Data storage system interface

• US 20050216498A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Bradford, Clare, Georgalas, Nektarios, Fisher, Michael A
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for providing an interface between a client and one or more data storage systems. Existing approaches to the management of multiple, distributed heterogeneous data storage systems are deficient in that they are inflexible to change. To alleviate these deficiencies there is provided a method of providing an interface between a client (307) and one or more data storage systems (309). The method comprises the steps of receiving a request from a client (307), searching, in a rule store populated by modifiable human-readable rules each specifying a handler for use in responding to client requests, for a human readable rule and providing the interface by activating the handler specified in the human readable rule to communicate with the data storage systems.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer system to provide a user interface to a data storage system, said computer system including a rule store storing one or more rules, said method comprising the steps:

providing a user interface to said rule store enabling user configuration of said rule store with one or more rules, each rule including information relating to a handler program, said handler program being associated with one or more user requirements and being operable to interact with said data storage system in accordance with said user requirements;

receiving a request detailing one or more user requirements;

responsive to receipt of said request;

a) searching said rule store for a rule associating said one or more user requirements of said received request with a handler program;

b) running said handler program to interact with said data storage system.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information relating to a handler program comprises the name and the location of the handler program.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information relating to a handler program comprises the handler program itself.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of running a default handler program to interact with said data storage system if no rule associating a handler program with the one or more user requirements of said received request is found.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said rule store user interface provision step comprises storing a rule associating predetermined user requirements with a handler program executable to interact with said rule store to introduce a further rule contained within said request into said rule store.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said further rule replaces an existing rule.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said request comprises a request to store a handler program.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said further handler program comprises a default handler program.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said request contains a rule associating a handler program with the user requirements of said received request.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein said rules are expressed in the form of text.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said rules are reparable using a text editor.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein said rules are indicative of a time after which said rules should no longer be applied.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein said data storage system comprises a plurality of databases.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein said databases are of a different format to each other.

15. A method according to claim 1 wherein said rule store user interface is restricted to a certain class of user.

16. A method according to claim 1 wherein the data storage system user interface is available to a different set of users from those able to modify said rules in said rule store.

17. A method according to claim 1 wherein said computer system comprises a plurality of computers in communication with one another, the handler programs being run on a different computer to the one that receives said request.

18. A method according to claim 1 wherein said computer system comprises a plurality of computers in communication with one another, the rule store being on a different computer to the one that receives said request.

20. A digital data carrier carrying a program of instructions executable by processing apparatus to perform the method steps as set out in claim 1.

19. A computer system operable to provide a user interface to a data storage system, said computer system comprising:

a data storage system;

a rule store;

a user interface to said rule store operable to enable a user to configure said rule store with one or more rules, wherein each rule includes information relating to a handler program, said handler program being associated with one or more user requirements and being operable to interact with said data storage system in accordance with said user requirements;

request receiving means arranged in operation to receive a request detailing one or more user requirements;

rule store searching means operable to search said rule store for a rule associating said one or more user requirements of said received request with a handler program;

handler program running means operable to run said handler program to interact with said data storage system.

21. A method of operating a computer system to provide a user interface to a data storage system, said computer system including a rule store storing one or more rules, each rule associating a handler program with one or more request characteristics, said method comprising:

providing a user interface to said rule store enabling the modification of said rules in said rule store;

receiving a request having one or more request characteristics;

responsive to the receipt of said request;

a) finding a rule in said rule store associating a handler program with the one or more characteristics of said received request; and

b) running said handler program to interact with said data storage system.

22. A method according to claim 21 further comprising the antecedent step of storing one or more rules in said rule store.

23. A computer system for providing a user interface to a data storage system said computer system comprising:

a data storage system;

storing means arranged in operation to store one or more rules, each rule associating a handler program with one or more request characteristics;

means arranged in operation to provide a user interface to said rule store enabling the modification of said rules in said rule store;

receiving means arranged in operation to receive a request having one or more request characteristics;

finding means arranged in operation to find a rule in said rule store associating a handler program with the one or more characteristics of said received request; and

running means arranged in operation to run said handler program to interact with said data storage system.