Providing a consistent hierarchical abstraction of relational data
First Claim
1. A method for managing data in a database system, comprising the steps of:
- receiving at a database server (a) data that identifies one or more relational tables as tables that store data associated with the content of resources that belong to an information hierarchy, and (b) connection criteria that indicates what constitutes a relationship in the information hierarchy;
wherein said one or more relational tables include at least one table that stores, along with the data associated with the content of the resources, certain data that serves as an external hierarchy definition that establishes hierarchical relationships between said resources;
using said data that identifies said one or more relational tables, and said connection criteria, to capture the hierarchical relationships within said hierarchy by performing the steps of executing one or more queries against the one or more relational tables to retrieve said certain data; and
based on said certain data and said connection criteria, storing information that captures said information hierarchy, as an internal hierarchy definition, in one or more hierarchy structures separate from said one or more relational tables.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hierarchy may be explicitly or implicitly reflected in existing data maintained external to hierarchy structures. Such hierarchies are referred to herein as a “pre-existing hierarchies”. Techniques are described herein for capturing a pre-existing hierarchy in hierarchy structures. After a pre-existing hierarchy has been captured, there exist two independent sets of data that reflect the hierarchy: the external hierarchy definition and the internal hierarchy definition. Changing either hierarchy definition changes the hierarchy. Therefore, to maintain a consistent reflection of the hierarchy, the internal hierarchy definition must be modified in response to changes made to the external hierarchy definition, and the external hierarchy definition must be modified in response to changes made to the internal hierarchy definition. Various techniques are described for maintaining consistency between the two hierarchy definitions.
145 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for managing data in a database system, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at a database server (a) data that identifies one or more relational tables as tables that store data associated with the content of resources that belong to an information hierarchy, and (b) connection criteria that indicates what constitutes a relationship in the information hierarchy;
wherein said one or more relational tables include at least one table that stores, along with the data associated with the content of the resources, certain data that serves as an external hierarchy definition that establishes hierarchical relationships between said resources;
using said data that identifies said one or more relational tables, and said connection criteria, to capture the hierarchical relationships within said hierarchy by performing the steps of executing one or more queries against the one or more relational tables to retrieve said certain data; and
based on said certain data and said connection criteria, storing information that captures said information hierarchy, as an internal hierarchy definition, in one or more hierarchy structures separate from said one or more relational tables. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer-readable medium carrying instructions for managing data in a database system, the instructions comprising instructions for performing the steps of:
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receiving at a database server (a) data that identifies one or more relational tables as tables that store data associated with the content of resources that belong to an information hierarchy, and (b) connection criteria that indicates what constitutes a relationship in the information hierarchy;
wherein said one or more relational tables include at least one table that stores along with the data associated with the content of the resources, certain data that serves as an external hierarchy definition that establishes hierarchical relationships between said resources;
using said data that identifies said one or more relational tables, and said connection criteria, to capture the hierarchical relationships within said hierarchy by performing the steps of executing one or more queries against the one or more relational tables to retrieve said certain data; and
based on said certain data and said connection criteria, storing information that captures said information hierarchy, as an internal hierarchy definition, in one or more hierarchy structures separate from said one or more relational tables. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification