Method and apparatus for discovery of databases in a client server network

• US 6,182,075 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1998
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Juliana M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US09/061,512
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-4, 707/10, 709/202, 709/219, 709/223-230
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

This invention relates to client server information handling networks having one or more database server systems in which a method and means are provided for database clients to identify and access database servers which are on the network or interconnected therewith in such a manner that they are accessible from said network by providing a method and apparatus for implementing a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between the servers and the client; the network including: discovery module for the database client to identify database servers accessible with the network. The discovery module includes: a search discovery module associated with the database client for generating a database discovery inquiry including a database search discovery request to identify the database server systems; a database discovery manager module associated with the database servers, the database discovery manager module being adapted to respond to the search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit access to the database servers by the database client.

Claims

1. A client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client;

said network including;

discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible from said network, said discovery means comprising;

search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems;

database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client.

2. The network of claim 1 including means associated with said client to respond to receive said addessing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client.

3. The network of claim 2 including:

known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information.

4. The network of claim 3 wherein database connection manager means associated with said selected database server is adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system.

5. The network of claim 4 including means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client.

6. The network of claim 5 including a graphical display interface means (GUI) to display server system information to a user, said GUI being adapted to respond to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request.

7. The network of claim 6 wherein said GUI is responsive to selection by a user to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to selection of a database server system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system information returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

8. The network of claim 7 wherein said GUI is further responsive to said pointer selection of an identified database by auto-configuring for a database access request.

9. The network of claim 8 wherein said database server system controls a plurality of database server instances, and wherein each of said database server instances controls at least one database.

10. A client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client:

said network including;

discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible from said network, said discovery means comprising;

search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems;

database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client, including;

means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client; and

known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information wherein database connection manager means associated with said selected database server is adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system, including means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client;

wherein said database server system further comprises;

discovery manager and connection manager means adapted to listen for discovery requests on said network, and are comprised of;

request receiver means to receive said discovery requests,

request parser means to parse said requests for processing,

request service means for responding to said parsed requests, and in response to;

(a) the receipt of a search discovery request obtains and packages database server system name and protocol—

specific addressing information, and

(b) the receipt of a known discovery request for a specified database server system, obtains and packages detailed information for any database server instances associated with said specified database server system and databases controlled by said database server instances; and

communications response means adapted to transmit said packaged database server system addressing information and said packaged detailed database server system information to any database client requesting said information.

11. A client server communication network as claimed in claim 10, said network including a graphical display interface means (GUI) to display server system information to a user, said GUI being adapted to respond to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request wherein said GUI is responsive to selection by a user to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to selection of a database server system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system information returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

33. The method of claim 11 wherein said GUI responds to selection by a user, to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to the selection of a database server system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

12. A method of identifying databases in a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client, comprising:

generating a database discovery inquiry for said client comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems;

using database discovery manager means associated with said database servers to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client.

13. The method of claim 12 including means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client.

14. The method of claim 13 including generating a database known discovery request for said client to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said selected database server responds to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said client responds to receive said detailed database server system information and displays said information to a user of said client.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein a graphical display interface means (GUI) displays server system information to a user, and responds to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said GUI responds to selection by a user, to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to the selection of a database server system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said GUI further responds to selection of an identified database by auto-configuring for a database access request.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said database server system controls a plurality of database server instances, and wherein each of said database server instances controls at least one database.

21. A method of identifying databases in a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client, comprising:

generating a database discovery inquiry for said client comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems;

using database discovery manager means associated with said database servers to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client, including;

means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client; and

generating a database known discovery request for said client to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information;

wherein said selected database server responds to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system, wherein said client, responds to receive said detailed database server system information and displays said information to a user of said client;

wherein said database server system comprises;

listens for discovery requests on said network, receives said discovery requests, parses said requests for processing, responds to said parsed requests, and in response to;

(a) the receipt of a search discovery request obtains and packages database server system name and protocol—

specific addressing information, and

(b) the receipt of a known discovery request for a specified database server system, obtains and packages detailed information for any database server instances associated with said specified database server system and databases controlled by said database server instances;

and is adapted to transmit said packaged database server system addressing information and said packaged detailed database server system information to any database client requesting said information.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein a graphical display interface means (GUI) displays server system information to a user, and responds to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request.

23. A computer program product for establishing a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client;

said computer program product including a storage medium and software routine means stored on said storage medium for establishing said network including;

software routine means for establishing discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible with said network, said discovery means comprising;

search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems;

software routine means for establishing database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 including software routine means to establish means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 including:

software routine means for establishing known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 including software routine means for establishing database connection manager means associated with said selected database server adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 including software routine means for establishing means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 including software routine means for enabling a graphical display interface means (GUI) to respond to user input to initiate said search discovery request and said known discovery request.

29. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein said software routine means enables said GUI to be responsive to selection by a user to initiate said search discovery request, displays server system names returned, and is further responsive to selection of a database serves system displayed on said GUI to expand the display of said selected database server system by initiating the generation of a known search request and depicting the detailed database server system information returned in treelike fashion, identifying the databases controlled by said selected database server system.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein said software routine means enables said GUI to be further responsive to selection of an identified database by auto-configuring for a database access request.

31. The computer program product of claim 30 wherein said network established by said computer program product includes a database server system which controls a plurality of database server instances, and wherein each of said database server instances controls at least one database.

32. A computer program product for establishing a client server information handling network having one or more database server systems controlling at least one database, at least one database client and a communications link between said servers and said client;

said computer program product including a storage medium and software routine means stored on said storage medium for establishing said network including;

software routine means for establishing discovery means for said database client to identify database servers accessible with said network, said discovery means comprising;

search discovery means associated with said database client for generating a database discovery inquiry comprising a database search discovery request to identify said database server systems;

software routine means for establishing database discovery manager means associated with said database servers, said database discovery manager means being adapted to respond to said search discovery request by returning addressing information to permit selection of said database servers by said database client, including;

software routine means to establish means associated with said client to respond to receive said addressing information provided by said database discovery manager and to display said information to a user of said client;

software routine means for establishing known discovery means associated with said client for generating a database known discovery request to a selected database server system previously identified to determine detailed database server system information;

software routine means for establishing database connection manager means associated with said selected database server adapted to respond to said known discovery request by packaging detailed database server system information relating to said selected database server system to permit access to databases on said system and,

software routine means for establishing means associated with said client to respond to receive said detailed database server system information and to display said information to a user of said client,

further comprising software routine means for establishing said database server system with;

discovery manager and connection manager means adapted to listen for discovery requests on said network, and are comprised of;

request receiver means to receive said discovery requests,

request parser means to parse said requests for processing,

request service means for responding to said parsed requests, and in response to;

(a) the receipt of a search discovery request obtains and packages database server system name and protocol—

specific addressing information, and

(b) the receipt of a known discovery request for a specified database server system, obtains and packages detailed information for any database server instances associated with said specified database server system and databases controlled by said database server instances; and

communications response means adapted to transmit said packaged database server system addressing information and said packaged detailed database server system information to any database client requesting said information.