Method of determining the visibility to a remote database client of a plurality of database transactions using simplified visibility rules

• US 6,178,425 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1999
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Peter S., Brodersen, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US09/376,865
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/5, 707/10, 707/100-104, 707/200-206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Database management method and system, for a database having a central database and a plurality of partially replicated databases. The database management method and system determine the visibility of a user of a separate replicated database to the central database from a set of visibility rules stored at a central location.

Claims

1. A method of managing a database, said database including:

a) a central database (3) residing on a server (1) and

b) separate partially replicated databases (23a, 23b, 23c), said separate partially replicated databases residing on separate clients (21a, 21b, 21c) and having separate users (33a, 33b, 33c),

said method comprising

i) determining from a set of visibility rules stored at a central location, the visibility of a user (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) at a separate client (21a, 21b, 21c) to data being propagated from the server (1), and

ii) propagating said data from the server (1) to a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) on the separate client (21a, 21b, 21c) only if the user (33a, 33b, 33c) of the partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) on the separate client (21a, 21b, 21c) has visibility to the data.

2. The method of claim 1 where the set of visibility rules is stored at a single location.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising recursively determining the visibility of a user (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) that is being updated.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising determining the visibility of a user (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) that is not being updated but that is related to a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) that is being updated.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the visibility of a node (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) is in declarative form.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising storing in cache memory the visibility of a node (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) to data being propagated.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the said nodes (33a, 33b, 33c) of the partially replicated databases (23a, 23b, 23c) have a visibility strength to data being propagated.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising storing at least one set of visibility rules in a single location.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising storing the visibility rules against the data content of a related docking object that is not to be updated to determine the visibility of a docking object that is to be updated.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising using a graphical user interface to change the visibility rules.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising storing visibility rules by storing them in a central dictionary, to allow the nodes (33a, 33b, 33c) to change the visibility rules.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising using a graphical user interface to change the visibility rules.

13. An article of manufacture comprising computer usable media having computer usable program code embodied therein for managing a database including a central database residing on a server (1) and one or more partially replicated databases (23a, 23b, 23c) residing on one or more clients (21a, 21b, 21c) by determining the visibility of a user of the partially replicated database at a client (21a, 21b, 21c) to data in the database on the server (1) from a set of visibility rules stored at a single location and propagating visibility of the data in accordance therewith.

14. A plurality of program storage devices readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for managing a database residing at a server (1) and including one or more replicated databases residing at separate clients (21a, 21b, 21c), said method steps comprising:

a) determining from the set of visibility rules, stored at a single location, the visibility of the user (33a, 33b, 33c) of the partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) at a separate client (21a, 21b, 21c) to data being propagated at the server, and

b) propagating said data to the partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) only if the user (33a, 33b, 33c) of the partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) at the separate client (21a, 21b, 21c) has visibility to the data.

15. A system for managing a database, said database including;

a) a central database (3) residing on a server (1) and

b) separate partially replicated databases (23a, 23b, 23c), said separate partially replicated databases residing on separate clients (21a, 21b, 21c) and having separate users (33a, 33b, 33c),

said system configured to;

i) determine from a set of visibility rules stored at a central location, the visibility of a user (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) at a separate client (21a, 21b, 21c) to data being propagated from the server (1), and

ii) propagate said data from the server (1) to a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) on the separate client (21a, 21b, 21c) only if the user (33a, 33b, 33c) of the partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) on the separate client (21a, 21b, 21c) has visibility to the data.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the set of visibility rules is stored at a single location.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the system is further configured to recursively determine the visibility of a user (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) that is being updated.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is further configured to determine the visibility of a user (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) that is not being updated but that is related to a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) that is being updated.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the visibility of a node (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) is in declarative form.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is further configured to store in cache memory the visibility of a node (33a, 33b, 33c) of a partially replicated database (23a, 23b, 23c) to data being propagated.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein the nodes (33a, 33b, 33c) of the partially replicated databases (23a, 23b, 23c) have a visibility strength to data being propagated.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is further configured to store at least one set of visibility rules in a single location.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is further configured to store the visibility rules against the data content of a related docking object that is not to be updated to determine the visibility of a docking object that is to be updated.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the system is further configured to use a graphical user interface to change the visibility rules.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is further configured to store visibility rules in a central dictionary, and allow the nodes (33a, 33b, 33c) to change the visibility rules.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is further configured to use a graphical user interface to change the visibility rules.