Device accessing a database using one of old definition information and new definition information based on an access request

• US 5,881,378 A
• Filed: 04/20/1995
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Hayashi, Tomohiro, Hayashi, Katsumi, Ishii, Takuji, Sekine, Yutaka, Mitani, Masaaki, Obata, Takashi, Saitou, Kazuhiko, Ohsato, Hiroshi, Ura, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US08/425,611
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/440, 395/445, 395/DIG. 1, 395/700, 395/604, 395/611, 395/615, 395/617, 395/703, 364/243, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A derived database processing system in a database processing device comprises a plurality of independent databases which can provide a plurality of users with a group of data to be shared for a common purpose. The derived database processing system comprises a dictionary for managing database logical definition information and database storage information in a secondary memory, a derived database registering unit for determining a definition frame of a new name without violating a definition frame of a name used in a schema definition which defines data in a database, a dictionary information manipulating means for referring to said dictionary when the manipulation target is a derived database, then selecting necessary components of said database, and a database processing procedure generating unit, in a binding process to optimize access routing in a database. The derived database processing means also comprises a database definition management means which replaces an old version of a database definition information with a new version by utilizing a consistency monitoring means and an integrity monitoring means associated with it.

Claims

1. A database processing device for accessing a database according to database definition information, comprising definition elements, said device comprising:

definition modification managing means for managing during modification of the definition information, an old version of the definition information, said old version of the definition information being subsequently replaced, and a new version of the definition information being created and relation information between said definition elements of said old version of the definition information and said definition elements of said new version of the definition information;

access selecting means for selecting, in response to an access request, one of an access using the old version of the definition information and an access using the new version of the definition information;

consistency monitoring means for checking consistency among the definition elements of said new version of the definition information in a checking range; and

integrity monitoring means for checking integrity among the new version of the definition elements, the old version of the definition elements, application programs, and data.

2. A database processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for designating a plurality of the definition elements as the checking range.

3. Data base processing device according to claim 2, wherein

said checking range designating means comprises a designation in accordance with a classification by a table and a designation in accordance with a classification by a logical structure storage structure and a physical structure.

4. A database processing device according to claim 1, wherein said consistency monitoring means comprises:

means for determining validity of relationships between the definition elements related to a table by checking whether one of upper definition elements, lower definition elements, and both, of the table relation are borrowed,

means for determining validity of a referential constraint by determining whether one of the upper definition elements, the lower definition elements, and both, of the referential constraint are borrowed, and

means for determining validity of a view by determining whether one of the upper definition elements, the lower definition elements, and both, of the view are borrowed.

5. A definition modifying method for a database processing device for accessing a database according to database information, said method comprising the steps of:

preparing as a unit a frame of a definition modification model which is provided by a database management system and comprises;

an application phase for making new database definition information available and co-existing with old definition information,

a verification phase for verifying during database definition modification using an old definition information and by one of generating test data and executing a test program to determine whether said new database definition information meets the purpose of modification, and

a confirmation phase for replacing a database according to old definition information with a new verified database according to new definition information; and

performing a modification definition for each definition element according to said frame of said definition modification model.