Adjustable database runtime kernel

• US 20030140028A1
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: It Liberator As
• Original Assignee: It Liberator As
• Inventors: Bjornemyr, Jan-Thore, Sjogren, Bjorn-Harald
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a computer system for providing access to a database upon a request from an application computer program 250. The computer system includes a data model 260 represented in a data dictionary 230, an application program interface, a data storage 220, and a database kernel 210, 215 providing access from the application program interface to the data storage 220. The database kernel 210, 215 comprises a runtime module 210 for providing access from the application program interface to the database kernel and a storage engine module 215 for providing access from the runtime module 210 to the data storage 220. The runtime module 210 is dynamically changeable, dependent on the data model 260 represented in the data dictionary 230, while the storage engine module 215 is invariable and independent of the data model. An automatic code generator 240 is arranged to generate an executable program code for the runtime module 210, based upon the data model 260 represented in the data dictionary 230.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing access to a database upon a request from an application computer program, comprising:

a data model represented in a data dictionary;

an application program interface;

data storage;

a database kernel, providing access from the application program interface to the data storage;

wherein said database kernel includes

a database runtime module for providing access from the application program interface to the database kernel, said runtime module being dynamically changeable, dependent on the data model represented in the data dictionary, and a storage engine module for providing access from the runtime module to the data storage, said storage engine module being invariable and independent of said data model.

2. A computer system according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic code generator, said code generator being adapted to generate an executable program code for the runtime module based upon the data model represented in the data dictionary.

3. A computer system according to claim 2, wherein the program code for the runtime module is generated by the code generator subsequent to any amendments in the data model.

4. A computer system according to claim 2, wherein said code generator comprises a source code generating module and a compiler module, said code generating module being adapted to generate a source code to be processed by the compiler module, thus generating said executable program code.

5. A computer system according to claim 4, wherein said code generating module is adapted for receiving structural data provided from the data dictionary;

receiving syntactical data provided from a template; and

processing said structural data in accordance with rules defined by the syntactical data, thus producing source code adapted for input to the compiler module.

6. A computer system according to claim 5, wherein said code generating module is adapted to generate descriptive code or procedural code, dependent on the syntactical data provided from the template.

7. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein said storage engine is adapted to offer the runtime module platform-independent access to the data stored in the data storage.

8. A computer system according to claim 7, wherein said storage engine is adapted to store and retrieve data elements of a first data structure (BASE), including an unordered set of data, and data elements of a second data structure (INDEX), including an ordered set of data.

9. A computer system according to claim 8, wherein said storage engine is adapted to provide an identifier (Rowid) in each data elements (BASE) of said first data structure, and to provide data elements (INDEX) of said second structure wherein each entry has a set of such associated identifiers (Rowid).

10. A method for improving a database system for providing access to a database upon a request from an application computer program, said system comprising:

a data model represented in a data dictionary;

an application program interface;

data storage;

a database kernel providing access from the application program interface to the data storage, the method including;

providing in the database kernel a database runtime module for providing access from the application program interface to the database kernel, said runtime module being dynamically changeable, dependent on the data model represented in the data dictionary; and

providing in the database kernel a storage engine module for providing access from the runtime module to the data storage, said storage engine module being invariable, independent of said data model.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

providing in the database system an automatic code generator, said code generator being adapted to generate an executable program code for the runtime module based upon the data model represented in the data dictionary.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the program code for the runtime module is generated by the code generator subsequent to any amendments in the data model.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said code generator comprises a source code generating module and a compiler module, said code generating module being adapted to generate a source code to be processed by the compiler module, thus generating said executable program code.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said code generating module is adapted for receiving structural data provided from the data dictionary;

receiving syntactical data provided from a template; and

processing said structural data in accordance with rules defined by the syntactical data;

thus producing source code adapted for input to the compiler module.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said code generating module is adapted to generate descriptive code or procedural code, dependent on the syntactical data provided from the template.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein said storage engine is adapted to offer the runtime module a platform independent access to the data stored in the data storage.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said storage engine is adapted to store and retrieve data elements of a first data structure (BASE), including an unordered set of data, and data elements of a second data structure (INDEX), including an ordered set of data.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said storage engine is adapted to provide an identifier (Rowid) in each data elements (BASE) of said first data structure, and to provide data elements (BSEX) of said second structure wherein each entry has a set of such associated identifiers (Rowid).

19. A computer system for providing access to a database upon a request from an application computer program, said system comprising:

a data model represented in a data dictionary;

an application program interface;

data storage; and

a database kernel, providing access from the application program interface to the data storage, said database kernel including;

a database runtime module for providing access from the application program interface to the database kernel, said runtime module being dynamically changeable, dependent on the data model represented in the data dictionary; and

a storage engine module for providing access front the runtime module to the data storage, said storage engine module being invariable and independent of said data model.

20. A computer system for providing access to a database upon a request from an application computer program, said system comprising:

a data model represented in a data dictionary;

an application program interface;

data storage; and

a database kernel, providing access from the application program interface to the data storage, said database kernel including;

a database runtime module for providing access from the application program interface to the database kernel, said runtime module being dynamically changeable, dependent on the data model represented in the data dictionary; and

a storage engine module for providing access from the runtime module to the data storage, said storage engine module being invariable, independent of said data model, an automatic code generator, said code generator being adapted to generate an executable program code for the runtime module based upon said data model.