Object oriented processing system and data sharing environment for applications therein

• US 6,785,691 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Lopez, Steven Andrew, Hewett, Alan Perry
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Miranda
• Application Number:
  US09/416,987
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/103, 707/8, 707/10, 709/201, 709/203, 711/121, 711/122, 717/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A global data sharing environment and data sharing proxy agent for multiple application instances in an object oriented processing system are disclosed. In response to an object in an application instance calling a data storage method, a local data sharing environment is generated that corresponds to the requesting object'"'"'s application instance. As a data storage or retrieval method is processed, data is stored in or retrieved from the local data sharing environment. Data can also be shared between objects in separate application instances using the global data sharing environment.

Claims

1. In an object oriented processing system including one or more applications executing therein, a data sharing method for sharing data among objects in separate instances of said application(s), comprising the steps of:

creating a local hash table for each of said application instances, the storage locations of said local hash tables storing or referencing data to be shared among the objects of a corresponding one of said application instances, said data being keyed by data identifiers that are maintained in the key indexes of said local hash tables;

creating a global hash table, the storage locations of said global hash table containing or referencing said local hash tables, said local hash tables being keyed by application instance identifiers which indicate the application instances'"'"' thread groups and that are maintained in the key index of said global hash table;

in response to an object in one of said application instances making a data sharing, comprising storage or retrieval, request using one of said data identifiers as a key, determining an application instance identifier corresponding to the application instance to which said requesting object belongs;

querying said global hash table using said application instance identifier as a key to identify the local hash table corresponding to the application instance to which said requesting object belongs; and

querying said identified local hash table using said data identifier as a key to perform said data sharing request.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of creating a local hash table is implemented in response to an object in an application instance making a data storage request and a determination that no local hash table for said application instance yet exists, and storing said local hash table in said global hash table.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said storing step includes adding said local hash table along with a corresponding application instance identifier to said global hash table.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said step of creating a global hash table is implemented in response to an object in an application instance making a data storage request and a determination that no global hash table yet exists.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 further including creating a global data table for passing data between application instances.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein application data retrieval requests are processed by retrieving data from said global data table if said data is not found in a corresponding local hash table or if no such local hash table exists.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein application storage requests are processed by storing data in a corresponding local hash table if a previous version of said data exists therein, or in said global data table if a previous version of said data exists therein but not in said local hash table, or in said local hash table if no prior version of said data exists therein or in said global data table.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of determining an application instance identifier includes setting said application instance identifier to an application instance thread group identifier corresponding to said requesting object.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of querying said global hash table includes identifying said local hash table using an application thread group identifier as said key.

10. In an object oriented processing system, including one or more applications executing therein, a data sharing system for sharing data among objects in separate instances of said application(s), comprising:

a local hash table for each of said application instances, the storage locations of said local hash tables storing or referencing data to be shared among the objects of a corresponding one of said application instances, said data being keyed by data identifiers that are maintained in the key indexes of said local hash tables;

a global hash table, the storage locations of said global hash table containing or referencing said local hash tables, said local hash tables being keyed by application instance identifiers which indicate the application instances'"'"' thread groups and that are maintained in the key index of said global hash table;

means, responsive to an object in one of said application instances making a data sharing, comprising storage or retrieval, request using one of said data identifiers as a key, for determining an application instance identifier corresponding to the application instance to which said requesting object belongs;

means for querying said global hash table using said application instance identifier as a key to identify the local hash table corresponding to the application instance to which said requesting object belongs; and

means for querying said identified local hash table using said data identifier as a key to perform said data sharing request.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said local hash table is implemented in response to an object in an application instance making a data storage request and a determination that no local hash table for said requesting application instance yet exists, and storing said local hash table in said global hash table.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said storage of said local hash table includes adding said local hash table along with a corresponding application instance identifier to said global hash table.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said global hash table is implemented in response to an object in an application instance making a data storage request and a determination that no global hash table yet exists.

14. A system in accordance with claim 13 further including a global data table for passing data between application instances.

15. A system In accordance with claim 14 wherein application data retrieval requests are processed by retrieving data from said global data table if said data is not found in a corresponding local hash table or if no such local hash table exists.

16. A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein application storage requests are processed by storing data in a corresponding local hash table if a previous version of said data exists therein, or in said global data table if a previous version of said data exists therein but not in said local hash table, or in said local hash table if no prior version of said data exists therein or in said global data table.

17. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said means for determining an application instance identifier includes means for setting said application instance identifier to an application instance thread group identifier corresponding to said requesting object.

18. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said means for querying said global hash table includes means for identifying said local hash table using an application thread group identifier as said key.

19. In an object oriented processing system including one or more applications executing therein, a data sharing method for sharing data among objects in separate instances of said application(s), comprising:

creating a local table In a local environment of each of said application instances, the storage locations of said local tables storing or referencing data to be shared among the objects of a corresponding one of said application instances;

creating a global table in a global environment shared by said application instances, the storage locations of said global table containing or referencing said local tables, said local tables being keyed by their corresponding application instances which indicate the application instances'"'"' thread groups;

in response to an object in one of said application instances making a data sharing, comprising storage or retrieval, request for one of said shared or referenced data, determining an application instance to which said requesting object belongs;

querying said global table using said determined application instance to identify the local table corresponding to the determined application instance; and

querying said identified local table for the one of said stored or referenced data to perform said data sharing request.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising:

creating a global data table in the global environment for passing data between application instances;

in response to an object in one of said application instances making a data sharing request for a datum, determining an application instance to which said requesting object belongs;

querying said global table using said determined application instance to identify the local table corresponding to the determined application instance;

querying said identified local table for the datum to perform said data sharing request; and

in response to failure of said querying of said identified local table, querying said global data table for the datum to perform said data sharing request.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein:

said step of creating a local table is effected in response to an object in an application instance making a data storage request and a determination that no local table for said application instance yet exists, and storing or referencing said local table in said global table;

said step of creating a global table is effected in response to an object in an application instance making a data storage request and a determination that no global table yet exists; and

said step of creating a global data table is effected in response to an object in an application instance making a data storage request and a determination that no global data table yet exists.

22. A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein:

said data sharing request for a datum comprises a data storage request for said datum; and

the method further comprises

in response to failure of said querying of said global data table for the datum, creating or referencing the datum in the identified local table.

23. A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein:

said data sharing request for a datum comprises a data retrieval request for said datum; and

the method further comprises

in response to failure of said querying of said global table, querying said global data table for the datum to perform said data retrieval request.

24. In an object oriented processing system including one or more applications executing therein, a data sharing system for sharing data among objects in separate instances of said application(s), comprising:

a local table in a local environment of each of said application instances, the storage locations of said local tables storing or referencing data to be shared among the objects of a corresponding one of said application instances;

a global table in a global environment shared by said application instances, the storage locations of said global table containing or referencing said local tables, said local tables being keyed by their corresponding application instances which indicate the application instances'"'"' thread groups;

means, responsive to an object in one of said application instances making a data sharing, comprising storage or retrieval, request for one of said stored or referenced data, for determining an application instance to which said requesting object belongs;

means for querying said global table using said determined application instance to identify the local table corresponding to the determined application instance; and

means for querying said identified local table for the one of said stored or referenced data to perform said data sharing request.

25. A system in accordance with claim 24 further including:

a global data table in the global environment for passing data between application instances;

means responsive to an object in one of said application instances making a data sharing request for a datum, for determining an application instance to which said requesting object belongs;

means for querying said global table using said determined application instance to identify the local table corresponding to the determined application instance;

means for querying said identified local table for the datum to perform said data sharing request; and

means responsive to failure of said querying of said identified local table, for querying said global data table for the datum to perform said data sharing request.

26. A system in accordance with claim 25 wherein:

said local table is implemented in response to an object in an application Instance making a data storage request and a determination that no local table for said application instance yet exists, and storing or referencing said local table in said global table;

said global table is implemented in response to an object in an application Instance making a data storage request and a determination that no global table yet exists; and

said global data table is implemented in response to an object in an application instance making a data storage request and a determination that no global data table yet exists.

27. A system in accordance with claim 25 wherein:

said data sharing request for a datum comprises a data storage request for said datum; and

the system further comprises

means responsive to failure of said querying of said global data table for the datum, for creating or referencing the datum in the identified local table.

28. A system in accordance with claim 25 wherein:

said data sharing request for a datum comprises a data retrieval request for said datum; and

the system further comprises

means responsive to failure of said querying of said global table, for querying sad global data table for the datum to perform said data retrieval request.