Techniques for distributing data among mobile nodes based on dynamically generated data objects in a distributed object-oriented database

• US 20080126403A1
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moon, Billy
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/103R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases

Abstract

Techniques for managing data distributed over nodes in a network include receiving, at an original node, content data that describes a physical entity that is not a router in a vicinity of the original node. In response to receiving the content, a beacon data object is generated in an object-oriented database distributed over the network nodes. The beacon holds the content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon. A node that has ownership of the beacon performs the step of terminating the beacon based on the policy data. Ownership of the beacon can be transferred so that the beacon stays associated with the physical entity, such as a room in a building, even as a mobile original node moves away from the physical entity. The content data can indicate conditions that invite responsive action, such as hazardous environmental conditions.

Claims

1. A method at a node for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at an original node in a network, content data that describes a physical entity in a vicinity of the original node, wherein the physical entity is not a router and a router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network;

in response to receiving the content data, generating a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in the network, wherein the beacon data object holds the content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object; and

causing a node that has ownership of the beacon object to perform the step of terminating the beacon data object based on the policy data.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the policy data further indicates how to alert a remote node different from the node that has a copy of the beacon object about the content data; and

the method further comprises causing the node that has a copy of the beacon object to perform the step of alerting a remote node about the content data based on the policy data.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of causing the node that has ownership to perform the step of transferring ownership of the beacon data object to a second node different from the node that has ownership.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of causing the node that has ownership to perform the step of changing the content data.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of associating the beacon data object with a different object in the object oriented database, wherein the different object is associated with the physical entity.

6. A method at a node for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving alert data at a node in a network from a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in the network;

wherein

the beacon data object holds content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object,

the content data describes a physical entity in a vicinity of an original node in the network,

the physical entity is not a router, and

each router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network;

in response to receiving the alert data, sending a request to the beacon object for a data stream based on the content data from the beacon data object; and

in response to sending the request, receiving from the beacon object a data stream based on the content data.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein:

the method further comprises the step of determining a particular type of beacon data object from which to receive alerts; and

said step of receiving alert data is performed only if a type of the beacon data object that sends the alert is the particular type of beacon data object.

8. A method at a node for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a particular node a copy of a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in the network;

wherein

the beacon data object holds content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object and how to alert a remote node different from the particular node about the content data;

content data describes a physical entity in a vicinity of an original node, the physical entity is not a router;

each router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network, and

the particular node is different from the original node; and

alerting the remote node about the content data based on the policy data.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising receiving ownership of the beacon data object.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising terminating the beacon data object based on the policy data while the particular data has ownership of the beacon data object.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising transferring ownership of the beacon data object to a second node different from the particular node while the particular data has ownership of the beacon data object.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising changing the content data while the particular data has ownership of the beacon data object.

13. An apparatus for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising:

means for receiving content data that describes a physical entity in a vicinity of the apparatus, wherein the physical entity is not a router and a router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network;

means for generating a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in the network in response to receiving the content data, wherein the beacon data object holds the content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object; and

means for causing a node that has ownership of the beacon object to perform the step of terminating the beacon data object based on the policy data.

14. An apparatus for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising:

means for receiving alert data from a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network;

wherein

the beacon data object holds content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object,

the content data describes a physical entity in a vicinity of an original node in the network,

the physical entity is not a router, and

each router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network;

means for sending a request to the beacon object for a data stream based on the content data from the beacon data object in response to receiving the alert data; and

means for receiving from the beacon object a data stream based on the content data in response to sending the request.

15. An apparatus for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising:

means for receiving a copy of a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network;

wherein

the beacon data object holds content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object and how to alert a remote node different from the apparatus about the content data;

content data describes a physical entity in a vicinity of an original node, the physical entity is not a router;

each router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network, and

the apparatus is different from the original node; and

means for alerting the remote node about the content data based on the policy data.

16. An apparatus for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating one or more packet flows therewith;

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media; and

one or more sequences of instructions carried by the computer-readable media, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of;

receiving content data that describes a physical entity in a vicinity of the apparatus, wherein the physical entity is not a router and a router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network;

in response to receiving the content data, generating a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in the network, wherein the beacon data object holds the content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object; and

causing a node that has ownership of the beacon object to perform the step of terminating the beacon data object based on the policy data.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the policy data further indicates how to alert a remote node different from the node that has a copy of the beacon object about the content data; and

execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of causing the node that has a copy of the beacon object to perform the step of alerting a remote node about the content data based on the policy data.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of causing a node that has a copy of the beacon object to perform the step of responding to a request from a remote node different from the node that has ownership by sending the content data to the remote node.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, said step of responding to a request from the remote node by sending the content data to the remote node further comprising responding to a request for a particular format by performing the steps of:

converting the content data to converted content data in the particular format; and

sending the converted content data to the remote node.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of causing the node that has ownership to perform the step of transferring ownership of the beacon data object to a second node different from the node that has ownership.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of causing the node that has ownership to perform the step of changing the content data.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the network interface is a wireless interface; and

the apparatus is mounted on a mobile platform.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, said step of receiving content data further comprising receiving human input data that indicates one of a plurality of predefined physical states for one or more physical entities.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, said step of receiving content data further comprising receiving sensor data that measures one or more properties of the physical entity.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, said step of receiving content data further comprising receiving operational data that permits operation of one or more functions of the physical entity.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 25, said step of receiving operational data further comprising receiving credentials for operation of one or more secure functions of the physical entity.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of associating the beacon data object with a different object in the object oriented database, wherein the different object is associated with the physical entity.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the physical entity associated with the different object is moving.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, said step of terminating the beacon data object based on the policy data further comprising causing the beacon object to persist indefinitely based on the policy data.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the content data indicates a change in state of the physical entity for which a responsive action is desired by a second physical entity associated with a different node.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 30, wherein the content data indicates a change in hazardous environmental conditions at the physical entity.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 30, wherein the content data indicates a change in state during a search and rescue operation.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 30, wherein the content data indicates a change in security conditions associated with the physical entity.

34. An apparatus for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating one or more packet flows therewith;

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media; and

one or more sequences of instructions carried by the computer-readable media, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of;

receiving alert data from a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in the network;

in response to receiving the alert data, sending a request to the beacon object for a data stream based on content data in the beacon data object; and

in response to sending the request, receiving from the beacon object a data stream based on the content data.

wherein

the beacon data object holds the content data and holds policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object,

the content data describes a physical entity in a vicinity of an original node in the network,

the physical entity is not a router, and

each router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network.

35. An apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein:

execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of determining a particular type of beacon data object from which to receive alerts; and

said step of receiving alert data is performed only if a type of the beacon data object that sends the alert is the particular type of beacon data object.

36. An apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of performing an operation based on the data stream received from the beacon data object.

37. An apparatus for managing data in a database distributed among a plurality of nodes in a network, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating one or more packet flows therewith;

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media; and

one or more sequences of instructions carried by the computer-readable media, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of;

receiving a copy of a beacon data object in an object-oriented database distributed among a plurality of nodes in the network; and

alerting a remote node about content data based on policy data in the beacon data object.

wherein

the beacon data object holds the content data and holds the policy data that indicates how to terminate the beacon data object and how to alert the remote node different from the apparatus about the content data;

the content data describes a physical entity in a vicinity of an original node, the physical entity is not a router;

each router in the network directs data packets among nodes in the network based on at least part of a topology of the network, and

the apparatus is different from the original node.

38. An apparatus as recited in claim 37, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of responding to a request from the remote node by sending the content data to the remote node.

39. An apparatus as recited in claim 38, said step of responding to a request from the remote node by sending the content data to the remote node further comprising responding to a request from the remote node for a particular format by performing the steps of:

converting the content data to converted content data in the particular format; and

sending the converted content data to the remote node.

40. An apparatus as recited in claim 37, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of receiving ownership of the beacon data object.

41. An apparatus as recited in claim 40, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of terminating the beacon data object based on the policy data while the particular data has ownership of the beacon data object.

42. An apparatus as recited in claim 40, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of transferring ownership of the beacon data object to a second node different from the particular node while the particular data has ownership of the beacon data object.

43. An apparatus as recited in claim 40, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to carry out the step of changing the content data while the particular data has ownership of the beacon data object.

44. An apparatus as recited in claim 38, wherein:

the network interface is a wireless interface; and

the apparatus is mounted on a mobile platform.