Method and apparatus for implementing a hierarchical database management system (HDBMS) using a relational database management system (RDBMS) as the implementing apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of using a relational database management system (RDBMS) for managing rows of data in a hierarchical database, including the steps of:
- A. creating a set of one or more hierarchical database data storage tables in the RDBMS, consisting of hierarchical key fields and user data fields for storing rows of data of the hierarchical database wherein each row of the hierarchical database is a row in one of the hierarchical database data storage tables;
B. specifying root conditions determining which of said hierarchical database data storage tables may be used to create a new row in said hierarchical database called a root row;
C. specifying child conditions, wherein for each row of the hierarchical database, called a parent row, the child conditions determine which of the hierarchical database data storage tables may be used to create a new child row of the parent row;
D. defining descendents of the root row and hierarchical families of the hierarchical database wherein;
the descendents of the root row consists of all children of the root row and all children of a previous descendent of the root row, and each hierarchical family consists of the root row and its descendents;
E. specifying data to be inserted in the hierarchical keys of the new root row, and the new child row of a selected parent row, that;
distinguishes each of the hierarchical families,distinguishes each of the root rows, andidentifies the parent row of each child row;
F. creating a new hierarchical family in the hierarchical database by inserting the new root row into the hierarchical database;
G. creating the new child row into the hierarchical database of the selected parent row by inserting the new child row into the hierarchical database;
H. updating a selected hierarchical database row;
I. deleting the selected or a subsequent selected hierarchical database row and its descendants;
J. creating one or more SQL select queries, hereafter called hierarchical views, wherein;
applying each hierarchical view to the hierarchical database creates hierarchical view rows,each of the hierarchical view rows contains information from a row of the hierarchical database,each row in the hierarchical database has a corresponding row in the hierarchical view rows,the hierarchical view rows of each hierarchical family are displayed contiguously,each child row of the hierarchical view rows follows its parent row, andeach child row is visually identified with its parent.K. retrieving requested hierarchical data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed to a computer implemented system and apparatus for construction of a Hierarchical Database Management System (HDBMS) using a commercially available Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) as the implementing apparatus. The invention uses one or more RDBMS tables to store rows of a hierarchical database implemented by the HDBMS. Composite keys, unique over all the tables, are used to maintain hierarchical families and maintain the hierarchical parent/child relationships within families. Root conditions and child conditions may be used to determine which tables may be used for adding root row starting a new family, and which tables may be used for adding a child row of a selected parent row. SQL select queries present hierarchical views of the hierarchical database. SQL action queries are used to perform the database functions of insert root, insert child, update row, and delete row and its descendents. Both relational databases and hierarchical databases can be implemented in the same application using the RDBMS and the imbedded HDBMS together, and standard RDBMS SQL can be used to process the hierarchical and relational data in an integrated manner.
-
Citations
41 Claims
-
1. A method of using a relational database management system (RDBMS) for managing rows of data in a hierarchical database, including the steps of:
-
A. creating a set of one or more hierarchical database data storage tables in the RDBMS, consisting of hierarchical key fields and user data fields for storing rows of data of the hierarchical database wherein each row of the hierarchical database is a row in one of the hierarchical database data storage tables; B. specifying root conditions determining which of said hierarchical database data storage tables may be used to create a new row in said hierarchical database called a root row; C. specifying child conditions, wherein for each row of the hierarchical database, called a parent row, the child conditions determine which of the hierarchical database data storage tables may be used to create a new child row of the parent row; D. defining descendents of the root row and hierarchical families of the hierarchical database wherein;
the descendents of the root row consists of all children of the root row and all children of a previous descendent of the root row, and each hierarchical family consists of the root row and its descendents;E. specifying data to be inserted in the hierarchical keys of the new root row, and the new child row of a selected parent row, that; distinguishes each of the hierarchical families, distinguishes each of the root rows, and identifies the parent row of each child row; F. creating a new hierarchical family in the hierarchical database by inserting the new root row into the hierarchical database; G. creating the new child row into the hierarchical database of the selected parent row by inserting the new child row into the hierarchical database; H. updating a selected hierarchical database row; I. deleting the selected or a subsequent selected hierarchical database row and its descendants; J. creating one or more SQL select queries, hereafter called hierarchical views, wherein; applying each hierarchical view to the hierarchical database creates hierarchical view rows, each of the hierarchical view rows contains information from a row of the hierarchical database, each row in the hierarchical database has a corresponding row in the hierarchical view rows, the hierarchical view rows of each hierarchical family are displayed contiguously, each child row of the hierarchical view rows follows its parent row, and each child row is visually identified with its parent. K. retrieving requested hierarchical data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An apparatus for implementing a hierarchical database management system (HDBMS) used for creating and maintaining hierarchical databases using a relational database management system (RDBMS) as an implementing apparatus comprising;
-
a computer system for receiving hierarchical database information provided by a user, said computer system including, a database application for converting said hierarchical database information to a database consistent format; HDBMS software including SQL statements with interface to said RDBMS; said HDBMS software being responsive to said database application for issuing commands for the creating and managing of said hierarchical database using said hierarchical database information in said database consistent format; said RDBMS for executing said commands issued by said HDBMS software; said HDBMS software being further responsive to said RDBMS for receiving and processing results of said executed commands; said database application for receiving and converting said HDBMS software results to computer format; said computer system displaying said computer format. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method for implementing a hierarchical database management system (HDBMS) used for creating and maintaining hierarchical databases using a relational database management system (RDBMS) and HDBMS software including SQL statements with interface to said RDBMS, including the steps of:
-
A. inputting user provided hierarchical database information into a computer system; B. applying the hierarchical database information to a database application for use by the HDBMS software; C. using the HDBMS software for issuing commands for creating and maintaining the hierarchical database provided by the hierarchical database information; D. using an RDBMS for executing the commands of the HDBMS software for creating and maintaining the hierarchical database; E. outputting requested elements of the data to the database application from the RDBMS; F. displaying the requested elements of the data on the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
Specification