Providing unique views of data based on changes or rules

• US 20080201339A1
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Cohen, Stephen, Gettings, Nathan, McGrew, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,930,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/219 Managing data history or versioning querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2329 using versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2445 Data retrieval commands; View definitions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises creating and storing, in a revisioning database, one or more data objects; wherein a first plurality of the data objects is associated with a base realm representing data shared across all users of the database; wherein a second plurality of the data objects is associated with one or more child realms, wherein each of the child realms represents data local to a project, wherein each of the users is associated with one or more of the child realms; wherein the revisioning database associates each data object to a realm identifier value and to a version identifier value for a plurality of versions of the data object, wherein each of the versions represents a change to the data object by any of a plurality of users; receiving a request from a first user to view a third plurality of data objects in the revisioning database; selecting, based on the base realm, the particular realm, the version identifier value for the data objects in the third plurality, and one or more rules associated with the particular realm and the first user, data objects in the third plurality that can be viewed by the first user; creating a particular data view that includes only the selected data objects; and providing a display of the particular data view to the first user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

creating and storing, in a revisioning database, one or more data objects;

wherein a first plurality of the data objects is associated with a base realm representing data shared across all users of the database;

wherein a second plurality of the data objects is associated with one or more child realms, wherein each of the child realms represents data local to a project, wherein each of the users is associated with one or more of the child realms;

wherein the revisioning database associates each data object to a realm identifier value and to a version identifier value for a plurality of versions of the data object, wherein each of the versions represents a change to the data object by any of a plurality of users;

receiving a request from a first user to view a third plurality of data objects in the revisioning database;

selecting, based on the base realm, the particular realm, the version identifier value for the data objects in the third plurality, and one or more rules associated with the particular realm and the first user, data objects in the third plurality that can be viewed by the first user;

creating a particular data view that includes only the selected data objects; and

providing a display of the particular data view to the first user.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting all objects of the third plurality that are in the base realm.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting all objects of the third plurality that are in each child realm then currently associated with the first user.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving definitions of one or more rules, wherein each rule specifies whether one or more data objects may be provided to a specified child realm;

selecting the data objects in the third plurality based upon the rules as well as the base realm the particular realm, and the version identifier value for the data objects.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving the definitions of the one or more rules from a user, other than the first user, who is associated with realm with which the second plurality of data objects is associated.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request of the first user to update the data objects in a specified child realm;

determining that a change has occurred in at least some of the data objects;

selecting the third plurality of data objects based on determining whether the data objects that have changed can be provided to the first user based on the base realm, the particular realm, and the version identifier value for the data objects.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the particular data view to the first user comprises providing only particular rows of the revisioning database to the first user.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the creating and storing comprises creating and storing an object table comprising rows that represent versions of data objects and columns that represent, for each of the versions, an associated realm, a version value, and a pointer to a previous version.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising asynchronously concurrently receiving, from different users, a plurality of changes to one data object, and in response thereto, creating a new row in the object table for each of the changes, wherein realm columns comprise realm identifiers of realms that are then currently associated with the different users.

10. A revisioning database system, comprising:

a revisioning database comprising one or more data objects;

wherein a first plurality of the data objects is associated with a base realm representing data shared across all users of the database;

wherein a second plurality of the data objects is associated with one or more child realms, wherein each of the child realms represents data local to a project, wherein each of the users is associated with one or more of the child realms;

wherein the revisioning database associates each data object to a realm identifier value and to a version identifier value for a plurality of versions of the data object, wherein each of the versions represents a change to the data object by any of a plurality of users;

application logic coupled to the revisioning database and configured to receive a request from a first user to view a third plurality of data objects in the revisioning database;

select, based on the base realm, the particular realm, the version identifier value for the data objects in the third plurality, and one or more rules associated with the particular realm and the first user, data objects in the third plurality that can be viewed by the first user;

create a particular data view that includes only the selected data objects; and

provide a display of the particular data view to the first user.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the application logic is configured to select all objects of the third plurality that are in the base realm.

12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the application logic is configured to select all objects of the third plurality that are in each child realm then currently associated with the first user.

13. The system as recited in claim 10, comprising further application logic that is configured to receive definitions of one or more rules, wherein each rule specifies whether one or more data objects may be provided to a specified child realm;

select the data objects in the third plurality based upon the rules as well as the base realm, the particular realm, and the version identifier value for the data objects.

14. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising the application logic is configured to receive the definitions of the one or more rules from a user, other than the first user, who is associated with realm with which the second plurality of data objects is associated.

15. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising application logic configured to receive a request of the first user to update the data objects in a specified child realm;

determine that a change has occurred in at least some of the data objects;

select the third plurality of data objects based on determining whether the data objects that have changed can be provided to the first user based on the base realm, the particular realm, and the version identifier value for the data objects.

16. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the application logic configured to provide the particular data view to the first user is configured to provide only particular rows of the revisioning database to the first user.

17. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the application logic is configured to create and store an object table comprising rows that represent versions of data objects and columns that represent, for each of the versions, an associated realm, a version value, and a pointer to a previous version.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising application logic configured to asynchronously concurrently receive, from different users, a plurality of changes to one data object, and in response thereto, create a new row in the object table for each of the changes, wherein realm columns comprise realm identifiers of realms that are then currently associated with the different users.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a revisioning database comprising one or more data objects;

wherein a first plurality of the data objects is associated with a base realm representing data shared across all users of the database;

wherein a second plurality of the data objects is associated with one or more child realms, wherein each of the child realms represents data local to a project, wherein each of the users is associated with one or more of the child realms;

wherein the revisioning database associates each data object to a realm identifier value and to a version identifier value for a plurality of versions of the data object, wherein each of the versions represents a change to the data object by any of a plurality of users;

means for receiving a request from a first user to view a third plurality of data objects in the revisioning database;

means for selecting, based on the base realm, the particular realm, the version identifier value for the data objects in the third plurality, and one or more rules associated with the particular realm and the first user, data objects in the third plurality that can be viewed by the first user;

means for creating a particular data view that includes only the selected data objects; and

means for providing a display of the particular data view to the first user.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having one or more program instructions recorded thereon, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

creating and storing, in a revisioning database, one or more data objects;

wherein a first plurality of the data objects is associated with a base realm representing data shared across all users of the database;

wherein a second plurality of the data objects is associated with one or more child realms, wherein each of the child realms represents data local to a project, wherein each of the users is associated with one or more of the child realms;

wherein the revisioning database associates each data object to a realm identifier value and to a version identifier value for a plurality of versions of the data object, wherein each of the versions represents a change to the data object by any of a plurality of users;

receiving a request from a first user to view a third plurality of data objects in the revisioning database;

selecting, based on the base realm, the particular realm, the version identifier value for the data objects in the third plurality, and one or more rules associated with the particular realm and the first user, data objects in the third plurality that can be viewed by the first user;

creating a particular data view that includes only the selected data objects; and

providing a display of the particular data view to the first user.

21. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the instructions when executed cause selecting all objects of the third plurality that are in the base realm.

22. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the instructions when executed cause selecting all objects of the third plurality that are in each child realm then currently associated with the first user.

23. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising instructions which when executed cause:

receiving definitions of one or more rules, wherein each rule specifies whether one or more data objects may be provided to a specified child realm;

selecting the data objects in the third plurality based upon the rules as well as the base realm the particular realm, and the version identifier value for the data objects.

24. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising instructions which when executed cause receiving the definitions of the one or more rules from a user, other than the first user, who is associated with realm with which the second plurality of data objects is associated.

25. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising instructions which when executed cause:

receiving a request of the first user to update the data objects in a specified child realm;

determining that a change has occurred in at least some of the data objects;

selecting the third plurality of data objects based on determining whether the data objects that have changed can be provided to the first user based on the base realm, the particular realm, and the version identifier value for the data objects.

26. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the instructions when executed cause providing only particular rows of the revisioning database to the first user.

27. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the instructions when executed cause creating and storing an object table comprising rows that represent versions of data objects and columns that represent, for each of the versions, an associated realm, a version value, and a pointer to a previous version.

28. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, further comprising instructions which when executed cause asynchronously concurrently receiving, from different users, a plurality of changes to one data object, and in response thereto, creating a new row in the object table for each of the changes, wherein realm columns comprise realm identifiers of realms that are then currently associated with the different users.