting the interface-based program from the client computer to the one or more server computers;

(d) translating the interface-based program into one or more executable programs using the data mappings at the one or more server computers;

(e) running the executable programs on the one or more server computers to access the data from the one or more server computers; and

(f) returning to the client computer the data accessed from the one or more server computers.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the data stored on the one or more server computers is contained in one or more databases.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each data mapping is a field level mapping that associates the terms and constructs of the semantic programming interface with expressions built from database fields of one of the one or more databases.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the expressions use SQL syntax.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein a user seeks access to the data stored in the one or more server computers, the data having access permissions, the method further comprising:

(g) identifying and authenticating the user to determine the user'"'"'s access permissions for the data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the data stored on the one or more server computers is contained in one or more databases and the access permissions of the databases define which fields, rows and tables within the databases the user is entitled to access.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the data stored on the one or more server computers is contained in one or more documents stored on the one or more server computers and the access permissions of the documents define which portions of the documents the user is entitled to access.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the representation of the data in the semantic programming interface includes a specification of properties of the data and relationships among the data.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein data is denoted using the semantic programming interface directly, indirectly using its relationship with other data, or indirectly using properties of the data.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the data stored on the one or more server computers is contained in one or more documents stored on the one or more server computers.

21. A method for specifying a semantic programming interface for use in accessing data stored on one or more computers, the method comprising:

(a) identifying computationally meaningful relationships between the data and computationally meaningful groupings of the data;

(b) representing the data as objects, each object having associated methods; and

(c) declaring the computationally meaningful relationships and computationally meaningful groupings as methods associated with the objects.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the methods declared in step (c) return one or more object identifiers.

23. A method for executing on a server computer a source program written on a client computer, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting the source program from the client computer to the server computer along with an identification of a program domain for which the source program is written;

(b) storing the source program on the server computer;

(c) instantiating on the server computer a program loader capable of loading classes in the program domain and the code in the source program;

(d) compiling the source program on the server computer;

(e) loading the compiled program using the program loader; and

(f) running the compiled program on the server computer.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the source program is designed to access data stored on the server computer, the data having a data storage schema.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the source program is written using terms and constructs of a semantic programming interface, the semantic programming interface providing an abstract, object-oriented representation of the data that is independent of the data storage schema of the data.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the running of the compiled program on the server computer generates return data, the method further comprising:

(g) transmitting the return data from the server computer to the client computer.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein a user generates the source program written on the client computer, the method further comprising:

(g) identifying and authenticating the user on the server computer to determine the user'"'"'s access permissions on the server computer.

28. A method of creating and executing one or more programs on a client computer for accessing data from one or more program domains, the data stored on one or more server computers, the method comprising:

(a) identifying the one or more target program domains and the one or more target server computers of interest;

(b) generating code to access the data from the one or more server computers (requests) using terms and constructs of a semantic programming interface, the semantic programming interface providing an abstract, object-oriented representation of the data that is independent of the data storage schema of the data;

(c) generating code to handle any output received in response to the requests (response handlers);

(d) combining the requests and response handlers to form chores; and

(e) queuing the chores for execution.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the response handlers include code to generate new chores to be queued for execution should additional processing be required based on the output received in response to the requests.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the new chores include identification of additional target server computers of interest.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein in step (e) the chores are serviced using multiple threads.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the one or more identified target servers in step (a) are divided among one or more client machines to carry out steps (b) through (e) in parallel.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein each request encapsulates information specific to one of the server computers including the IP address of the server computer, authentication information, protocols needed, the code to be executed and values for code parameters.