Checking and enabling database updates with a dynamic multi-modal, rule base system

• US 6,014,657 A
• Filed: 11/27/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.), International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Perez, Carlos Bernadino Eleazar, Castellucci, Frank Vincent, Lemrise, Dawn Marie, Greef, Arthur Reginald, Weida, Robert Anthony, Maguire, Thomas Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/977,018
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24565 Triggers; Constraints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

This invention uses a rule based system which is configurable at run time(1) to decide whether suitable preconditions exist for proposed modifications to a data base, (2) if not, optionally attempt to bring about such preconditions, and (3) prevent the proposed modifications if preconditions remain unmet.

Claims

1. A computer programming system for checking and enabling database updates in a dynamic, multi-modal, run time configurable and rule based manner, comprising:

means of configuring and determining at run time, whether suitable preconditions exist for proposed modifications to said database,

means for using rule checks that are tied to particular commands to check if the preconditions exist by examining the associated rule checks of commands involved in making the proposed modifications,

means for bringing about said preconditions, if said preconditions are not available at said run time, and

preventing said proposed modifications, if said preconditions remain unmet.

2. The programming system of claim 1, including means for changing said system'"'"'s semantic checking behavior at run time by selecting among different modes for which said rule checks and their rule actions have been defined.

3. The programming system of claim 2, including means to customize said semantic checking for applications by adding, removing and or replacing said rule checks and or their rule actions.

4. The programming system of claim 1, wherein said computer system is modular to provide a separation between database update operations and the checking or enabling preconditions for those operations.

5. A computer programming method for checking and enabling database updates which is dynamic, multi-modal, configurable at run time, and rule based, comprising the steps of:

determining whether suitable preconditions exist for proposed modifications to said database using rule checks that are tied to particular commands,

examining the rule checks tied to the commands to make the modifications to determine if the suitable preconditions exist,

bringing about said preconditions, if said preconditions are not available at run time,

preventing the said proposed modifications, if said preconditions remain unmet.

6. The computer programming method of claim 5, including the step of changing checking behavior at said run time by selecting among different modes for which rule checks and rule actions have been defined.

7. The computer programming method of claim 6, including the step of customizing said semantic checking by adding, removing, and or replacing rule checks and or their rule actions.

8. The computer programming system of claim 5, including the step of having a modularized computer programming system that provides a separation between database update operations and checking or enabling preconditions for those operations.

9. A computer program product, for use with a graphic display device, provided on a recording medium on which is recorded a programming method for checking and enabling database updates with a dynamic multi-modal, rule based system, said programming method comprising the steps of:

determining at run time, whether suitable preconditions exist for proposed modifications to said database using rule checks which are tied to particular commands,

examining any rule checks tied to any command for making the modifications to determine if the suitable preconditions exist,

bringing about said preconditions, if said preconditions are not available at said run time,

preventing the said proposed modifications, if said preconditions remain unmet.

10. The method of the computer program product of claim 9, including the step of changing said semantic checking behavior at run time by selecting among different modes for which said rule checks and rule actions have been defined.

11. The method of the computer program product of claim 10, including the step of customizing said semantic checking by adding, removing, and or replacing rule checks and or their rule actions.

12. The method of the computer program product of claim 9, wherein modularity of said computer program product provides a separation between database update operations and checking or enabling preconditions for those operations.

13. A system for checking and enabling database updates in a dynamic, multi-modal, run time configurable and rule based manner, comprising:

means of determining at run time, whether suitable preconditions exist for a proposed modification to said database,

means providing rule checks that are tied to particular commands,

means examining said rule checks tied to at least one command used in making the modification to determine if the preconditions exist,

means for bringing about said preconditions, if said preconditions are not available at said run time,

means preventing the said proposed modification, if said preconditions remain unmet.

14. The system of claim 13, including means for changing checking behavior at run time by selecting among different modes for which said rule checks and their rule actions have been defined.

15. The system of claim 14, including means to customize said semantic checking by adding, removing, and or replacing said rule checks and their rule actions.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said system is modularized to provide a separation between database update operations and checking or enabling preconditions for those operations.

17. A computer programming system for checking and enabling database updates in a dynamic, multi-modal, run time configurable and rule based manner, comprising:

a mechanism for configuring and determining at run time, whether suitable preconditions exist for proposed modifications to said database,

a mechanism providing rule checks which are tied to particular commands,

a mechanism for examining any rule check tied to any command for making the modifications to determine if the suitable preconditions exist,

a mechanism for bringing about said preconditions, if said preconditions are not available at said run time,

a mechanism for preventing said proposed modifications, if preconditions remain unmet.