System and method for a data dictionary cache in a distributed system

• US 20050102277A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hammerich, Reiner, Tsesis, Michael, Hoeft, Kerstin
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A system and method to provide a data dictionary cache in a distributed system is disclosed. An application server may include a data dictionary broker agent to provide an interface between an underlying data dictionary and an application. The application server may also include one or more data dictionary caches to provide efficient access to frequently requested system information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for obtaining a data type comprising:

receiving a request to obtain a data type;

referencing a data dictionary cache in an application server to obtain the requested data type; and

providing the requested data type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the requested data type comprises:

providing the requested data type to a user terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the requested data type comprises:

providing the requested data type to an application server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to obtain the data type comprises:

receiving a request to obtain the data type from a user terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to obtain the data type comprises:

receiving a request to obtain the data type from an application server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to obtain the data type comprises:

receiving a request to obtain a scalar data type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to obtain the data type comprises:

receiving a request to obtain a complex data type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein referencing the data dictionary cache in an application server to obtain the requested data type further comprises:

selecting one of a plurality of data dictionary caches to obtain the requested data type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting one of the plurality of data dictionary caches to obtain the requested data type further comprises:

determining whether the requested data type is stored in the selected data dictionary cache;

obtaining the requested data type from a data dictionary associated with a database system, if the requested data type is not stored in the selected data dictionary cache; and

creating a data dictionary cache to store the obtained data type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the requested data type comprises:

providing a markup language based data type.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing a markup language based data type comprises:

providing an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the application server is a Web application server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the Web application server is a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) application server.

14. An application server comprising:

a data dictionary cache to buffer information from a data dictionary;

a processor and logic executable thereon to

receive a request to obtain a data type,

reference the data dictionary cache to obtain the requested data type, and

provide the requested data type.

15. The application server of claim 14, further comprising:

a network interface to connect to another application server; and

wherein

the processor and logic executable thereon to provide the requested data type includes

a processor and logic executable thereon to provide the requested data type to the other application server.

16. The application server of claim 15, further comprising:

a second data dictionary cache to buffer information from a second data dictionary.

17. The application server of claim 16, wherein the processor and logic executable thereon to reference the data dictionary cache to obtain the requested data type further comprises:

a processor and logic executable thereon to select one of a plurality of data dictionary caches to obtain the requested data type.

18. The application server of claim 17, further comprising:

a network interface to couple the application server to one or more other nodes.

19. The application server of claim 18, wherein the processor and logic executable thereon to select one of a plurality of data dictionary caches to obtain the requested data type comprises:

a processor and logic executable thereon to

determine whether the requested data type is stored in one of the plurality of data dictionary caches,

obtain the requested data type from a data dictionary associated with a database system, if the requested data type is not stored in one of the plurality of data dictionary caches, and

creating a data dictionary cache to store the obtained data type.

20. The application server of claim 14, wherein the application server is a Web application server.

21. The Web application server of claim 20, wherein the Web application server is a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) application server.

22. The Web application server of claim 21, wherein the provided data type is a markup language based data type.

23. The Web application server of claim 22, wherein the provided markup language based data type is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the application server is a Web application server.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the Web application server is a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) application server.

24. A system comprising:

a database system having a data dictionary to provide a data type to an application server; and

the application server, coupled with the database system, having a data dictionary cache to buffer the provided data type.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

a second database system having a second data dictionary to provide a second data type to the application server; and

wherein the application server includes a second data dictionary cache to store the provided second data type from the second data dictionary.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the provided data type is a markup language based data type.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the provided markup language based data type is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

30. An article of manufacture comprising:

an electronically accessible medium providing instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to

receive a request to obtain a data type

reference a data dictionary cache in an application server to obtain the requested data type, and

provide the requested data type.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to receive the request to obtain the data type include instructions that cause the apparatus to

receive a request to obtain a complex data type.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to reference the data dictionary cache in an application server to obtain the requested data type include further instructions that cause the apparatus to

select one of a plurality of data dictionary caches to obtain the requested data type.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to select one of a plurality of data dictionary caches to obtain the requested data type include further instructions that cause the apparatus to

determine whether the requested data type is stored in one of the plurality of data dictionary caches;

obtain the requested data type from a data dictionary associated with a database system, if the requested data type is not stored in one of the plurality of data dictionary caches; and

create a data dictionary cache to store the obtained data type.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to provide the requested data type, cause the apparatus to provide a markup language based data type.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 34, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to provide the markup language based data type, cause the apparatus to provide an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

36. An application server comprising:

means for receiving a request to obtain a data type

means for referencing a data dictionary cache to obtain the requested data type, and

means for providing the requested data type.

37. The application server of claim 36, wherein the means for referencing a data dictionary cache to obtain the requested data type further comprises:

means for selecting one of a plurality of data dictionary caches to obtain the requested data type.

38. The application server of claim 37, wherein the means for selecting one of a plurality of data dictionary caches to obtain the requested data type comprises:

means for determining whether the requested data type is stored in one of the plurality of data dictionary caches;

means for obtaining the requested data type from a data dictionary associated with a database system, if the requested data type is not stored in one of the plurality of data dictionary caches; and

means for creating a data dictionary cache to store the obtained data type.

39. The application server of claim 37, wherein the means for providing the requested data type comprises:

means for providing a markup language based data type.

40. The application server of claim 39, wherein the means for providing the markup language based data type comprises:

means for providing an Extensible Markup Language (XML) based data type.

41. The application server of claim 36, wherein the application server is a Web application server.

42. The Web application server of claim 41, wherein the Web application server is a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) application server.