Batch submission API

• US 6,976,024 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dobbelstein, Steven Lawrence, Chavez, Luciano Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, CAM Y T
• Application Number:
  US09/687,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707200-205, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/547 Messaging middleware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed for aggregating API calls within a higher level Batch Submission API (BSA) having a sender BSA (SBSA) and a receiver BSA (RBSA). Specifically, one or more directory limit records needed for the restoration process on a particular server are grouped by the SBSA into one large buffer. The SBSA validates batch records prior to transmitting them to a receiver. The SBSA does not transmit the records if either (1) all of the records fail pre-submission validation or (2) a certain percentage of the records fail pre-submission validation. Once the SBSA has performed the pre-submission validation of the records, a buffer and count (BC) is transmitted to a receiver BSA (RBSA) at a second computer. The BC contains records passing pre-submission validation checks and a count of the records contained within the buffer. The RBSA would then process each of the directory limits records contained in the buffer at the second computer.

Claims

1. A programmable apparatus comprising:

a first computer having a first computer memory containing a plurality of directory limits for the operating system of a second computer in a back up file;

a sender batch submission application interface in the first computer memory;

a network connecting the first computer and the second computer;

the second computer having a second computer memory;

a receiver batch submission application interface in the second computer memory that only accepts a buffer and count;

the first computer being directed by the sender batch submission application interface to examine each record in the plurality of directory limits to determine whether a flag is not set or whether a path is not covered;

to identify a record where a flag is not set or a path is not covered as an invalid record and any other record as valid record;

to place the valid records in a batch buffer and the invalid records in a failed buffer; and

to determine the number of records in the batch buffer and to transmit the buffer and count to the second computer; and

the second computer, being directed by the receiver batch submission application interface, receives the buffer and count and performs an operation on each record in the buffer and count to add a directory, set a directory limit, or to get information if required to add a directory or to set a directory limit;

wherein said sender batch submission application interface directs said first computer to determine a total count of records in the file, to determine a total number of invalid records, and to determine a number by dividing the total number of invalid records by the total count of records in the file, and if the number is less than or equal to a predetermined number, then said sender batch submission application interface directs said first computer to send the buffer and count;

whereby transmission of data over the network when backing up and restoring directory limits in the operating system is reduced.

2. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein if the number is greater than the predetermined number, said sender batch submission application interface directs said first computer to display a report that an error threshold has been exceeded.

3. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein said receiver batch submission interface directs said second computer to perform an operation on each record, and where an operation on a record failed, to generate an error record.

4. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 wherein said receiver batch submission interface directs said second computer to determine whether any records failed to be operated on and, responsive to a determination that there were records that failed to be operated on, to return the records that failed to be operated on to the first computer.

5. The buffer and count of claim 1 wherein the count of records is equal to the total count of records in the backup file minus the number of invalid records.

6. A computer readable memory for causing a first computer, having a file containing a plurality of records, to validate the plurality of records for transmission to a second computer comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

a sender batch submission application interface stored in said storage medium;

the storage medium so configured by said sender batch submission application interface, causes the computer

to examine each record in a plurality of directory limits and to determine whether each record is a valid record or an invalid record;

to place the valid records in a batch buffer and the invalid records in a failed buffer;

to determine the number of records in the batch buffer and to transmit a buffer and count to the second computer;

wherein a record is invalid if a flag is not set or a path is not covered, and any other record is valid; and

wherein the buffer and count is transmitted to the second computer so that a receiver batch submission application interface in a memory of the second computer can add a directory, set a directory limit or and get information in order to add a directory or to set a directory limit;

wherein said sender batch submission application interface directs said first computer to determine a total count of records in the file, to determine a total number of invalid records, and to determine a number by dividing the total number of invalid records by the total count of records in the file, and if the number is less than or equal to a predetermined number, then said sender batch submission application interface directs said computer to send the buffer and count;

whereby transmission of data over the network when backing up and restoring directory limits in the operating system is reduced.

7. The sender batch submission application interface of claim 6, and where the number is greater than the predetermined number, said sender batch submission application interface directs said computer to display a report that an error threshold has been exceeded.

8. The buffer and count of claim 6 wherein the count of records is equal to the total number of records in the file containing a plurality of records minus the number of invalid records.

9. A computer implemented process to accomplish pre-submission validation and batch submission of directory limits from a backup file comprising:

using a sender batch submission application interface in the memory of a first computer, performing the following steps;

initializing a total count of records in a file and the total number of invalid records in the file;

retrieving a record;

adding one to the total count of records in the file;

examining the record to determine whether a flag is not set or a path is not covered;

identifying a record where a flag is not set or a path is not covered as an invalid record and any other record as a valid record;

responsive to determining that there is a validation error in the record, adding one to the total number of invalid records in the file and storing the record in a failed buffer;

responsive to determining that there is no validation error in the record;

storing the record in a batch buffer;

determining whether the last record has been retrieved;

responsive to a determination that the last record has been retrieved, determining whether the total number of invalid records in the file is greater than zero;

responsive to a determination that the total number of invalid records in the file is greater than zero, sending a buffer and count,

using a receiver batch submission application interface in the memory of a second computer, performing the following steps;

receiving the buffer and count;

retrieving a record;

determining whether the last record has been retrieved;

operating on the record to add a directory, set a directory limit or get information in order to add a directory or to set a directory limit and determining whether the operation failed;

responsive to a determination that the operation failed, generating an error record;

responsive to determining that the last record has been retrieved, determining whether there have been any failures; and

responsive to a determination that there have been failures, returning the error records;

whereby transmission of data over the network when backing up and restoring directory limits in the operating system is reduced.

10. The computer implemented process of claim 9 wherein the count of records is equal to the total number of records in the backup file minus the number of invalid records.

11. A method for reducing remote application interface network traffic and increasing application interface performance in a network having a first computer and a second computer comprising:

validating a plurality of records in a back up file, comprising a plurality of directory limits for the operating system of a second computer, prior to submission in the first computer by examining each of the plurality of records to determine whether a flag is not set or a path is not covered;

identifying a record where a flag is not set or a path is not covered as an invalid record and any other record as a valid record;

storing said records in a buffer and count

storing an invalid record in a failed buffer and storing a valid record in a batch buffer; and

calculating a count of records equal to the count of total records read in the validating records prior to submission step minus the number of invalid records;

transmitting said buffer and count to said second computer;

receiving said buffer and count in said second computer; and

operating on said records in said second computer to add a directory, set a directory limit or get information in order to add a directory or to set a directory limit;

whereby transmission of data over the network when backing up and restoring directory limits in the operating system is reduced.

12. The validating records prior to submission of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

initializing a total count of records in a file and the total number of invalid records in the file;

retrieving a record;

adding one to the total count of records in the file; and

responsive to determining that there is a validation error, adding one to the total number of invalid records in the file.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the sending step further comprises the steps of:

responsive to a determination that the last record has been retrieved, determining whether the total number of invalid records in the file is greater than zero;

responsive to a determination that the total number of invalid records in the file is greater than zero, transmitting the buffer and count.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the operating step further comprises the steps of:

operating on the record and determining whether the operation failed; and

responsive to a determination that the operation failed, generating an error record.