Generic database structure and related systems and methods for storing data independentof data type

• US 20060059210A1
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: MacDonald, Glynne, Al-Rawi, Salam, Oyston, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/942,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059210A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/81 Indexing, e.g. XML tags; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying

Abstract

A generic database structure is provided for storing data independent of data type. In particular, this invention pertains to a database wherein each record is divided into one or more keys used for identifying the record and an XML document for storing the substance of the record. When new data, which has an XML format, is input into the database, it is searched for the one or more keys, which are extracted and stored as one or more separate fields in the associated new record. When the substance of the records is queried, the associated XML documents are searched using techniques known in the art. According to this invention, the database structure remains constant regardless of the types of data stored in it.

Claims

1. A method for storing data, comprising:

receiving a plurality of data for storing, the plurality of data being received in a searchable data structure;

retrieving key data from the searchable data structure;

storing as a record in a computer-readable database, the key data and the searchable data structure such that the key data and the searchable data structure are in separate fields in the database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the searchable data structure is an XML document.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the XML document comprises data of multiple data types.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the searchable data structure comprises data of multiple data types.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

marking important information in the searchable data structure, the information marked as important indicating the key data to be retrieved from the data structure.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a type of information that the searchable data structure describes using information provided by a data store, the data store identifying types of information and important information within each type; and

marking important information in the searchable data structure using the data store and the identified type of information that the searchable data structure describes, the information marked as important indicating the key data to be retrieved from the data structure.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the key data represents a primary key.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the key data represents a plurality of keys.

9. A method for retrieving data, comprising:

receiving a request for data;

determining whether the request pertains to data in a key field in the database;

searching the key field for a record having key data that fulfills the request, if it is determined that the request pertains to a key field in the database;

searching a data field in the database for a record having a searchable data structure comprising data that fulfills the request, if it is determined that the request does not pertain to a key field in the database; and

transmitting one or more records determined to fulfill the request.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the searchable data structure is an XML document.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the XML document comprises data of multiple data types.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the searchable data structure comprises data of multiple data types.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the key data represents a primary key.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the key data represents a plurality of keys.

15. A computer-readable memory encoded with data representing a database, the memory comprising:

a plurality of searchable data structures each storing a plurality of data; and

for each searchable data structure, key data retrieved from the associated searchable data structure,

wherein a combination of key data and one of the searchable data structures is a record in the database, and the key data facilitates rapid identification of the associated record.

16. The memory of claim 15 wherein the searchable data structures are XML documents.

17. The memory of claim 16 wherein the XML documents comprise data of multiple data types.

18. The memory of claim 15 wherein the searchable data structures comprise data of multiple data types.

19. The memory of claim 18 wherein at least some of the searchable data structures comprise data of different data types than the other searchable data structures.

20. The memory of claim 15 wherein the key data represents a primary key.

21. The memory of claim 15 wherein the key data represents a plurality of keys.

22. A system for storing and retrieving data, comprising:

a processing component;

a communication device communicatively connected to the processing component by which the processing component receives requests for data and transmits responses to the requests; and

a computer-readable memory according to claim 15 that is communicatively connected to the processing component, to which the processing component submits data requests and receives responses to the requests.

23. The system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a server computer comprising the processing component and the communication device; and

a client computer communicatively connected to the server computer,

wherein the client computer transmits data requests to the server computer, and the server computer transmits responses to the requests to the client computer.

24. The system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a server computer comprising the processing component, the communication device, and the computer-readable memory; and

a client computer communicatively connected to the server computer,

wherein the client computer transmits data requests to the server computer, and the server computer transmits responses to the requests to the client computer.