Method for mapping a hierarchical technical system in a relational database

• US 20050102262A1
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Optimum Gesellschaft FUER Automatisierungstechnik mbH
• Original Assignee: Optimum Gesellschaft FUER Automatisierungstechnik mbH
• Inventors: Nuebling, Markus
• Application Number:
  US10/938,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102262A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for mapping a technical system modeled by a class hierarchy in a relational database, wherein, in a first step, a table, in which instances of the classes to be stored can be stored in the form of individual records, is generated for every class of the class hierarchy, wherein those class attributes to be stored are stored in columns of the table, and, in a second step, a view creation rule is stored for every class from which at least one class in the class hierarchy was derived, wherein a view associated with that view creation rule contains all instances of the associated classes, along with all instances of those derived therefrom in the form of records.

Claims

1. A method to be carried out on a computer to store data, especially of a technical system, in a relational database, wherein:

said technical system is modeled by a hierarchy of several classes;

said hierarchy has derived classes being derived from other classes;

said derived classes are directly derived from another class, if no further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said derived classes are indirectly derived from another class, if at least one further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said data is available in form of instances of said classes;

in said relational database, database tables and database views can be created;

in said database tables, data is stored in the form of records; and

said database views are defined by a view creation rule specifying conditions under which said records from said database tables are included into the database view;

having the following steps;

creating one database table for each of said classes, in order to store said instances of said classes in said database tables if the form of individual records; and

creating one database view for each class, from which at least one other class is derived, wherein the respective view creation rule is defined so that the respective database view includes records for all instances of that class and for all instances of the directly and indirectly derived classes of that class, wherein the records;

originate from that class'"'"'s database table,

originate from the database views of those directly derived classes, from which at least one further class is derived, and

originate from the database tables of those directly derived classes, from which no further classes are derived.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of said classes has at least one attribute and wherein the tables of the directly derived classes list, in the form of columns, at least all attributes of the classes from which those derived classes were derived.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said database views have columns only for those of their respective class'"'"'s attributes, for which the class'"'"'s table has columns also.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said database tables and said database views each have one column for storing a unique identifier for each record of an instance being stored in the respective database table or view, respectively.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said database views each have one column for storing information for each record of said database view, said information being related to the table the record originates from or to the class the record'"'"'s instance originates from.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein:

said information is the name of the table or the name of the class.

7. A method to be carried out on a computer to store data, especially of a technical system, in a relational database, wherein:

said technical system is modeled by a hierarchy of several classes;

said hierarchy has derived classes being derived from other classes;

said derived classes are directly derived from another class, if no further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said derived classes are indirectly derived from another class, if at least one further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said data is available in form of instances of said classes;

in said relational database, database tables and database views can be created;

in said database tables, data is stored in the form of records; and

said database views are defined by a view creation rule specifying conditions under which said records from said database tables are included into the database view;

having the following steps;

creating one database table for each of said classes, in order to store said instances of said classes in said database tables in the form of individual records; and

creating one database view for each class, wherein the respective view creation rule is defined so that the respective database view includes records for all instances of that class and for all instances of the directly and indirectly derived classes of that class, wherein the records;

originate from that class'"'"'s database table, and

originate from the database views of classes directly derived from that class, if at least one directly derived class exists.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein each of said classes has at least one attribute and wherein the tables of the directly derived classes list, in the form of columns, at least all attributes of the classes from which those derived classes were derived.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein said database views have columns only for those of their respective class'"'"'s attributes, for which the class'"'"'s table has columns also.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

said database tables and said database views each have one column for storing a unique identifier for each record of an instance being stored in the respective database table or view, respectively.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

said database views each have one column for storing information for each record of said database view, said information being related to the table the record originates from or to the class the record'"'"'s instance originates from.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein:

said information is the name of the table or the name of the class.

13. A method to be carried out on a computer for retrieving data of a technical system stored in a relational database, wherein:

said technical system is modeled by a hierarchy of several classes;

said hierarchy has derived classes being derived from other classes;

said derived classes are directly derived from another class, if no further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said derived classes are indirectly derived from another class, if at least one further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

in said database exists one database table for each of said classes of the class hierarchy, containing the instances generated from that class in the form of records;

in said database exists one database view for each of said classes, from which at least another classes is derived;

said database views are defined such that they take over;

the records of the corresponding class'"'"'s table, as well as

the records from the views of those classes being directly derived from the corresponding class and having at least one directly derived class of their own, and

the records from the tables of those classes being directly derived from the corresponding class and having no derived class of their own;

said database views have a column for storing information for each record of said views, said information being related to the table the record originates from or the class the record'"'"'s instance originates from; and

wherein said data to be retrieved comprises instances of said classes which are specifiable by criteria regarding the attributes of said instances;

having;

a first step for retrieving from one of said database views corresponding to one class all instances of said class and all instances of derived classes, wherein only the records of those instances are retrieved, which meet said criteria; and

a second step for retrieving all instances retrieved in the first step from the tables of their respective classes together with all required attributes.

14. A method to be carried out on a computer for retrieving data of a technical system stored in a relational database, wherein:

said technical system is modeled by a hierarchy of several classes;

said hierarchy has derived classes being derived from other classes;

said derived classes are directly derived from another class, if no further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said derived classes are indirectly derived from another class, if at least one further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

in said database exists one database table for each of said classes of the class hierarchy, containing the instances generated from that class in the form of records;

in said database exists one database view for each of said classes;

said database views are defined such that they take over;

the records of the corresponding class'"'"'s table, as well as

the records from the views of those classes being directly derived from the corresponding class, if the corresponding class has derived classes,

said database views have a column for storing information for each record of said views, said information being related to the table the record originates from or the class the record'"'"'s instance originates from; and

wherein said data to be retrieved comprises instances of said classes which are specifiable by criteria regarding the attributes of said instances;

having;

a first step for retrieving from one of said database views corresponding to one class all instances of said class and all instances of derived classes, wherein only the records of those instances are retrieved, which meet said criteria; and

a second step for retrieving all instances retrieved in the first step from the tables of their respective classes together with all required attributes.

15. A digital storage medium, having electronically readable control signals that are capable of interacting with a programmable computer system such that a method is carried out to store data of a technical system in a relational database, in which:

said technical system is modeled by a hierarchy of several classes;

said hierarchy has derived classes being derived from other classes;

said derived classes are directly derived from another class, if no further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said derived classes are indirectly derived from another class, if at least one further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said data is available in form of instances of said classes;

in said relational database, database tables and database views can be created;

in said database tables, data is stored in the form of records; and

said database views are defined by a view creation rule specifying conditions under which said records from said database tables are included into the database view;

having the following steps;

creating one database table for each of said classes, in order to store said instances of said classes in said database tables if the form of individual records; and

creating one database view for each class, from which at least one other class is derived, wherein the respective view creation rule is defined so that the respective database view includes records for all instances of that class and for all instances of the directly and indirectly derived classes of that class, wherein the records;

originate from that class'"'"'s database table,

originate from the database views of those directly derived classes, from which at least one further class is derived, and

originate from the database tables of those directly derived classes, from which no further classes are derived.

16. A digital storage medium, having electronically readable control signals that are capable of interacting with a programmable computer system such that a method is carried out to store data of a technical system in a relational database, in which:

said technical system is modeled by a hierarchy of several classes;

said hierarchy has derived classes being derived from other classes;

said derived classes are directly derived from another class, if no further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said derived classes are indirectly derived from another class, if at least one further class exists in the hierarchy between the respective derived class and said other class;

said data is available in form of instances of said classes;

in said relational database, database tables and database views can be created;

in said database, tables data is stored in the form of records; and

said database views are defined by a view creation rule specifying conditions under which said records from said database tables are included into the database view;

having the following steps;

creating one database table for each of said classes, in order to store said instances of said classes in said database tables if the form of individual records; and

creating one database view for each class, wherein the respective view creation rule is defined so that the respective database view includes records for all instances of that class and for all instances of the directly and indirectly derived classes of that class, wherein the records;

originate from that class'"'"'s database table, and

originate from the database views of classes directly derived from that class, if at least one directly derived class exists.