Communication and interaction objects for connecting an application to a database management system

• US 6,539,383 B2
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yuan, Jack Chiu-Chiu, Charlet, Kyle Jeffrey, Fung, Haley Hoi Lee, Kuo, Steve T., Hill, Judith Eleanor, Hughes, Gerald Dean, Ling, Wai-Yee Doris, Rowe-Anderson, Moncrief
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): DODDS, HAROLD E
• Application Number:
  US09/435,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-4, 707/100-104, 707/10, 717/118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for accessing a database management system. A database management system (DBMS), executed by a server computer, manages one or more datastores stored on the computer. The DBMS includes an Open Transaction Manager Access (OTMA) that provides a high level application programming interface (API) for an application program to access the DBMS and its datastores, wherein the OTMA allows the application program to create an authorized connection with the DBMS. The server computer also executes a TCP/IP OTMA Connection (TOC) that establishes and manages connections between the DBMS and the application program. In the preferred embodiment, the application comprises a Java servlet or applet executed by a Java Virtual Machine JVM). A TOC Connector for Java interfaces the JVM to the TOC, wherein the TOC Connector for Java includes one or more objects for establishing a connection between an applet or servlet executed by the JVM and the OTMA of the DBMS, so that transactions can be transmitted from the application program to the DBMS over the established connection and results of the transmitted transactions can be received at the application from the DBMS.

Claims

1. An apparatus for accessing a database management system, comprising:

(a) a Connector, executed by a computer, for interfacing an application program to a database management system (DBMS),

(b) wherein the DBMS includes an Open Transaction Manager Access (OTMA) that provides an application programming interface (API) for the application program to access the DBMS and its datastores, and the OTMA allows the application program to create an authorized connection with the DBMS,

(c) wherein the Connector includes one or more objects for establishing a connection between the application program and the OTMA, for transmitting transactions from the application program to the DBMS over the established connection between an application program and the OTMA, and for receiving results of the transactions from the DBMS to the application program over the established connection between an application program and the OTMA, and

(d) wherein the objects include a Connection Spec bean representing the connection between the application program and the OTMA, as well as the DBMS and its datastores, and an Interaction Spec bean representing the type of interaction that the application program has with the OTMA, as well as the DBMS and its datastores.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Connector establishes a connection between the application program and the OTMA via a TCP/IP OTMA Connection (TOC).

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the Connector comprises a TOC Connector.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information about connection management between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information about a TCP/IP connection between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information selected from a group comprising:

a TCP/IP hostname of a server computer, and

a Port number associated with the DBMS.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the Interaction Spec bean provides information about the interaction between the application program and the TOC, as well as the OTMA and DBMS.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the Interaction Spec bean provides information selected from a group comprising:

a Datastore Name that identifies a name of the datastore,

an LTerm Name that identifies a name of a logical terminal,

a Map Name that identifies output from a transaction,

a Mode that identifies a type of interaction to be carried our between the application program and the DBMS,

a Sync Level that specifies a transaction synchronization level between the application program and the DBMS.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the TOC Connector further comprises one or more of the objects selected from a group comprising:

a Communication bean representing the communications between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS and its datastores,

a Logon Info bean representing logon information for the duration of a session between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS and its datastores, and

at least one bean for processing potential error messages returned from the DBMS to the application program.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the error messages are DFS messages.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the beans for processing potential error messages are used to handle differently formatted error messages.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application program includes one or more of the objects selected from a group comprising:

a Record Selector bean that discriminates between normal input/output messages and error messages,

an Input Message bean representing the input to the transaction, and

an Output Message bean representing the output from the transaction.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the Input Message bean is generated from one or more COBOL source files that contain definitions of the transactions.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the Output Message bean is generated from one or more COBOL source files that contain definitions of the transactions.

15. A method for accessing a database management system, comprising:

(a) interfacing an application program to a database management system (DBMS) using a Connector executed by a computer,

(b) wherein the DBMS includes an Open Transaction Manager Access (OTMA) that provides an application programming interface (API) for the application program to access the DBMS and its datastores, and the OTMA allows the application program to create an authorized connection with the DBMS,

(c) wherein the Connector includes one or more objects for establishing a connection between the application program and the OTMA, for transmitting transactions from the application program to the DBMS over the established connection between an application program and the OTMA, and for receiving results of the transactions from the DBMS to the application program over the established connection between an application program and the OTMA, and

(d) wherein the objects include a Connection Spec bean representing the connection between the application program and the OTMA, as well as the DBMS and its datastores, and an Interaction Spec bean representing the type of interaction that the application program has with the OTMA, as well as the DBMS and its datastores.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the Connector establishes a connection between the application program and the OTMA via a TCP/IP OTMA Connection TOC).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the Connector comprises a TOC Connector.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information about connection management between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information about a TCP/IP connection between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information selected from a group comprising:

a TCP/IP hostname of a server computer, and

a Port number associated with the DBMS.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the Interaction Spec bean provides information about the interaction between the application program and the TOC, as well as the OTMA and DBMS.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the Interaction Spec bean provides information selected from a group comprising:

a Datastore Name that identifies a name of the datastore,

an LTerm Name that identifies a name of a logical terminal,

a Map Name that identifies output from a transaction,

a Mode that identifies a type of interaction to be carried out between the application program and the DBMS,

a Sync Level that specifies a transaction synchronization level between the application program and the DBMS.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the TOC Connector further comprises one or more of the objects selected from a group comprising:

a Communication bean representing the communications between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS and its datastores,

a Logon Info bean representing logon information for the duration of a session between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS and its datastores, and

at least one bean for processing potential error messages returned from the DBMS to the application program.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the error messages are DFS messages.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the beans for processing potential error messages are used to handle differently formatted error messages.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the application program includes one or more of the objects selected from at group comprising:

a Record Selector bean that discriminates between normal input/output messages and error messages,

an Input Message bean representing the input to the transaction, and

an Output Message bean representing the output from the transaction.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the Input Message bean is generated from one or more COBOL source files that contain definitions of the transactions.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the Output Message bean is generated from one or more COBOL source files that contain definitions of the transactions.

29. At least one article of manufacture embodying an apparatus for accessing a database management system, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a Connector, executed by a computer, for interfacing an application program to a database management system (DBMS),

(b) wherein the DBMS includes an Open Transaction Manager Access (OTMA) than provides an application programming interface (API) for the application program to access the DBMS and its datastores, and the OTMA allows the application program to create an authorized connection with the DBMS,

(c) wherein the Connector includes one or more objects for establishing a connection between the application program and the OTMA, for transmitting transactions from the application program to the DBMS over the established connection between an application program and the OTMA, and for receiving results of the transactions from the DBMS to the application program over the established connection between an application program and the OTMA, and

(d) wherein the objects include a Connection Spec bean representing the connection between the application program and the OTMA, as well as the DBMS and its datastores, and an Interaction Spec bean representing the type of interaction that the application program has with the OTMA, as well as the DBMS and its datastores.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the Connector establishes a connection between the application program and the OTMA via a TCP/IP OTMA Connection (TOC).

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, where the Connector comprises a TOC Connector.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information about connection management between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information about a TCP/IP connection between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the Connection Spec bean provides information selected from a group comprising:

a TCP/IP hostname of a server computer, and

a Port number associated with the DBMS.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the Interaction Spec bean provides information about the interaction between the application program and the TOC, as well as the OTMA and DBMS.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the Interaction Spec bean provides information selected from a group comprising:

a Datastore same that identifies a name of the datastore,

an LTerm Name that identifies a name of a logical terminal,

a Map Name that identifies output from a transaction,

a Mode that identifies a type of interaction to be carried out between the application program and the DBMS,

a Sync Level that specifies a transaction synchronization level between the application program and the DBMS.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the TOC Connector further comprises one or more of the objects selected from a group comprising:

a Communication bean representing the communications between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS and its datastores,

a Logon Info bean representing logon information for the duration of a session between the application program and the TOC, as well as the DBMS and its datastores, and

at least one bean for processing potential error messages returned from the DBMS to the application program.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the error messages are DFS messages.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the beans for processing potential error messages are used to handle differently formatted error messages.

40. The article of maunfacture of claim 29, wherein the application program includes one or more of the objects selected from a group comprising:

a Record Selector bean that discriminates between normal input/output messages and error messages,

an Input Message bean representing the input to the transaction, and

an Output Message bean representing the output from the transaction.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 40, wherein the Input Message bean is generated from one or more COBOL source files that contain definitions of the transactions.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 40, where the Output Message bean is generated from one or more COBOL source files that contain definitions of the transactions.