Accessing a remotely located nested object
First Claim
1. A method of providing data to a requester, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, at a first server, a first request for data that does not reside at said first server;
in response to said first request, sending a second request for said data from said first server to a second server;
in response to said second request, receiving said data at said first server;
prior to providing said data to said requester, determining whether said data includes a reference that purports to refer to a nested object located at a server other than said first server;
if said data includes a reference that purports to refer to a nested object located at a server other than said first server, then performing, at said first server, the steps of;
creating modified data by replacing the reference with a virtual reference to said nested object;
storing mapping data that associates said virtual reference with said reference and with a server capable of resolving said reference; and
providing said modified data to said requestor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for providing access to a remotely located nested object in a distributed database system. According to one aspect of the invention, a first server receives a request to access a complex database object that is not situated at the first server. The first server translates the request to a remote mapped request, and transmits the remote mapped request to a second server. When the first server receives data in response to the remote mapped request, it detects whether the received data includes a reference to a nested object. If the first server detects a reference to a nested object, the first server modifies the received data by replacing the reference with a virtual reference to the nested object. The first server also stores mapping data that associates the virtual reference with the reference and with an associated server, wherein the associated server is capable of resolving the reference. By storing an associated server that is capable of resolving the reference, the mapping data provides location awareness of the reference at the first server. The first server then forwards the modified data to the requester. Upon storing the mapping data, the first server is capable of processing a request to access the nested object, wherein the request uses the virtual reference to refer to the nested object. Upon receiving a request to access the nested object, the first server uses the mapping data to map the virtual reference to the reference, and creates a modified request by replacing the virtual reference by the reference. The first server also uses the mapping data to detect an associated server that is capable of resolving the reference, and transmits the modified request to the associated server. The associated server is able to resolve the reference and thereby process the request to access the nested object.
105 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method of providing data to a requester, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at a first server, a first request for data that does not reside at said first server;
in response to said first request, sending a second request for said data from said first server to a second server;
in response to said second request, receiving said data at said first server;
prior to providing said data to said requester, determining whether said data includes a reference that purports to refer to a nested object located at a server other than said first server;
if said data includes a reference that purports to refer to a nested object located at a server other than said first server, then performing, at said first server, the steps of;
creating modified data by replacing the reference with a virtual reference to said nested object;
storing mapping data that associates said virtual reference with said reference and with a server capable of resolving said reference; and
providing said modified data to said requestor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer-readable medium carrying instructions for providing data to a requestor, the instructions comprising instructions for performing the steps of:
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receiving, at a first server, a first request for data that does not reside at said first server;
in response to said first request, sending a second request for said data from said first server to a second server;
in response to said second request, receiving said data at said first server;
prior to providing said data to said requester, determining whether said data includes a reference that purports to refer to a nested object located at a server other than said first server;
if said data includes a reference that purports to refer to a nested object located at a server other than said first server, then performing, at said first server, the steps of;
creating modified data by replacing the reference with a virtual reference to said nested object;
storing mapping data that associates said virtual reference with said reference and with a server capable of resolving said reference; and
providing said modified data to said requester. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification