Extensible digital library

• US 6,021,410 A
• Filed: 09/25/1997
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Choy, David Mun-Hien
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, David Yiuk
• Application Number:
  US08/936,172
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-206
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

An extensible digital library is comprised of a library server and an object server. The library server stores tables describing the digital library, wherein it uses a relational database server to manage the storage of the tables describing the digital library. The object server stores objects referenced by the tables describing the digital library. Two application programming interfaces (APIs) are provided. A first API is coupled to the library server and the object server and provides functions for accessing the stored tables and the stored objects via the library server and the object server. A second API is coupled to the first API and the relational database server and provides functions for accessing the stored tables via the relational database server.

Claims

1. An extensible digital library, comprising:

(a) a library server for storing tables describing the digital library, wherein the library server further includes a relational database server for managing the storage of the tables describing the digital library;

(b) an object server, coupled to the library server, for storing objects referenced by the tables describing the digital library;

(c) a first application programming interface (API), coupled to the library server and the object server, for providing functions for accessing the stored tables and the stored objects via the library server and the object server; and

(d) a second application programming interface (API), coupled to the first application programming interface and the relational database server, for providing functions for interacting directly with the relational database server to access the stored tables.

2. The extensible digital library of claim 1 above, wherein the first API is independent of the second API.

3. The extensible digital library of claim 1 above, wherein the first API is used in combination with the second API.

4. The extensible digital library of claim 1 above, wherein the second API comprises a structured query language (SQL) API.

5. The extensible digital library of claim 1 above, wherein the second API accesses the stored tables via the relational database server without invoking either the library server or the object server.

6. The extensible digital library of claim 1 above, wherein the second API accesses a subset of the tables.

7. The extensible digital library of claim 1 above, wherein the second API accesses an external database.

8. The extensible digital library of claim 7 above, further comprising an application, coupled to the first and second APIs, for concurrently accessing the stored tables, stored objects, and the external database.

9. A method for storing and accessing an extensible digital library, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing tables describing the digital library on a library server, further comprising the step of managing the storage of the tables describing the digital library using a relational database server;

(b) storing objects referenced by the tables describing the digital library in an object server coupled to the library server;

(c) providing functions for accessing the stored tables and the stored objects via the library server and the object server in a first application programming interface (API) coupled to the library server and the object server; and

(d) providing functions in a second application programming interface (API) coupled to the first application programming interface and the relational database server for interacting directly with the relational database server to access the stored tables.

10. An article of manufacture comprising one or more computer program products tangibly embodying one or more computer programs that when read by one or more computers causes the computers to perform a method for storing and accessing an extensible digital library, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing tables describing the digital library on a library server, further comprising the step of managing the storage of the tables describing the digital library using a relational database server;

(b) storing objects referenced by the tables describing the digital library in an object server coupled to the library server;

(c) providing functions for accessing the stored tables and the stored objects via the library server and the object server in a first application programming interface (API) coupled to the library server and the object server; and

(d) providing functions in a second application programming interface (API) coupled to the first application programming interface and the relational database server for interacting directly with the relational database server to access the stored tables.