Database management system for implementing independent database actions in response to events of interest

• US 7,089,265 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kambo, Rajit, Mishra, Shailendra, Jain, Namit
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US10/124,908
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/102, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/611
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing a database is provided. A database management system conducts a plurality of database transactions with a plurality of clients. An event may be detected as a result of one of the transactions. The event is mapped to an independent database action. In response to detecting the event, the independent database action is executed without interference from the transaction that caused the event.

Claims

1. A method comprising performing a computer executed operation involving instructions, wherein the computer executed operation is at least one of:

A) sending said instructions over transmission media;

B) receiving said instructions over transmission media;

C) storing said instructions onto the computer readable storage medium; and

D) executing the instructions;

wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

in response to user input, storing data that associates a database operation with an event, the database operation altering data objects stored in a database of the database system;

detecting when the event is caused by a triggering transaction conducted within the database system;

inspecting the data to determine that the database operation has been associated with the event; and

automatically performing the database operation independent of the triggering transaction, wherein automatically performing the database operation independent of the triggering transaction includes performing the database operation without notifying any user prior to executing the database operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically performing the database operation independent of the triggering transaction includes performing the database operation without sending a notification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein inspecting the data to determine that the database operation has been associated with the event includes selecting a specified database operation from a group of database operations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions include instructions for delaying performance of the database operation until the database system has available resources for performing the database operation based on a predetermined criteria, and automatically performing the database operation in response to detecting that the database system has the available resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically performing the database operation independent of the triggering transaction includes executing the database operation on behalf of a first user that is different than a second user that initiates the triggering transaction, wherein the database operation is specified by the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically performing the database operation independent of the triggering transaction includes executing the database operation on behalf of a first user that is different than a second user that initiates the triggering transaction, wherein the database operation is specified by the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically performing the database operation independent of the triggering transaction includes selecting the database operation in response to detecting when the event is caused by a triggering transaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein inspecting the data to determine that the database operation has been associated with the event includes determining an effect of the triggering transaction on data objects of the database system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically performing the database operation independent of the triggering transaction includes performing the database operation on behalf of a user that is not concurrently operating a terminal that is in communication with the database system while the triggering transaction is being conducted with the database management system.

10. A method comprising performing a computer executed operation involving instructions, wherein the computer executed operation is at least one of:

A) sending said instructions over transmission media;

B) receiving said instructions over transmission media;

C) storing said instructions onto the computer readable storage medium; and

D) executing the instructions;

wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

mapping an event of interest to a specified database action;

detecting a triggering transaction, amongst a plurality of transactions being conducted with the database system, that causes the event of interest to occur;

in response to detecting that the triggering transaction caused the event of interest to occur, identifying the database action that has been mapped to the event;

and in response to identifying the database action, automatically performing the database action independent of the triggering transaction to alter data objects in the database system without sending a notification to the user that associated the event of interest to the independent database action, wherein automatically performing the database operation independent of the triggering transaction includes performing the database operation without notifying any user prior to executing the database operation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying an independent database action in response to detecting the triggering transaction includes mapping an event of interest caused by the triggering transaction to a specified independent database action.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein asynchronously executing the independent database action includes executing the independent database action after the first transaction is completed.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein asynchronously executing the independent database action includes delaying execution of the independent database action until a determination is made that sufficient database resources exist to execute the independent database action based on a predetermined criteria.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein asynchronously executing the independent database action includes automatically executing the independent database action on behalf of a user that is not concurrently operating a terminal that is in communication with the database system while the triggering transaction is being conducted with the database management system.

15. A database system for performing a plurality of database transactions, the database system comprising:

an event monitor executing on one or more processors configured to monitor at least some of the plurality of database transactions in order to detect an event caused by a first database transaction in the plurality of database transactions;

a server including one or more processors configured to perform;

a first process configured to execute the plurality of database transactions;

a second process configured to identify an independent database action associated with the event detected by the event monitor, and to automatically execute the independent database action asynchronously after detecting the event, wherein the second process is configured to automatically execute the independent database action without notifying any user prior to executing the independent database action.

16. The database system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured to perform the second process to execute the independent database action independently of the first process executing the first transaction.

17. The database system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured to borrow resources for performing the second process in order to perform the first process upon determining, that resources for performing the first process are insufficient to process the plurality of database transactions according to a predetermined criteria.

18. The database system of claim 15, wherein the event monitor is configured to detect a second event from processing the plurality of database transactions, and wherein the server is configured to perform a third process configured to match the second event to a notification.

19. The database system of claim 18, wherein the event monitor is configured to detect a third event from processing the plurality of database transactions, and wherein the server system is configured to perform a fourth process configured to match the third event to a synchronous action.

20. The database system of claim 19, further comprising a buffer that determines an order of executing the independent database action, the notification and the synchronous action, each job being selected by the event monitor based on the detected event.