INTEGRATED TWO-WAY COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN DATABASE CLIENT USERS AND ADMINISTRATORS

• US 20150081827A1
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bostick, James E., Forlenza, Randolph M., Kaemmerer, John P., Kalyanaraman, Raghuraman, Spooner, Courtney J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,634,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method and system for communicating between database client users and administrators. A message request is received from a database administrator (DBA) responsible for managing aspects of a particular database. The message request includes a database name of the particular database, at least two message recipients, and message content. The message request is a request to send the message content only to the at least two message recipients consisting of at least two but not all database client users currently connected to the particular database. An Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with each message recipient is determined, without using an instant messaging address for any of the message recipients. A first message including the message content is simultaneously transmitted to each of the determined IP addresses. A second message, which includes a reply message to the first message, is received from one of the determined IP addresses.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between database client users and administrators, said method:

a processor of a computer system receiving, from a database administrator (DBA) responsible for managing aspects of a particular database, a message request comprising a database name of the particular database, at least two message recipients, and message content, said message request being a request to send the message content only to the at least two message recipients consisting of at least two but not all database client users currently connected to the particular database;

said processor determining an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with each message recipient, without using an instant messaging address for any of the message recipients;

after said determining the IP address associated with each message recipient, said processor simultaneously transmitting a first message comprising the message content to each of the determined IP addresses; and

said processor receiving a second message from one IP address of the determined IP addresses to which the first message was transmitted, said second message comprising a reply message to the first message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message does not include identification of any specific users of the particular database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the IP address associated with each message recipient comprises cross-referencing the at least two message recipients with a list of IP addresses currently maintained by a database server accessible to the DBA.

4. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising said processor redirecting the second message to an alternative database administrator (DBA) address.

5. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising said processor initiating display of the second message in a display window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aspects of the particular database comprise recoverability, resource management, integrity, security, availability, performance, and development and testing support.

7. A machine-accessible storage device comprising program instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to perform a method for communicating between database client users and administrators, said method comprising:

said processor receiving, from a database administrator (DBA) responsible for managing aspects of a particular database, a message request comprising a database name of the particular database, at least two message recipients, and message content, said message request being a request to send the message content only to the at least two message recipients consisting of at least two but not all database client users currently connected to the particular database;

said processor determining an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with each message recipient, without using an instant messaging address for any of the message recipients;

after said determining the IP address associated with each message recipient, said processor simultaneously transmitting a first message comprising the message content to each of the determined IP addresses; and

said processor receiving a second message from one IP address of the determined IP addresses to which the first message was transmitted, said second message comprising a reply message to the first message.

8. The storage device of claim 7, wherein the first message does not include identification of any specific users of the particular database.

9. The storage device of claim 7, wherein said determining the IP address associated with each message recipient comprises cross-referencing the at least two message recipients with a list of IP addresses currently maintained by a database server accessible to the DBA.

10. The storage device of claim 7, said method further comprising said processor redirecting the second message to an alternative database administrator (DBA) address.

11. The storage device of claim 7, said method further comprising said processor initiating display of the second message in a display window.

12. The storage device of claim 7, wherein the aspects of the particular database comprise recoverability, resource management, integrity, security, availability, performance, and development and testing support.

13. A computer system comprising a processor and a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing program instructions configured to be executed by the processor to implement a method for communicating between database client users and administrators, said method comprising:

said processor receiving, from a database administrator (DBA) responsible for managing aspects of a particular database, a message request comprising a database name of the particular database, at least two message recipients, and message content, said message request being a request to send the message content only to the at least two message recipients consisting of at least two but not all database client users currently connected to the particular database;

said processor determining an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with each message recipient, without using an instant messaging address for any of the message recipients;

after said determining the IP address associated with each message recipient, said processor simultaneously transmitting a first message comprising the message content to each of the determined IP addresses; and

said processor receiving a second message from one IP address of the determined IP addresses to which the first message was transmitted, said second message comprising a reply message to the first message.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the first message does not include identification of any specific users of the particular database.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said determining the IP address associated with each message recipient comprises cross-referencing the at least two message recipients with a list of IP addresses currently maintained by a database server accessible to the DBA.

16. The computer system of claim 13, said method further comprising said processor redirecting the second message to an alternative database administrator (DBA) address.

17. The computer system of claim 13, said method further comprising said processor initiating display of the second message in a display window.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the aspects of the particular database comprise recoverability, resource management, integrity, security, availability, performance, and development and testing support.