Method and system for representing and accessing object-oriented data in a relational database system

• US 6,587,856 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Sanjay, Srinivasan, Uppili, Madan, Harpinder
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/206,778
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/104, 707/103, 707/3, 707/4
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and system for representing objects in a relational database is provided. In one aspect, the invention provides a method and system for storing directory information objects in a relational database management system. In addition, a method and system for generating a statement in a database query language to search or manipulate objects or entries that are stored in a relational database is disclosed. An aspect of the invention is directed to a method and system that can automatically generate a SQL statement for an LDAP search filter.

Claims

1. A system for representing data in a relational database comprising:

a database table comprising a plurality of rows;

data stored in a first row of said database table;

metadata stored in a second row of said database table, said metadata describing said data stored in stored in said first row, wherein said metadata comprises definition data for an attribute type or definition data for an object class; and

a plurality of identifiers, each identifier associated with a row to indicate whether data or metadata metadata is stored in said row.

2. The system of claim 1 in which said data comprises object-oriented data.

3. The system of claim 1 in which said data comprises a directory information object.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising data stored in a third row of said database table, wherein said metadata stored in said second row also describes said data stored in said third row.

5. A method for representing data in a relational database comprising:

storing data in a first row of a database table;

storing metadata in a second row of said database table, said metadata describing said data stored in said first row, wherein said metadata comprises definition data for an attribute type or definition data for an object class; and

identifying each row of said database table as a data row or a metadata row.

6. The method of claim 5 in which said data comprises object-oriented data.

7. The method of claim 5 which said data comprises a directory information object.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing data in a third row of said database table, wherein said metadata stored in said second row also describes said data stored in said third row.

9. A method for representing data in a relational database comprising:

storing a class and one or more attributes of said class in a database table, wherein said database table comprises a plurality of rows; and

storing metadata describing all of said one or more attributes of said class in said database table, said metadata comprising definition data for said one or more attributes of said class, wherein an attribute and metadata describing said attribute are stored in different rows of said database table.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing a second class and one or more attributes of said second class in said database table; and

storing metadata describing all of said one or more attributes of said second class in said database table.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

adding a new row to said database table to add a new attribute to said one or more attributes of said class already stored in said database table.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adding a new row to said database table comprises:

a) determining a unique name for said new attribute;

b) determining an attribute syntax for said new attribute;

c) determining a number of allowable values for said new attribute;

d) determining if said new attribute is an operational attribute or a user attribute; and

e) inserting a new row of metadata into said database table containing information determined in a, b, c, and d.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

maintaining a catalog table for each of said one or more attributes of said class.

14. A computer program product that includes a computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute a process for representing data in a relational database, the process compressing:

storing data in a first row of a database table;

storing metadata in a second row of said database table, said metadata describing said data stored in said first row, wherein said metadata comprises definition data for an attribute type or definition data for an object class; and

identifying each row of said database table as a data row or a metadata row.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said data comprises object-oriented data.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein said data comprises a directory information object.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

storing data in a third row of said database table, wherein said metadata stored in said second row also describes said data stored in said third row.

18. A computer program product that includes a computer-readable medium having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute a process for representing data in a relational database, the process comprising:

storing a class and one or more attributes of said class in a database table, wherein said database table comprises a plurality of rows; and

storing metadata describing all of said one or more attributes of said class in said database table, said metadata comprising definition data for said one or more attributes of said class, wherein an attribute and metadata describing said attribute are stored in different rows of said database table.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

storing a second class and one or more attributes of said second class in said database table; and

storing metadata describing all of said one or more attributes of said second class in said database table.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

maintaining a catalog table for each of said one or more attributes of said class.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

adding a new row to said database table to add a new attribute to said one or more attributes of said class already stored in said database table.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein adding a new row to said database table comprises:

a) determining a unique name for said new attribute;

b) determining an attribute syntax for said new attribute;

c) determining a number of allowable values for said new attribute;

d) determining if said new attribute is an operational attribute or a user attribute; and

e) inserting a new row of metadata into said database table containing information determined in a, b, c, and d.

23. A system for representing data in a relational database, comprising:

means for storing a class and one or more attributes of said class in a database table, wherein said database table comprises a plurality of rows; and

means for storing metadata describing all of said one or more attributes of said class in said database table, said metadata comprising definition data for said one or more attributes of said class, wherein an attribute and metadata describing said attribute are stored in different rows of said database table.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for storing a second class and one or more attributes of said second class in said database table; and

means for storing metadata describing all of said one or more attributes of said second class in said database table.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for maintaining a catalog table for each of said one or more attributes of said class.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for adding a new row to said database table to add a new attribute to said one or more attributes of said class already stored in said database table.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein means for adding a new row to said database table comprises:

a) determining a unique name for said new attribute;

b) determining an attribute syntax for said new attribute;

c) determining a number of allowable values for said new attribute;

d) determining if said new attribute is an operational attribute or a user attribute; and

e) inserting a new row of metadata into said database table containing information determined in a, b, c, and d.