Method, apparatus and system for transforming, converting and processing messages between multiple systems

• US 20070239818A1
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hsiao, Chiun-Feng, Liou, Ming-Tao, Yeap, Hwee
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of sending change information from a first database to a second database. The method includes managing a set of transactions to produce a first message using custom scripts and default processing. The method also includes transforming the first message into a second message using custom scripts and default processing. The method further includes converting the second message into a transmittable message using custom scripts and default processing. In an alternate embodiment, the present invention is a method of receiving change information for a second database from a first database. The method includes converting a received message into a second message using custom scripts and default processing. The method further includes transforming the second message into a third message using custom scripts and default processing. The method also includes processing the third message to form a set of transactions using custom scripts and default processing. The method may further include effecting changes in the second database with the set of transactions using custom scripts and default processing.

Claims

1. A method of sending change information from a first database to a second database, comprising:

within the first database, identifying data that has changed since some prior point in time;

generating one or more commands associated with the identified data;

attaching a tag to a first command of the one or more commands, wherein the tag comprises a conversion rule for the first command, wherein the conversion rule when employed, is configured to resolve at least one discrepancy resulting from a database schema for the first database being different from a database schema for the second database;

generating a first message as a function of the one or more commands;

transforming the first message into a second message; and

converting the second message into a transmittable message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

finding a record identifier related to the first command, invoking a method for the first command and the record associated with the record identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

transforming the first message into the second message comprises finding a next part of the first message, identifying sub-message parts of the next part, traversing a body of the first message, finding the first command of the body of the first message, transforming the first command of the body of the first message into a special format based on a set of pre-defined rules for repackaging, and packaging the formatted first message into the second message.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

converting the second message into the transmittable message comprises finding the second message, determining whether an envelope is required for the transmittable message, processing a transaction of the second message processing data objects of the transaction of the second message, generating processing instructions for the second message, and assembling the processed transaction, processed data objects, and processing instructions into the transmittable message.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

converting the second message into the transmittable message further comprises generating an envelope and headers if required for the transmittable message, and attaching the processed transaction and the processed data objects to the envelope of the transmittable message if the envelope is present.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

transforming the first message into the second message further comprises processing a header portion of the first message and passing through non-commands of the body portion of the first message.

52. The method of claim 1 wherein the conversion rule resolve the discrepancy resulting from the data type of a customer_id in the first database being defined as of type string and the data type of the customer_id being of type integer in the second database.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the conversion rule cause the system to perform a set of predefined operations to convert the parameter customer_id from data type string into data type integer to resolve the discrepancy resulting from the distinct data types in the first and the second database.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. A method of receiving change information for a second database from a first database, comprising:

converting a first message into a second message using custom scripts and default processing, wherein the first message is received from a system comprising the first database;

employing a conversion rule for resolving at least one discrepancy resulting from distinction in the database schemas for the first database and second database;

transforming the second message into a third message; and

processing the third message to form a set of transactions.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

converting the first message into the second message comprises finding the first message, determining whether the first message comprises an envelope, finding a first transaction in the first message, processing the first transaction to produce a second transaction, finding a first object of the first transaction, processing the first object to produce a second object, and assembling the second transaction and the second object into the second message.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

converting the first message into the second message further comprises finding the envelope and finding headers, processing the envelope and processing the headers, attaching the second transaction and the second object to the envelope and wherein assembling further comprises assembling the processed envelope into the second message.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

converting the first message into the second message further comprises custom transaction processing in addition to default transaction processing.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

transforming the second message into the third message comprises, identifying a portion of the second message as a body portion, finding a command of the body portion, finding and processing the second transaction to produce a third transaction, and packaging the third transaction into a new format of the third message.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

transforming the second message into the third message further comprises processing an envelope of the second message processing a header portion of the second message, and passing through non-command body portions of the second message.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

processing the third message to form the set of transactions comprises finding a portion of the third message, processing a command of the portion of the third message, invoking a method based on the command of the portion of the third message, and packaging results of the method utilizing a custom script for the second database.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

processing the third message to form the set of transactions further comprises passing through non-command portions of the third message, and performing custom processing of the command in addition to default processing of the command.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

effecting changes in the second database with the set of transactions.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

effecting changes in the second database with the set of transactions comprises processing instructions of the transactions utilizing, and assembling the transaction for transfer to the second database.

19. A method of sending change information from a first database to a second database, comprising:

identifying data within the first database that has changed as a result of a set of transactions;

generating a command relating to the identified data;

finding a record identifier related to the change identified data;

invoking a method for the command and a record associated with the record identifier;

attaching a tag comprising a conversion rule for the first command wherein the first command when implemented, resolve at least one discrepancy resulting from a distinct database schemas of the first and second databases;

packaging a result of the method invoked for the command to produce a first message;

identifying a part of the first message;

identifying sub-message parts of the part;

traversing a body of the first message;

identifying the command in the body;

transforming the format of the identified command into a transformed command;

packaging the transformed command into a second message;

determining whether an envelope is required;

processing a transaction of the second message;

processing data objects of the transaction;

generating processing instructions for the second message; and

assembling the processed transaction, processed data objects, and processing instructions into a transmittable message.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein:

converting the second message into the transmittable message further comprises generating an envelope and headers if required for the transmittable message; and

attaching the processed transaction and the processed data objects to the envelope of the transmittable message if the envelope is present.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

processing a header portion of the first message; and

passing through non-commands of the body portion of the first message.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein:

processing the transaction of the second message comprises customized pre-processing of the transaction of the second message in addition to default processing of the transaction of the second message.

22. (canceled)

24-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of sending change information from a first database to a second database, the method comprising:

within the first database, identifying data that has changed since some prior point in time;

generating one or more commands associated with the identified data;

attaching a tag to a first command of the one or more commands, wherein the tag comprises a conversion rule for the first command the conversion rule when employed is configured to resolve at least one discrepancy resulting from distinct database management systems for the first database and the second database;

generating a first message as a function of the one or more commands;

transforming the first message into a second message utilizing a custom script and default processing; and

converting the second message into a transmittable message;

transmitting the transmittable message to a computer system in data communication with the second database.

31-51. -51. (canceled)