Management of non-persistent data in a persistent database

• US 6,714,935 B1
• Filed: 09/21/1998
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Delo, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US09/157,883
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/4, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/201, 707/103, 707/101, 395/712, 717/12, 717/11, 364/300
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2448 for particular applications; for extensibility, e.g. user defined types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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

Abstract

A method of managing non-persistent data in a persistent database includes adding the non-persistent data to the database in the form of a temporary entry. The temporary entry can be a temporary row or column, a temporary table or a temporary database with temporary tables. The method also includes tracking the non-persistent data in order to maintain the original state of the persistent database. A column of temporary bits is added to track the rows, and the temporary columns are tracked via a bit in the schema. Non-persistent temporary entries can be added to any relational database to manipulate data while maintaining the original state of the database. Using temporary entries is advantageous when a large amount of data already exists in a database and a user needs to enhance and/or manipulate the data while still retaining the original state of the data.

Claims

1. A computerized method of managing integrated non-persistent data in a persistent database, the method comprising:

creating an integrated entry in a persistent database;

identifying the integrated entry as an entry containing non-persistent data; and

ignoring the integrated entry when writing the persistent database to a computer readable medium to preserve the original state of the persistent database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated entry is created as a column of a table in the persistent database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the integrated entry is identified by at least one bit in a schema for the table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated entry is created as a row of a table in the persistent database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the integrated entry is identified by a reserved column in the table, the reserved column containing data identifying the row as containing non-persistent data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated entry is created as a table in the persistent database.

7. A computerized system comprising:

a relational database containing persistent data;

a database engine for maintaining the relational database; and

a database application program interface (API) having extensions for adding an entry containing non-persistent data to the relational database;

wherein the database engine integrates the non-persistent data into the relational database with the persistent data while the database exists in memory of a computer and wherein the database engine ignores the non-persistent data in the relational database when writing the relational database to a computer readable medium so that an original state of the persistent data is preserved.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the non-persistent data exists in the relational database in memory as long as a view is associated with a table containing the non-persistent data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the entry is added as a column of the table in the relational database.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the entry is added as a row of the table in the relational database.

11. A computerized system comprising:

a relational database containing persistent data;

a means for maintaining the relational database;

a means for adding an entry containing non-persistent data to the relational database; and

a means for identifying the entry containing non-persistent data;

wherein the means for maintaining the relational database integrates the non-persistent data into the relational database with the persistent data while the database exists in memory of a computer and wherein the means for maintaining the relational database removes the non-persistent data identified by the means for identifying when writing the relational database to a computer readable medium so that an original state of the persistent data is preserved.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the entry is added as a column of a table in the relational database.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the entry is added as a row of a table in the relational database.

14. A method of managing the run-time state of a computer, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of integrated entries in a persistent installation database, the integrated entries representing a run-time state of a computer;

identifying each one of the integrated entries as an entry containing non-persistent data; and

ignoring the entries containing non-persistent data when writing the database to storage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the integrated entries indicates a software component is installed on a computer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is performed during the application installation process.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein one or more of the integrated entries tracks the progress of the installation.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein one or more of the integrated entries tracks a current state of the computer.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein one or more of the integrated entries tracks a desired state of the computer upon completion of the application installation process.

20. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a computer to perform a method of managing integrated non-persistent data in a persistent database, the method comprising:

creating an integrated entry in a persistent database;

identifying the integrated entry as an entry containing non-persistent data; and

ignoring the integrated entry prior to saving the persistent database to a computer readable medium to preserve the original state of the persistent database.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising maintaining the integrated entry in memory as long as at least one view is associated with a table containing the entry.

22. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a computer to perform a method of managing the run-time state of a computer, the method comprising:

integrating a plurality of entries in a persistent installation database, the entries representing a run-time state of a computer;

identifying each one of the entries as an entry containing non-persistent data;

ignoring the entries containing non-persistent data when writing the database to storage.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein at least one of the entries indicates a current state of software on the computer.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein at least one of the entries indicates a desired state of software on the computer.

25. A computerized system comprising:

a database engine for managing a relational database containing persistent data;

an interface for specifying temporary data to be integrated into the relational database; and

a module that modifies the database with the temporary data and identifies the temporary data as non-persistent data such that the non-persistent data is ignored when writing the database to permanent storage.

26. A database stored on a computer readable medium comprising:

a plurality of rows and columns of persistent data;

at least one entry of non-persistent data wherein the entry is a row or a column; and

an indicator identifying the non-persistent data so that when writing the database to storage the non-persistent data is ignored.

27. A computerized method of managing non-persistent data in a relational database, the method comprising:

creating an entry in the relational database, the relational database being adapted to contain persistent data;

identifying the entry as an entry containing non-persistent data;

wherein the non-persistent data is integrated with any persistent data in the relational database; and

ignoring the non-persistent data when writing the database to storage.

28. A computerized system comprising:

a relational database containing persistent data;

a database engine for maintaining the relational database;

wherein the database engine integrates the non-persistent data into the relational database with the persistent data; and

ignoring the non-persistent data when writing the database to storage.

29. A database stored on a computer-readable medium comprising:

a plurality of rows and columns of persistent data;

at least one entry of non-persistent data wherein the entry is a row or a column;

wherein the non-persistent data is integrated with the persistent data; and

wherein the non-persistent data is ignored when writing the database to storage.