System, method, and computer program product for providing an incremental storage adaptor

• US 6,070,008 A
• Filed: 03/05/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Korenshtein, Roni
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pender, Michael
• Application Number:
  US09/035,663
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 395/705
• US Class Current: 717/122
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/48 Incremental compilation software reuse G06F8/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A computer program product comprising at least one controller to enable a processor to perform incremental changes in storage and retrieval. The at least one controller comprises an incremental storage adaptor for enabling the processor to store a change associated with a base file, rather than modifying the base file by the change and storing the result as a new file. An incremental retrieval adaptor is included for enabling the processor to merge the change with the base file thereby forming a logical new file. The incremental retrieval adaptor can perform the merging in response to a call from an application running on the processor or another processor, and the incremental retrieval adaptor then provides or otherwise makes the logical new file available to the application.

Claims

1. An incremental storage and retrieval system, comprising:

an incremental storage adaptor that interfaces to a pre-processor, wherein the pre-processor reads a base file and generates at least one change to the base file to create a modified file, and the incremental storage adaptor stores only the changes in a repository separate from the base file; and

an incremental retrieval adaptor that interfaces to a compiler, wherein the incremental retrieval adapter combines the changes stored in the repository with the base file to re-create the modified file that is then provided to the compiler for further processing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the repository comprises a domain incremental changes repository (DICR).

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the changes are stored using an attribute of the base file.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the changes are stored in an associated file and the attribute stores a name of the file.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the changes are stored in a domained incremental change repository and the attribute stores a name of the repository.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the system has a plurality of domained incremental change repositories.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the incremental storage adaptor interfaces with the domained incremental change repository to one of add, delete and roll-back changes therein.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the base file is merged with the changes when a criteria is met.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the incremental storage adapter is a first incremental storage adaptor, the pre-processor is a first pre-processor, the modified file is a first modified file, the repository is a first repository, the incremental retrieval adaptor is a first incremental retrieval adapter, and the system further comprises:

a second incremental storage adaptor that interfaces to a second pre-processor, wherein the second pre-processor reads the base file and generates at least one second change to the base file to create a second modified file, and the second incremental storage adaptor stores only the second changes in a second repository separate from the base file; and

a second incremental retrieval adaptor that interfaces to the compiler, wherein the second incremental retrieval adapter combines the second changes stored in the second repository with the base file to re-create the second modified file that is then provided to the compiler for further processing.

10. A method of incremental storage and retreival in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

executing an incremental storage adaptor that interfaces to a pre-processor in the computer system, wherein the pre-processor reads a base file and generates at least one change to the base file to create a modified file, and the incremental storage adaptor stores only the changes in a repository separate from the base file; and

executing an incremental retreival adaptor that interfaces to a compiler in the computer system, wherein the incremental retreival adapter combines the changes stored in the repository with the base file to re-create the modified file that is then provided to the compiler for further processing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the repository comprises a domain incremental changes repository (DICR).

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the changes are stored using an attribute of the base file.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the changes are stored in an associated file and the attribute stores a name of the file.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the changes are stored in a domained ncremental change repository and the attribute stores a name of the repository.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of domained incremental change repositories.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the incremental storage adaptor interfaces with the domained incremental change repository to one of add, delete and roll-back changes therein.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the base file is merged with the changes when a criteria is met.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the incremental storage adapter is a first incremental storage adaptor, the pre-processor is a first pre-processor, the modified file is a first modified file, the repository is a first repository, the incremental retrieval adaptor is a first incremental retrieval adapter, and the method further comprises:

executing a second incremental storage adaptor that interfaces to a second pre-processor in the computer system, wherein the second pre-processor reads the base file and generates at least one second change to the base file to create a second modified file, and the second incremental storage adaptor stores only the second changes in a second repository separate from the base file; and

executing a second incremental retrieval adaptor that interfaces to the compiler in the computer system, wherein the second incremental retrieval adapter combines the second changes stored in the second repository with the base file to re-create the second modified file that is then provided to the compiler for further processing.

19. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system for incrementally storing and retreiving data in the computer system, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program embodied in the medium which may cause the computer system to:

execute an incremental storage adaptor that interfaces to a pre-processor in the computer system, wherein the pre-processor reads a base file and generates at least one change to the base file to create a modified file, and the incremental storage adaptor stores only the changes in a repository separate from the base file; and

execute an incremental retrieval adaptor that interfaces to a compiler in the computer system, wherein the incremental retrieval adapter combines the changes stored in the repository with the base file to re-create the modified file that is then provided to the compiler for further processing.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the repository comprises a domain incremental changes repository (DICR).

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the changes are stored using an attribute of the base file.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the changes are stored in an associated file and the attribute stores a name of the file.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the changes are stored in a domained incremental change repository and the attribute stores a name of the repository.

24. The article of manufacture of 23, further comprising a plurality of domained incremental change repositories.

25. The article of manufacture of 23, wherein the incremental storage adaptor interfaces with the domained incremental change repository to one of add, delete and roll-back changes therein.

26. The article of manufacture of 19, wherein the base file is merged with the changes when a criteria is met.

27. The article of manufacture of 19, wherein the incremental storage adapter is a first incremental storage adaptor, the pre-processor is a first pre-processor, the modified file is a first modified file, the repository is a first repository, the incremental retrieval adaptor is a first incremental retrieval adapter, and the computer program may cause the computer system to:

execute a second incremental storage adaptor that interfaces to a second pre-processor in the computer system, wherein the second pre-processor reads the base file and generates at least one second change to the base file to create a second modified file, and the second incremental storage adaptor stores only the second changes in a second repository separate from the base file; and

execute a second incremental retrieval adaptor that interfaces to the compiler in the computer system, wherein the second incremental retrieval adapter combines the second changes stored in the second repository with the base file to re-create the second modified file that is then provided to the compiler for further processing.