Variant domains and variant maps in a versioned database management system
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for providing simultaneous visibility to a plurality of variant hierarchies in a versioned data management system, comprising the steps of:
- associating parts with variant domains, each part associated with a respective variant domain;
representing variant domains by variant hierarchies;
upon creation of a new variant of a part, associating with the new variant a variant ID included in the variant hierarchy that represents the variant domain associated with the part;
upon drawing down a new variant of a part from an existing variant of the part, associating with the new variant a variant ID signifying having a lower level in the variant hierarchy than the variant ID of the existing variant on the same branch of the variant hierarchy that represents the variant domain associated with the part; and
representing views of the parts by variant maps, each variant map including a set of variant IDs, each variant ID belonging to a different variant domain.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is provided in a versioned database management system for allowing parts to be versioned according to different variant hierarchies, and for maintaining correct configurations of versions of parts as those parts are drawn down, changed, and promoted. Each version of a part is associated with a variant domain. Each variant domain is represented by a single variant hierarchy whose levels can be used to reference versions of parts in that variant domain and controls how versions of parts in that variant domain are drawn down, changed, and promoted. Variant domain default groups are provided so that tools may add new parts without specifying the variant domains to which the parts are to belong. In order to control which versions of parts and from which version domains are visible, variant maps are defined by the user installation. When a change is made for one configuration, it is simultaneously made in any other configuration identified by a variant map which includes the same variant ID. A variant map thus constructed is used by the VDMS to determine the variant hierarchy level to which any instances created belong, and to determine which instances in a promote group are promoted and to which hierarchy level they are promoted.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for providing simultaneous visibility to a plurality of variant hierarchies in a versioned data management system, comprising the steps of:
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associating parts with variant domains, each part associated with a respective variant domain; representing variant domains by variant hierarchies; upon creation of a new variant of a part, associating with the new variant a variant ID included in the variant hierarchy that represents the variant domain associated with the part; upon drawing down a new variant of a part from an existing variant of the part, associating with the new variant a variant ID signifying having a lower level in the variant hierarchy than the variant ID of the existing variant on the same branch of the variant hierarchy that represents the variant domain associated with the part; and representing views of the parts by variant maps, each variant map including a set of variant IDs, each variant ID belonging to a different variant domain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification