Systems and methods for fragment-based serialization

• US 20050234868A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rangarajan, Srikumar, Zwilling, Michael J., Terek, F. Soner, Kalhan, Ajay, Ponnekanti, Nagavamsi
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90348 by searching ordered data, e.g. alpha-numerically ordered data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4493 Object persistence

Abstract

A method and system for fragment-based serialization places one or more object members in fragments. Fragments may comprise a header and a payload. A header can provide useful information about the fragment, such as an indication of fragment type and an indication of fragment length. A payload may comprise one or more members of an object. Primitive members may be stored in a Binary Fragment with a record format payload. LOB and FS members may be stored in fragments that have a Value Type field for setting forth additional properties of the fragment. Collections may be stored in a series of fragments, a first fragment to indicate a start of a collection, one or more second fragments to serialize collection elements, and a Terminator Fragment to indicate the end of a collection. Fragment-serialized objects minimize storage overhead while providing fast instantiation and low-cost location and updating.

Claims

1. A method for storing or transmitting a data object made of one or more data members, comprising:

dividing a plurality of sequentially located bytes into at least one header section and at least one payload section; and

representing at least one data member in the payload section, wherein said at least one data member is associated with a data type; and

representing the data type in the header section; and

placing the at least one data member in the payload section in a record format, wherein the record format defines a predictable location for said at least one data member in relation to any other members in the payload section.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data member is associated with a primitive data type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising representing a payload length in the header section.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further dividing the plurality of sequentially located bytes into at least one second header section and at least one second payload section, wherein said at least one second header section and said at least one second payload section are located proximally to each other; and

representing location information for the at least one second data member in the at least one second payload section, wherein the location information specifies a location of a location type; and

identifying the location type in the second header section.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising placing a LOB type data member in the at least one second payload section.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising placing a FS type data member in the at least one second payload section.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising representing a payload length in the at least one second header section.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further dividing the plurality of sequentially located bytes into at least one second header section; and

marking with said at least one second header section the start of a collection of related data members located substantially proximally to said at least one second header section.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising indicating in said at least one second header section whether the collection of related data members is ordered or unordered.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further dividing the plurality of sequentially located bytes into at least one second header section; and

marking with said at least one second header section the end of the data object.

11. A computer readable medium bearing instructions for storing or transmitting a data object made of one or more data members, comprising:

instructions for dividing a plurality of sequentially located bytes into at least one header section and at least one payload section; and

instructions for representing at least one data member in the payload section, wherein said at least one data member is associated with a data type; and

instructions for representing the data type in the header section; and

instructions for placing the at least one data member in the payload section in a record format, wherein the record format defines a predictable location for said at least one data member in relation to any other members in the payload section.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the at least one data member is associated with a primitive data type.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for representing a payload length in the header section.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions for further dividing the plurality of sequentially located bytes into at least one second header section and at least one second payload section, wherein said at least one second header section and said at least one second payload section are located proximally to each other;

instructions for representing location information for the at least one second data member in the at least one second payload section, wherein the location information specifies a location of a location type; and

instructions for identifying the location type in the second header section.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for representing a payload length in the at least one second header section.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions for further dividing the plurality of sequentially located bytes into at least one second header section; and

instructions for marking with said at least one second header section the start of a collection of related data members located substantially proximally to said at least one second header section.

17. A method for uniquely identifying a data object made of one or more data members, said method comprising:

determining a unique identifier for a non-primitive member in the object;

determining a subtype depth value for the object;

determining a locator identifier for a locator associated with the object;

using one or more of said unique identifier, said subtype depth, and said locator identifier to identify the data object.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the non-primitive member is one or more of a large object (LOB), a filestream (FS), and another object.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the object is a User Defined Type (UDT) object.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a sequence of steps required to locate the object.