Application-independent generator to generate a database transaction manager in heterogeneous information systems

• US 6,321,374 B1
• Filed: 11/07/1997
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Choy, David Mun-Hien
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOULES, JACK M
• Application Number:
  US08/965,723
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/104, 707/103, 707/533, 707/202, 707/10, 707/2, 707/3, 707/100, 707/201, 364/222, 345/340, 345/326, 345/113, 706/45, 706/46, 706/60, 709/226, 709/303, 709/103, 709/200, 370/352, 705/3, 705/2, 717/1, 717/2
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A heterogeneous information system such as a digital library often uses a database manager together with other data resource manager(s), such as an object server or a video server, to manage digital content. Such a system often needs to maintain an application-specific database and/or to handle application-specific operational requirements. To facilitate system integration and application development, an application-independent reusable product is created which generates a custom system component or utility, such as a loader, according to a specification provided by a system integrator or an application developer.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating development for a customized information system wherein the information system utilizes:

(a) a data base resource manager; and

(b) an at least one other resource manager,

the method comprising;

providing an application-independent, re-useable generator that is based upon defined parameters, the generator being independent of the data base resource manager and the at least one other resource manager, and

generating a database transaction manager object according to a specification provided by a system developer using the generator, the database transaction manager object being configured for specific use with the data base resource manager and the at least one other resource manager.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the database resource manager is a relational database management system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one other resource manager including at least one of:

an object repository wherein objects are accessed by object identifications,

a stream data server,

a special-purpose information system, and

a database resource manager.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database transaction manager object follows a generic model for coordinating changes to data resources managed by the at least one other resource manager and to a portion of a database that references other data resources.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the generating the database transaction manager object further comprises:

permitting definition of at least one type of Cataloged object by an application developer,

naming, for each object type, a specific table in a database as its catalog table,

providing an optional object-identification attribute in each catalog table, and

providing optional control attributes as needed by application.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein referential requirements between the object identification attribute and the referenced objects are maintained by the database transaction manager object.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein object types do not share catalog table.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the control attributes are attributes maintained by the database transaction manager object, and wherein a control attribute appears in a catalog table if named in the object-type definition, and wherein the control attributes may include one of the following:

timestamp of insertion,

timestamp of last update,

object change sequence number,

object size, or

object source filename.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the database transaction manager object permits loading of information into the system without writing a custom loader program.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein multiple object types share a catalog table.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the database transaction manager object includes means for performing at least some of the following operations:

initialize for execution,

terminate execution,

set execution options,

imbed another file in an input file,

write a “

user”

log record,

store a Cataloged object or its catalog record,

replace a cataloged object or its catalog record,

update a set of catalog records,

retrieve a set of cataloged objects or their catalog records,

delete a set of cataloged objects or their catalog records,

nonrecoverably delete a set of Cataloged objects or their catalog records,

commit changes, and

roll back changes.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the database transaction manager object further comprises an application programming interface (API) for each operation supported by the database transaction manager object wherein the API is individually callable by other components of the information system.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the database resource manager provides an application programming interface (API), and the at least one other resource manager provides an at least one API, and wherein the respective managers are accessible and usable for retrieval and for update of their respective data resources, such that the database transaction manager object augments the API for the database resource manager and the at least one API for the at least one other resource manager.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the database transaction manager object further comprises an application programming interface (API), wherein the API can be called by other components of the information system.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the database transaction manager object can be executed as a standalone utility program.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the database transaction manager object comprises at least one of a system integrator or an application developer.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising means for permitting use of the database transaction manager object with an integrator program.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising means for creating a definition file for defining object types under a Cataloged object model, having at least one pre-defined query, transaction option, default setting, and an application programming interface (API).

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising means for expanding an application, or changing transactional requirements or defaults by changing the definition file, and regenerating and recompiling the respective product without changing the application software.

14. The method of claim 14 wherein the database transaction manager object is multifunctional thereby being operable to take execution options, sequence of operations, and their associated parameters and data from at least one input.

15. The method of claim 14 including means for taking input from at least one file.

16. The method of claim 14 including means for taking input from memory buffer.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the input can be passed in multiple segments.

24. A tool for developing a customized information system wherein the information system utilizes:

(a) a database resource manager;

(b) at least one other resource manager; and

(c) an application-independent, re useable generator that is based upon defined parameters, the generator being independent of the data base resource manager and the at least one other resource manager, the generator being configured for generating a database transaction manager object according to a specification provided by a system developer using the generator, the database transaction manager object being configured for specific use with the data base resource manager and the at least one other resource manager.

25. The tool of claim 24 wherein the database resource manager is a relational database management system.

26. The tool of claim 24 wherein the at least one other resource manager includes:

an object repository wherein objects are accessed by object identifications,

a stream data server,

a special-purpose information system, or

a database resource manager.

27. The tool of claim 24 wherein the database transaction manager object follows a generic model for coordinating changes to data resources managed by the at least one other resource manager and to a portion of the database that references the other data resources.

28. The tool of claim 24 wherein the database transaction manager object permits loading of information into the system without writing a custom loader program.

29. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for facilitating development of a customized information system wherein the system utilizes

(a) a data base resource manager;

and

(b) an at least one other resource manager,

the method comprising;

providing an application-independent, re-useable generator that is based upon defined parameters, the generator being independent of the data base resource manager and the at least one other resource manager, and

generating a database transaction manager object according to a specification provided by a system developer using the generator, the database transaction manager object being configured for specific use with the data base resource manager and the at least one other resource manager.