Method and apparatus of performing active update notification

• US 20030204517A1
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andy Kittridge Turk, Brian Skinner, Kevin Mcdonnell, Vanessa Mcdonnell
• Original Assignee: Andy Kittridge Turk, Brian Skinner, Kevin Mcdonnell, Vanessa Mcdonnell
• Inventors: Skinner, Brian, McDonnell, Kevin, McDonnell, Vanessa, Turk, Andy Kittridge
• Granted Patent: US 6,895,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A method and apparatus of performing active update notification. Components of an application are able to specify interest in a data object or set of data objects by registering an interest object with an update management component of the application. The interest object specifies the interested application component, as well as the identity of one or more data objects or an attribute value or range of values to associate with data objects. When modifications are made to data objects corresponding to the registered interest objects, the interested application component or components receive an update notification from the update management component. In one embodiment, active update notification is performed within a multi-tier application. An update management component exists at the application server on the application tier, as well as at each client in the client tier. In the application tier, the update management component maintains, with respect to clients and servers, a registry of interest objects of sufficient depth to determine which clients or other servers may be interested in changes to data objects Update notifications are then sent only to the interested clients or servers. The interest registry of the update management component in the interested client is used to resolve the interested application component, and to forward the update notification appropriately.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method comprising:

registering with an update management component an interest in at least one data object, said interest referring to an interested component; and

in response to a change in said at least one data object, sending a notification to said interested component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said update management component resides within a first client of a plurality of clients, said method further comprising:

registering, in connection with said first client, said interest with a second update management component residing within an application server;

in response to a change in said at least one data object, sending a notification to said first client.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of registering said interest comprises the step of specifying interest criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of registering said interest comprises registering an interest object with an interest registry.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising traversing said interest registry to identify said interested component.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of refining said interest by associating a refinement object with said interest object.