Supporting multiple versions of a routine

• US 20060288052A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yothers, Jay A., Dang, Tammie, Yang, Xiaoyu, Chen, Yao-Ching Stephen, Cotner, Curt Lee, Huang, Joe Cheng-yu, Zagelow, Margaret Alice, Cui, Baoqiu, McFeely, Claire Willey, Tsuji, Yumi Kimura, Simanjuntak, Manogari Nogi, Miller, Robert Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Techniques are provided for supporting versions of a routine. A first version of the routine is created. A second version of the routine is generated in response to receiving an alter statement including an add version clause. The second version of the routine is activated in response to receiving an alter statement including an activate version clause.

Claims

1. A method for supporting versions of a routine, comprising:

creating a first version of the routine;

generating a second version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including an add version clause; and

activating the second version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including an activate version clause.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the add version clause is used to create the second version with a same number and a same type of parameters as the first version.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein there are multiple versions of the routine that are capable of being stored in a datastore simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dropping a version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including a drop version clause.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a current routine version indicator to identify a version of the routine.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a request to invoke the routine;

determining whether the version of the routine identified by the current routine version indicator exists; and

invoking the version of the routine identified by the current routine version indicator in response to determining that the version exists.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

invoking an active version in response to determining that the version identified by the current routine version indicator does not exist.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the routine comprises one of a stored procedure and a user defined function.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second version modifies the body of the first version.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second version modifies one or more options of the first version.

11. An article of manufacture for supporting versions of a routine, wherein the article of manufacture comprises a computer readable medium storing instructions, and wherein the article of manufacture is operable to:

create a first version of the routine;

generate a second version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including an add version clause; and

activate the second version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including an activate version clause.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the add version clause is used to create the second version with a same number and a same type of parameters as the first version.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein there are multiple versions of the routine that are capable of being stored in a datastore simultaneously.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the article of manufacture is operable to:

drop a version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including a drop version clause.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the article of manufacture is operable to:

set a current routine version indicator to identify a version of the routine.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the article of manufacture is operable to:

receive a request to invoke the routine;

determine whether the version of the routine identified by the current routine version indicator exists; and

invoke the version of the routine identified by the current routine version indicator in response to determining that the version exists.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the article of manufacture is operable to:

invoke an active version in response to determining that the version identified by the current routine version indicator does not exist.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the routine comprises one of a stored procedure and a user defined function.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the second version modifies the body of the first version.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the second version modifies one or more options of the first version.

21. A system for supporting versions of a routine, comprising:

logic capable of causing operations to be performed, the operations comprising;

creating a first version of the routine;

generating a second version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including an add version clause; and

activating the second version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including an activate version clause.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the add version clause is used to create the second version with a same number and a same type of parameters as the first version.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein there are multiple versions of the routine that are capable of being stored in a datastore simultaneously.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations comprise:

dropping a version of the routine in response to receiving an alter statement including a drop version clause.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations comprise:

setting a current routine version indicator to identify a version of the routine.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the operations comprise:

receiving a request to invoke the routine;

determining whether the version of the routine identified by the current routine version indicator exists; and

invoking the version of the routine identified by the current routine version indicator in response to determining that the version exists.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the operations comprise:

invoking an active version in response to determining that the version identified by the current routine version indicator does not exist.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the routine comprises one of a stored procedure and a user defined function.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the second version modifies the body of the first version.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the second version modifies one or more options of the first version.