System and method for a data protocol layer and the transfer of data objects using the data protocol layer

• US 20060069702A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloomberg Finance Holdings L P, Bloomberg Finance LP (Bloomberg LP)
• Original Assignee: Broadway Technology LLC (ION Investment Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Walsky, Joshua, Moeller, Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0806 Multiuser, multiprocessor or multiprocessing cache systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Presented are a system and method for sharing data objects among applications. Included is a data protocol layer that permits a flow of data messages among the applications, where a portion of the data messages include data objects stored in a data store. A client library is coupled between the applications and the data protocol layer. A data request module associated with each client library requests data objects from the data stores that match a particular data object set. A management server receives the request, parses the request, retrieves any matching data objects, and causes the return of the any matching data objects to the data request module. Associated with the management server is a registration module that accepts subscriptions from subscribing applications. An event notification module associated with the management server compares a data object in a data message with the subscriptions, and notifies the subscribing applications in response.

Claims

1. A system for sharing data objects among applications available on a network, comprising:

a data protocol layer that permits a flow of data messages among applications on the network, at least a portion of the data messages including at least one data object;

a client library coupled between each respective application and the data protocol layer;

a data-type definition language that defines one or more data-types shareable among the applications through each of the respective client libraries;

a data-set definition language that defines data-object sets that are of a given data-type;

one or more data stores that contain data objects including, singularly or collectively, the data objects in the data-object sets;

a data request module associated with each client library and operable to request data objects from the data stores that match a particular data-object set;

a management server in communication with the data stores and configured to receive a request from the data request module, parse the request, retrieve any matching data objects, and cause the return of the any matching data objects to the data request module;

a registration module associated with the management server and configured to accept subscriptions from subscribing applications; and

an event notification module associated with the management server and configured to receive a data message from the applications on the network, compare the at least one data object in the data message with one or more of the subscriptions, and selectively notify the subscribing applications in response to the comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the request and the subscription each have a respective format and wherein the respective formats are defined by the data-set definition language.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscription comprises a data-object set description described in the data-set definition language.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the event message comprises an indication of at least one of a data object creation, a data object modification, and a data object deletion event and wherein the event notification module is operable to identify whether the event message indication is an in-scope, out-of-scope, or into-scope event.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data-object sets comprise a plurality of the given-data-types.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the management server is configured to return the any matching data to the data request module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the management server is configured to provide routing information needed to effectuate the return of the any matching data to the data request module.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data messages flow on the network is in one of a request/response mode and a publish/subscribe mode.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each respective application is written in a native language, and wherein the client library is configured to complement each respective application'"'"'s native language.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store one of a disc storage device, magnetic media storage device, holographic storage device, or a solid state memory device.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an object pool associated with the client library and containing instantiations of at least one of the data objects; and

a handle comprising a reference to one of the data objects in the object pool, wherein the client library is operable to return the handle to its coupled application so that the any matching data objects and the selective notification are accessible to the application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the selective notification contains data objects, wherein the any matching data objects and the selective notification data objects include revision information, and wherein one of the instantiation the data objects is updated.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data objects are stored in a relational database located at the data store.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring module in communication with each respective application and configured to monitor the status of the applications.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a statistical analysis module in communication with each respective application and configured to gather operational statistics of the applications.

16. The system of the claim 1, wherein the data-set definition language comprises definitions that define the data-object sets in a query format that is operable to logically combine expressions so as to compare fields within the data request to at least one of a constant value, a calculated value, and data fields within the data objects.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the data-set definition language comprises definitions that define the data-object sets in a procedural format that is operable to describe a remote procedure to be executed with optional arguments, and wherein the remote procedure returns a set of data.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the data-set definition language comprises:

definitions that define the data-object sets in a query format that is operable to logically combine expressions so as to compare fields within the data request; and

definitions that define the data-object sets in a procedural format that that is operable to describe a remote procedure to be executed with optional arguments.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the selective notifications are sent in one of a point-to-point mode and a broadcast mode.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the data-set definition language is one of a textual-based language readable by a human and a derivation of a standard query language having the addition of constructs that execute remote procedure calls.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data cache that contains data objects that meet the data definition statement, wherein the data cache includes a handle to the data objects within the data cache.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein data objects are added and removed from the data cache in response to respective into-scope events, in-scope events, and out-of-scope events.

23. A method for sharing data objects among applications available on a network, comprising:

providing a client library coupled between each of the respective applications and a data protocol layer, wherein the client library is associated with a data request module;

permitting, by the data protocol layer, a flow of data messages among each respective application on the network, at least a portion of the data messages including at least one data object;

placing a management server in communication with one or more data stores, wherein the management server is associated with a registration module and an event notification module, and wherein the data store contains data objects including, singularly or collectively, the data objects in the data-object sets;

defining one or more data-types in a data-type definition language, wherein the data-types are shareable among the applications through each of the respective client libraries;

defining one or more data-object sets in a data-set definition language, wherein the data-object sets are of a given data-type;

requesting, by the data request module, data objects from the data stores that match a particular data-object set;

receiving, at the management server, the request from the data request module, parsing the request, retrieving any matching data objects, and causing the return of the any matching data objects to the data request module;

accepting, at the registration module, subscriptions from subscribing applications; and

capturing, at the event notification module, a data message from one of the applications on the network, comparing the at least one data object in the data message with one or more of the subscriptions, and selectively notifying the subscribing applications in response thereto.

24. The method of claim 23, including the additional step of defining a format of the request from the data request module and a format of the subscription from the subscribing applications in the data-set definition language.

25. The method of claim 23, including the additional step of describing the subscription with a data-object set description described in the data-set definition language.

26. The method of claim 23, including the additional step of returning, by the management server, the any matching data to the data request module.

27. The method of claim 23, including the additional step of providing routing information, from the management server, effectuating the return of the any matching data to the data request module.

28. The method of claim 23, including the additional step of monitoring the status of the applications by a monitoring module in communication with each respective application.

29. The method of claim 23, including the additional step of gathering operational statistics of the applications by a statistical analysis module in communication with each respective application.

30. The method of claim 23, including the additional step of defining the data-object sets in a query format that logically combines expressions and compares fields within the data request to at least one of a constant value, a calculated value, and data fields within the data objects.

31. The method of claim 23, including the additional steps of:

defining the data-object sets in a procedural format that describes a remote procedure that executes with optional arguments; and

returning a set of data from the remote procedure call.

32. The method of claim 23, including the additional steps of:

defining the data-object sets in a query format that logically combines expressions and compares fields within the data request; and

defining the data-object sets in a procedural format that describes a remote procedure that executes with optional arguments.

33. The method of claim 23, including the additional steps of:

associating an object pool with the client library;

populating the object pool with an instantiation of at least one of the data objects; and

referencing one of the data objects in the object pool with a handle, wherein the client library returns the handle to its coupled application so that the any matching data objects and the selective notification are accessible to the application.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the selective notification contains data objects, wherein the any matching data objects and the selective notification data objects include revision information, and further including the additional step of updating one of the instantiation of the data objects.