Information processing system and method using time-varying database altering information

• US 5,740,424 A
• Filed: 08/02/1996
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Process Computer Engineering, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Process Computer Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Matsuzaki, Kenji, Hayashi, Keijiro, Wataya, Hiroshi, Onuki, Tsutomu, Terakado, Isao, Nakanishi, Hiroaki, Adachi, Yoshiaki, Tonooka, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Application Number:
  US08/691,472
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 395/610, 395/200.01, 395/200.02, 395/200.03, 395/200.19, 395/680, 395/616, 395/617
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

There is disclosed an information processing system and method capable of coping with a wider range of subjects and intricate changes. In client server structure, time-varying database altering information received from external systems is pooled in servers and distributed to a number of distributed terminals or clients, using broadcasting communication.

Claims

1. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

(a) broadcasting a database altering information received from an external system over a first transmission network;

(b) altering a database managed by an information pooling server on the basis of said database altering information;

(c) transmitting said database altering information received from said first transmission network to a plurality of terminal servers by broadcasting; and

(d) transmitting said database altering information from each of said terminal servers to a plurality of terminals by broadcasting.

2. The information processing method of claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

(e) said information pooling a response/edit processing for an inquiry request from a terminal;

(f) relaying an inquiry request from a terminal connected to one of the terminal servers and transferring, to a communication server which has addressed an inquiry, the inquiry addressed to the information pooling server and the response of the information pooling server to the inquiry; and

(g) receiving at a terminal the database altering information, altering a database managed thereby, and when the database managed thereby is insufficient for an inquiry request from an end-user, transferring the inquiry request to the information storage server.

3. The information processing method of claim 1, wherein a group of machines of a test system are arranged over the first transmission network.

4. The information processing method of claim 3, wherein the group of test machines are connected via a router to the first transmission network.

5. The information processing method of claim 4, wherein data transmitted from the group of machines of the test system and caused to flow through the first transmission network are given an identified for identifying test system data.

6. The information processing method of claim 5, wherein test system data are discarded by the group of machines of the on-line system, whereas the test system data and the on-line system data are received by the group of machines of the test system.

7. An information processing method as claimed in claim 5, wherein database altering information from the information input server of the on-line system parallely taken by the information pooling servers and information relay servers of the on-line system and the information pooling servers and information relay servers of the test system.

8. An information processing method as claimed in claim 5, wherein when at least one of the servers of the group of machines of the on-line system malfunctions, at least one of the servers in the group of machines of the test system is used as a substitute.

9. An information processing method comprising the following steps:

(a) compressing data into a standard format when database altering information is received from an external system, broadcasting the compressed data over a first transmission network and storing data to be stored (hereinafter referred to as pooling) in a database of an information input server; and

(b) said information input server responding to an inquiry from each server connected to said first transmission network with respect to the information to be pooled on the basis of information stored in step (a).

10. The information processing method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of pooling database altering information in the information input server and retransmitting the database altering information when the frequency of transmission of altering information from the external systems is low.

11. The information processing method of claim 9 further comprising the following steps:

(c) monitoring the circuit connected to the information input server, receiving a message including the database altering information from the information input server, and issuing a request for retransmitting the message in case the message therefrom is left out;

(d) altering the database held in each information pooling server on the basis of the database altering information received from the information input server;

(e) pooling the information inputted from a system management server; and

(f) computing exponential information inherent in the system according to the information held in each of the information pooling servers and pooling the results.

12. The information processing method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of transmitting the database altering information received from the information input server to all of a plurality of terminal servers linked to the information relay server by broadcasting and distributing the database altering information pooled in a information relay server.

13. The information processing method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of collecting all the messages of troubles having arisen in each server in the system and in the communication system, and any other alarm messages, and outputting them to a centralized console.

14. An information processing system comprising:

a first transmission network;

a first server, said first server broadcasts database altering information from a plurality of outside systems over said first transmission network;

a second transmission network;

a second server coupled to both said first transmission network and said second transmission network;

a third transmission network; and

a third server said third server being connected to both said second transmission network and said third transmission network;

whereby said second server relays the database altering information broadcasted from the first server to the second transmission network and whereby said third server relays said data base altering information to said third transmission network.

15. The information processing system of claim 14, further comprising a fourth server, said fourth server pools the database altering information broadcasted from said first server, said fourth server being connected to said first transmission network.

16. The information processing system of claim 15, wherein:

said first server is an information input server,

said second server is an information relay server,

said third server is a terminal server, and

said fourth server is an information pooling server.

17. The information processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

a system management server for managing the transmission state of the first transmission network, the system management server being connected to the first transmission network.

18. The information processing system of claim 16, further comprising:

a terminal for displaying information pooling information including the information pooling altering information, the terminal being connected to the third transmission network.

19. The information processing system of claim 16, wherein

said information pooling server and said information relay server simultaneously receive the information pooling altering information transmitted by broadcasting from said information input server.

20. An information processing system as claimed in claim 18, wherein information displayed on the terminal with a frequency higher than a preset one is held in the terminal.

21. An information processing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein when a plurality of external systems are provided, an information input server and an information pooling server are installed for every external system.

22. An information processing system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least a first and a second external system constitute the external system, a first information pooling server corresponding to the first external system has a storage medium for storing database information from the first external system, connected to a second information storage server corresponding to the second external system as a backup, and provided with a program for processing database in the second information pooling server.