Method and apparatus for maintaining multi-instance database management systems with hierarchical inheritance and cross-hierarchy overrides

• US 6,266,661 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PLATINUM Technology IP, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Keller, Stephen, Boone, Duane, Lewish, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/203,207
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/4, 707/103, 707/3, 707/102, 707/8, 707/200-203, 707/517, 705/410, 709/302, 709/203, 709/217, 709/315, 345/329-335, 717/1, 717/3, 717/10, 717/11, 717/35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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 application configuration system including a database, a preprocessed configuration (“PPC”) service processor that communicates with the database, a data exchange system preprocessed configuration application program interface (“DEX PPC API”) that communicates with the PPC service processor, and an application that communicates with the DEX PPC API. A plurality of files having configuration data are stored in the database in a hierarchical arrangement.

Claims

1. A method for performing an operation on a requested file stored in a hierarchical tree with other files, the method comprising:

constructing a path between a requested file and a root node of a hierarchical tree;

processing each of a plurality of files that are included in the path in order from the root node of the hierarchical tree to the requested file;

overriding selectetd data in the plurality of files according to a predetermined criteria; and

constructing a result set of the requested file.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing includes:

adding a keyword/value pair of a lower-level file for a keyword not in a corresponding section of an upper-level file to the resultant file.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the overriding includes:

replacing in a resultant file a first set of values associated with one or more keywords in an upper-level file with a second set of values associated with the one or more keywords in a lower-level file.

4. A method for performing an operation on a requested file stored in a hierarchical tree with other files, the method comprising:

constructing a path between a requested file and a root node of a hierarchical tree;

processing each of a plurality of files that are included in the path in order from the root node of the hierarchical tree to the requested file; and

constructing a result set of the requested file by selectively overriding data from the plurality of files in the hierarchical tree path.

5. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps of performing an operation on a requested file stored in a hierarchical tree with other files, comprising:

constructing a path between a requested file and a root node of a hierarchical tree;

processing each of a plurality of files that are included in the path in order from the root node of the hierarchical tree to the requested file;

overriding selected data in the plurality of files according to a predetermined criteria; and

constructing a result set of the requested file.