Methods and systems for asynchronous catalog requests for system objects via secure table look-up

• US 6,931,436 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2001
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rolfe, Randy Keith, Spieth, Jason John, Lawrence, Nicholas Todd, Steinbrink, Kathryn Rose
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US09/848,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709/225, 709/227, 709/213, 709/203, 707 9- 10, 707/3
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2372 Updates performed during offline database operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for handling synchronous requests from a requesting entity. Illustratively, the requesting entity is in a database management system and the requests are made to a catalog server. The catalog server is configured to respond to the requests by accessing a catalog database. An interface is provided between an application and a catalog server. The interface is configured to determine whether the catalog server is available to handle requests. If the catalog server is unavailable and if the request is a synchronous request, the interface determines whether the request may be processed asynchronously.

Claims

1. A method of processing a requested synchronous operation during an initial program load or during a system install, comprising:

receiving, from a requesting entity, a request for the synchronous operation to create an object that requires an identifier that is unique within a namespace identified by a catalog server;

determining whether the catalog server in a database management system is available to handle the request;

if the catalog server is unavailable, determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously by determining whether the unique identifier conflicts with a name in a name table; and

if the request may be handled asynchronously, allowing the requested synchronous operation to be processed asynchronously and returning control to the requesting entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises accessing a data structure containing restricted names for system elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is for a unique identifier and wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether a data structure contains the unique identifier, wherein the data structure contains restricted unique identifiers for system objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises accessing a data structure containing restricted names for system objects comprising at least one of triggers and constraints.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether the requesting entity is an operating system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether one of an operating system and the database management system is being loaded.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises accessing a name table containing a plurality of unique identifiers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the synchronous request may be handled asynchronously comprises accessing a name table containing a plurality of unique identifiers reserved for use by an operating system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises:

determining whether a program is being loaded, wherein the program is one of an operating system and the database management system; and

if the program is being loaded, determining whether the request is for a restricted unique identifier usable only by the program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the request is for the restricted unique identifier usable only by the program comprises determining whether a data structure contains the restricted unique identifier, wherein the data structure contains a plurality of restricted unique identifiers for system elements.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a requesting entity, a request for a unique identifier;

determining whether a catalog server in a database management system is available to handle the request;

if the catalog server is not available, determining whether the request is synchronous, wherein a synchronous request blocks the requesting entity from activity until the request is completed by the catalog server;

if the request is synchronous, determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously by determining (i) whether the request is for a restricted unique identifier and (ii) whether the requesting entity has authority to use the restricted unique identifier; and

if so, providing the request to a transaction handler interface configured to process the request in an asynchronous manner and returning control to the requesting entity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether the requesting entity one of the database management system and an operating system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether one of the database management system and an operating system is being loaded.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether the requesting entity is a component of a program being loaded.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously is performed by an interface.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises:

determining whether a program is being loaded, wherein the program is one of an operating system and the database management system; and

if the program is being loaded, determining whether the request is for a restricted unique identifier usable only by the program.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises accessing a data structure containing a plurality of restricted unique identifiers for system elements.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the system elements comprise at least one of triggers and constraints.

19. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs a method, comprising;

receiving, from a requesting entity, a request for a unique identifier;

determining whether a catalog server in a database management system is available to handle the request;

if the catalog server is not available, determining whether the request is synchronous, wherein a synchronous request blocks the requesting entity from activity until the request is completed by the catalog server;

if the request is synchronous, determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously by determining (i) whether the request is for a restricted unique identifier and (ii) whether the requesting entity has authority to use the restricted unique identifier; and

if so, providing the request to a transaction handler configured to process the request in an asynchronous manner and returning control to the requesting entity.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether the requesting entity one of the database management system and an operating system.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether one of the database management system and an operating system is being loaded.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises determining whether the requesting entity is a component of a program being loaded.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously is performed by an interface.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises:

determining whether a program is being loaded, wherein the program is one of an operating system and the database management system; and

if the program is being loaded, determining whether the request is for a restricted unique identifier usable only by the program.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the request may be handled asynchronously comprises accessing a data structure containing a plurality of restricted unique identifiers for system elements.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the system elements comprise at least one of triggers and constraints.

27. A system, comprising:

a database;

a server configured to process requests submitted by requesting entities by accessing the database;

a restricted names table containing restricted unique identifiers;

at least one first requesting entity configured to submit requests for a unique identifier for a database element and wherein the first requesting entity is authorized to access the restricted names table;

at least one second requesting entity configured to submit requests for the unique identifier for the database element and wherein the second requesting entity is unauthorized to access the restricted names table; and

a transaction interface configured to (i) determine whether the server is available for processing requests and, (ii) if the server is not available, determine whether a synchronous request may be handled asynchronously by determining whether a request for the unique identifier from one of the second requesting entities conflicts with a name in the restricted names table.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the transaction interface is configured to determine whether the synchronous request may be handled asynchronously by determining whether the synchronous request is from the first requesting entity and determining whether the request is for a restricted unique identifier contained in the restricted names table.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the transaction interface is configured to determine whether the synchronous request may be handled asynchronously by determining whether the synchronous request is from the first requesting entity.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the transaction interface is configured to determine whether the synchronous request is from the first requesting entity by determining whether the first requesting entity is a component of a program being loaded.