Technique for enforcing temporal uniqueness in an object/relational database management system environment

• US 6,684,215 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2000
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Saracco, Cynthia Maro
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US09/597,588
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/102, 707/103.Y, 707/203, 340/870.03, 710/20, 713/161, 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 707/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system, method and program extender for enforcing the uniqueness of temporal data in an object/relational database management system is provided. There is a combination of user-defined functions, triggers and specified conditions to determine if attempts to insert new data or update existing data in a data object in which temporal integrity is a consideration are valid. Barriers exist to protect against inserts or updates that would violate the temporal integrity of the existing data. Also included are ways for a user to modify the behavior of the system or method to override triggers for cases in which temporal integrity is not desired.

Claims

1. A method for enforcing temporal data uniqueness in a database management system having data structures defined by a primary id key and an associated temporal key, comprising the following steps:

(a) analyzing each database command attempting insertion of a temporal key;

(b) testing for a possible temporal data uniqueness violation by comparing the command temporal key and the exiting database data structure temporal key, determining the exact nature of the violation and returning a unique violation identifier; and

(c) enforcing the temporal data uniqueness by disallowing the command or overriding the violation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the database management system is object or relational and having a plurality of columns, and wherein the command attempting an insertion of a new data structure having identical primarily id key as an existing data structure and sharing the associated temporal key, or attempting an update of a column of an existing data structure, said column defining a temporal key or primarily id key, the existing data structure sharing the associated temporal key with the command.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data structure is a data object.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of verifying validity of the command'"'"'s temporal key, having a start temporal key and an end temporal key, wherein said step comprising a step of verifying that the start temporal key representing time beginning before the end temporal key, and a step verifying that the temporal key being defined as having NOT NULL key values.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temporal key having a start temporal key and an end temporal key representing a time period, said representation of the database temporal key being chosen from a group comprising a timestamp representation, a date-time representation, a quarterly and annual representation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of enforcing the temporal data uniqueness including a step of disallowing execution of the command.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of enforcing the temporal data uniqueness including a step of overriding the temporal data uniqueness violation by a user-defined function.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the command violating the temporal data uniqueness by attempting an insertion of a new data structure having the same primary id key and sharing any component of the associated temporal key of an existing database data structure, wherein the temporal key component including the start temporal key and the end temporal key.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the command violating the temporal data uniqueness by attempting an update of an existing database data structure having the same primary id key and sharing any component of the associated temporal key of an existing database data structure, wherein the temporal key component including the start temporal key and the end temporal key.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the possible temporal data uniqueness violation being determined by a set of trigger functions comparing the command temporal key and the existing database data structure temporal key, determining the exact nature of the violation and returning a unique violation identifier.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the trigger functions using temporal comparison operators chosen from a group comprising EQUAL, OVERLAPS, MEETS, BEFORE, DURING, STARTS, FINISHES, SHARES, MERGES, WITHIN, INTERSECTION, and UNION.

12. A system for enforcing temporal data uniqueness in a database management system having data structures defined by a primary id key and an associated temporal key, comprising:

computer-based means for analyzing each database command attempting insertion of a temporal key;

computer-based means for testing for a possible temporal data uniqueness violation by comparing the command temporal key and the existing database data structure temporal key, determining the exact nature of the violation and returning a unique violation identifier; and

computer-based means for enforcing the temporal data uniqueness by allowing the command or overriding the violation.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the database management system is object or relational and having a plurality of columns, and wherein the command attempting an insertion of a new data structure having identical primary id key as an existing data structure and sharing the associated temporal key, or attempting an update of a column of an existing data structure, said column defining a temporal key or a primary id key, the existing data structure sharing the associated temporal key with the command.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the data structure is a data object.

15. The system according to claim 12, farther comprising a means for verifying validity of the command'"'"'s temporal key, having a start temporal key and an end temporal key, wherein said means comprising a means for verifying that the start temporal key representing, time beginning before the end temporal key, and a means verifying that the temporal key being defined as having NOT NULL key values.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the temporal key having a start temporal key and an end temporal key representing a time period, said representation of the database temporal key being chosen from a group comprising a timestamp representation, a date-time representation, a quarterly and annual representation.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the means for enforcing the temporal data uniqueness including a means for disallowing execution of the command.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the means for enforcing the temporal data uniqueness including a means for overriding the temporal data uniqueness violation by a user-defined function.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the command violating the temporal data uniqueness by attempting an insertion of a new data structure having the same primary id key and sharing any component of the associated temporal key of an existing database data structure, wherein the temporal key component including the start temporal key and the end temporal key.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the command violating the temporal data uniqueness by attempting an update of an existing database data structure having the same primary id key and sharing any component of the associated temporal key of an existing database data structure, wherein the temporal key component including the start temporal key and the end temporal key.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein the possible temporal data uniqueness violation being determined by a set of trigger functions comparing the command temporal key and the existing database data structure temporal key, determining the exact nature of the violation and returning a unique violation identifier.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the trigger functions using temporal comparison operators chosen from a group comprising EQUAL, OVERLAPS, MEETS, BEFORE, DURING, STARTS, FINISHES, SHARES, MERGES, WITHIN, INTERSECTION, and UNION.

23. A computer usable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a computer-based method for enforcing temporal data uniqueness in a database management system having data structures defined by a primary id key and an associated temporal key, comprising the following steps:

(a) analyzing each database command attempting insertion of a temporal key;

(b) testing for a possible temporal data uniqueness violation by comparing the command temporal key and the existing database data structure temporal key, determining the exact nature of the violation and returning a unique violation identifier; and

(c) enforcing the temporal data uniqueness by disallowing the command or overriding the violation.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the database management system is object or relational and having a plurality of columns, and wherein the command attempting an insertion of a new data structure having identical primary id key as an existing data structure and sharing the associated temporal key, or attempting an update of a column of an existing data structure, said column defining a temporal key or a primary id key, the existing data structure sharing the associated temporal key with the command.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the data structure is a data object.

26. The method according to claim 23, farther comprising a step of verifying validity of the command'"'"'s temporal key, having a start temporal key and an end temporal key, wherein said step comprising a step of verifying that the start temporal key representing time beginning before the end temporal key, and a step verifying that the temporal key being defined as having NOT NULL key values.

27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the temporal key having a start temporal key and an end temporal key representing a time period, said representation of the database temporal key being chosen from a group comprising a timestamp representation, a date-time representation, a quarterly and annual representation.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the step of enforcing the temporal data uniqueness including a step of disallowing execution of the command.

29. The method according to claim 23, wherein the step of enforcing the temporal data uniqueness including a step of overriding the temporal data uniqueness violation by a user-defined function.

30. The method according to claim 23, wherein the command violating the temporal data uniqueness by attempting an insertion of a new data structure having the same primary id key and sharing any component of the associated temporal key of an existing database data structure, wherein the temporal key component including the start temporal key and the end temporal key.

31. The method according to claim 23, wherein the command violating the temporal data uniqueness by attempting an update of an existing database data structure having the same primary id key and sharing any component of the associated temporal key of an existing database data structure, wherein the temporal key component including the start temporal key and the end temporal key.

32. The method according to claim 23, wherein the possible temporal data uniqueness violation being determined by a set of trigger functions comparing the command temporal key and the existing database data structure temporal key, determining the exact nature of the violation and returning a unique violation identifier.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the trigger functions using temporal comparison operators chosen from a group comprising EQUAL, OVERLAPS, MEETS, BEFORE, DURING, STARTS, FINISHES, SHARES, MERGES, WITHIN, INTERSECTION, and UNION.