Database system including hierarchical link table

• US 6,947,946 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAHMOUDI, HASSAN
• Application Number:
  US09/742,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20010051946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/8, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/203, 707/500.1, 709/223, 375/225, 705/400, 370/468, 370/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• 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

The present invention provides a database system having a database in which data to be processed by an application program are stored (hierarchical node database). A table (hierarchical link table) in which mainly relationship data (e.g., a pointer) for the database are entered is prepared for a corresponding application program. The individual application programs can refer to the corresponding hierarchical link tables and can access desired hierarchical node databases. When the hierarchical data structure is to be changed, such as by the addition of an application due to a new request, a corresponding alteration need only be reflected in the hierarchical link table.

Claims

1. A database system, for storing and managing data that are used by application programs to execute a specific operation, comprising:

a hierarchical node database wherein data used for said application programs are stored as node data in data records; and

a hierarchical link table, provided for each of said application programs, which comprises relationship data that defines a hierarchical structure of said node data that are stored in said hierarchical node database wherein the hierarchical link table includes effective period data that defines effective periods for the defined hierarchical structure, and wherein the hierarchical link table includes an identifier of an application program associated with the defined hierarchical structure.

2. The database system according to claim 1, wherein said hierarchical node database includes effective period data that define said effective periods for said data records, the effective period data being stored as data entries in individual data fields.

3. The database system according to claim 2, wherein each of said data records in said hierarchical node database includes a fixed-length column in which only data entries having a constant size are stored, and a variable-length column in which only data having variable sizes are stored.

4. A database system for storing and managing data for use by a plurality of application programs that perform distinct operations, comprising:

a hierarchical node database that stores node data to be used by a first and a second application program;

a first hierarchical link table that defines a first unique hierarchical structure of the node data for use when the first application program is run, wherein the first hierarchical link table includes an identifier that identifies the first application program; and

a second hierarchical link table that defines a second unique hierarchical structure of the node data use when the second application program is run, wherein the second hierarchical link table includes an identifier that identifies the second application program.

5. The database system of claim 4, wherein the node database comprises a plurality of data entries, each having a node identifier and a set of node attributes, and wherein the node attributes comprise non-relational data.

6. The database system of claim 5, wherein the each hierarchical link table includes a set of links that define relationships between parent and child nodes using the node identifiers from the node database.

7. The database system of claim 6, wherein each hierarchical link table includes time period fields for each link to optionally establish start and end times for each link.

8. The database system of claim 5, wherein the each data entry in the node database includes time period fields to optionally establish start and end times for each data entry.

9. The database system of claim 4, wherein the first application program provides a first monetary rate scheme for a telecommunications provider, and the second application program provides a second monetary rate scheme for the telecommunications provider.

10. A database system, for storing and managing data that is used by a plurality of application programs to execute distinct operations, comprising:

a hierarchical node database, wherein data used for the application program is stored as node data in data records, and wherein the hierarchical node database includes effective period data for at least one data record that defines a time period when at least one data record is effective for each of said plurality of application programs; and

a hierarchical link table, provided for each of said application programs, which comprise relationship data that defines a hierarchical structure of the node data that is stored in the hierarchical node database, and wherein the hierarchical link table includes an identifier of an application program associated with the defined hierarchical structure.

11. A database system, for storing and managing data that are used by application programs to execute a specific operation, comprising:

a hierarchical node database wherein data used for said application programs are stored as node data in data records;

a hierarchical link table, provided for each of said application programs, which comprises relationship data that defines a hierarchical structure of said node data that are stored in said hierarchical node database wherein the hierarchical link table includes effective period data that defines effective periods for the defined hierarchical structure, and wherein the hierarchical link table includes an identifier of an application program associated with the defined hierarchical structure; and

a cycle control table in which cycle data are entered to define execution timings for said application programs that execute operations at constant time intervals.

12. The database system according to claim 11, wherein said hierarchical node database includes effective period data that define said effective periods for said data records, the effective period data being stored as data entries in individual data fields.

13. The database system according to claim 12, wherein each of said data records in said hierarchical node database includes a fixed-length column in which only data entries having a constant size are stored, and a variable-length column in which only data having variable sizes are stored.