Method and system for java program storing database object entries in an intermediate form between textual form and an object-oriented form

• US 6,611,844 B1
• Filed: 02/19/1999
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Slaughter, Gregory L., Saulpaugh, Thomas E., Traversat, Bernard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US09/253,868
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 707/11, 707/100-104, 707/200, 709/201, 709/223, 709/230, 709/310, 709/316, 709/332, 717/1-11, 717/108, 717/116, 717/136, 717/140-148, 717/150-153, 717/118-119, 717/166-165
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• 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 providing an intelligent intermediate form of an object-oriented database. The intermediate form is derived from a grammatical form of an object-oriented database through the process of compilation. The grammatical form is a persistent form of an object-oriented database expressed in a human-readable and human-editable textual form according to a grammar. The intermediate form comprises an array of intelligent entry objects which encapsulate data with methods for manipulating that data. The methods include creating a database entry, creating a property associated with an entry, creating an attribute associated with an entry or property, querying the last entry, property, or attribute created, and finalizing entry storage. The intermediate form lacks the infrastructure of the database, but the intermediate form can be used to populate the object-oriented database with entries. The object-oriented database is an object-oriented configuration database which stores configuration parameters pertaining to the software and hardware of a computer system, such as application programs, device drivers, system services, and other components. The object-oriented database is platform-independent and is therefore configured to be hosted on several different operating systems and computing platforms.

Claims

1. A method for expressing contents of an object-oriented database in an intermediate form for sending to a Java program, said method comprising:

expressing a plurality of entries corresponding to objects in said object-oriented database in said intermediate form, wherein said entries and said objects relate to configuration parameters of a computer system, wherein said intermediate form is derived from a textual form expressed according to a grammar, wherein said object-oriented database stores configuration data that identifies available resources of said computer system, and wherein said intermediate form is configurable to populate said object-oriented database;

sending said plurality of entries in said intermediate form to said Java program; and

said Java program storing said plurality of entries in said intermediate form in a computer readable medium for populating another object-oriented database.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said object-oriented database is configured to be platform independent.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said contents of said object-oriented database pertain to one or more application programs.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein said textual form include name-value pairs corresponding to properties and attributes of software and hardware of said computer system.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein said textual form expresses a hierarchy of entries.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein said intermediate form includes an array of entries configurable to populate said object-oriented database.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein said entries of said intermediate form are objects, wherein said objects encapsulate data with methods.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein said intermediate form is configurable to populate said object-oriented database with said entries through a programming interface for accessing said object-oriented database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuration data identifies physical devices present in said computer system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuration data identifies software services installed in said computer system.

13. The carrier medium of claim 9,

wherein said contents of said object-oriented database pertain to one or more application programs.

11. A carrier medium comprising program instructions for expressing contents of an object-oriented database in an intermediate form for sending to a Java program, wherein said program instructions are executable to implement:

expressing a plurality of entries corresponding to objects in said object-oriented database in said intermediate form, wherein said entries and said objects relate to configuration parameters of a computer system, wherein said intermediate form is derived from a textual form expressed according to a grammar, wherein said object-oriented database stores configuration data that identifies available resources of said computer system, and wherein said intermediate form is configurable to populate said object-oriented database;

sending said plurality of entries in said intermediate form to said Java program; and

said Java program storing said plurality of entries in said intermediate form in a computer readable medium for populating another object-oriented database.

12. The carrier medium of claim 11,

wherein said object-oriented database is configured to be platform independent.

14. The carrier medium of claim 11,

wherein said textual form include name-value pairs corresponding to properties and attributes of software and hardware of said computer system.

15. The carrier medium of claim 11,

wherein said textual form expresses a hierarchy of entries.

16. The carrier medium of claim 11,

wherein said intermediate form includes an array of entries configurable to populate said object-oriented database.

17. The carrier medium of claim 11,

wherein said entries of said intermediate form are objects, wherein said objects encapsulate data with methods.

18. The carrier medium of claim 11,

wherein said intermediate form is configurable to populate said object-oriented database with said entries through a programming interface for accessing said object-oriented database.

19. The carrier medium of claim 11,

wherein said carrier medium is a storage medium.

20. The carrier medium of claim 11, wherein said configuration data identifies physical devices present in said computer system.

21. The carrier medium of claim 11, wherein said configuration data identifies software services installed in said computer system.

22. A computer system for expressing contents of an object-oriented database in an intermediate form for sending to a Java program, said computer system comprising:

a CPU; and

a memory coupled to said CPU;

wherein said memory stores said intermediate form and said object-oriented database;

wherein said memory stores program instructions executable by said CPU, wherein said program instructions are executable to;

express a plurality of entries corresponding to objects in said object-oriented database in said intermediate form, wherein said entries and said objects relate to configuration parameters of said computer system, wherein said intermediate form is derived from a textual form expressed according to a grammar, wherein said object-oriented database stores configuration data that identifies available resources of said computer system, and wherein said intermediate form is configurable to populate said object-oriented database;

sending said plurality of entries in said intermediate form to said Java program; and

said Java program storing said plurality of entries in said intermediate form in a computer readable-medium for populating another object-oriented database.

23. The computer system of claim 22,

wherein said object-oriented database is configured to be platform independent.

24. The computer system of claim 22,

wherein said contents of said object-oriented database pertain to one or more application programs.

25. The computer system of claim 22,

wherein said textual form include name-value pairs corresponding to properties and attributes of software and hardware of said computer.

26. The computer system of claim 22,

wherein said textual form expresses a hierarchy of entries.

27. The computer system of claim 22,

wherein said intermediate form includes an array of entries configurable to populate said object-oriented database.

28. The computer system of claim 22,

wherein said entries of said intermediate form are objects, wherein said objects encapsulate data with methods.

29. The computer system of claim 22,

wherein said intermediate form is configurable to populate said object-oriented database with said entries through a programming interface for accessing said object-oriented database.

30. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said configuration data identifies physical devices present in said computer system.

31. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said configuration data identifies software services installed in said computer system.

32. A method, comprising:

a Java program on a computer system storing configuration data identifying available resources of a plurality of computer systems in an object-oriented database, wherein the object-oriented database includes a plurality of objects related to configuration parameters of each of the plurality of computer systems;

the Java program receiving an event notification indicating another Java program on another computer system of the plurality of computer systems, wherein the event notification relates to at least part of the configuration data in the object-oriented database;

the Java program expressing one or more of the plurality of objects in said object-oriented database corresponding to the event notification into a textual form according to a grammar;

the Java program sending the textual form to the another Java program on the another computer system;

the another Java program deriving a plurality of entries in an intermediate form from the textual form expressed according to the grammar; and

the another Java program populating another object-oriented database of the another computer system from the intermediate form.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein said expressing includes the Java program extending the grammar, wherein said sending includes sending the extended grammar to the another Java program, and wherein said deriving includes the another Java program deriving the plurality of entries according to the extended grammar.