Database system having heterogeneous object types

• US 7,124,140 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Barton, Lee B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S
• Application Number:
  US10/014,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/101, 707/103.R, 707/103.X, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z, 707/102, 707/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method for extracting metadata for plural related objects of different types from a database includes defining a heterogeneous object type as a collection of database objects of different types. Upon a request to fetch a particular heterogeneous object, member objects of the heterogeneous object are fetched from the particular heterogeneous object in a specific order based on the definition of the heterogeneous object'"'"'s type, such as a valid order for re-creating the particular heterogeneous object. The set of member objects to be fetched can be restricted according to at least one specified filter, which itself may be translated into a second filter according to a type of a member object being fetched. Such translated filters can inherit values from the filter specified in the request for the particular heterogeneous object type, or can have a fixed value of some data type. The extracted metadata can be formatted to recreate the particular heterogeneous object.

Claims

1. A method for extracting metadata for plural related objects of different types from a database, comprising:

defining a heterogeneous object type as a collection of database objects of different types;

upon a single object type request to fetch a particular heterogeneous object, fetching metadata of member objects from the particular heterogeneous object in a specific order based on the definition of the heterogeneous objects type, the specific order being a valid order for recreating the particular heterogeneous object;

restricting a set of member objects to be fetched according to at least one specified filter;

wherein the at least one specified filter is translated to a second filter according to a type of a member object being fetched; and

storing the metadata from the fetched objects in a file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a heterogeneous object type is a table export type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an heterogeneous object type is a database export type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an heterogeneous object type is a schema export type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an heterogeneous object type is a tablespace export type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a heterogeneous object type includes another heterogeneous object type.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying, in a first table, heterogeneous object types;

defining, in a second table, the specific order in which member types for a given heterogeneous object type are to be returned; and

upon a fetch command, fetching member objects according to the specific order defined in the second table.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

specifying, in a third table, filters that can be applied to the particular heterogeneous object type.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

specifying, in a fourth table, filter translations for individual member object types.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a translated filter inherits a filter value from a filter specified for the particular heterogeneous object type.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a filter defined in the fourth table has a fixed text value.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a filter defined in the fourth table has a fixed boolean value.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning the metadata in a formatted markup language.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the formatted markup language is XML.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

translating the markup language-formatted data into statements formatted to recreate the particular heterogeneous object.

16. A method for retrieving, from a relational database, object metadata, comprising:

receiving a single request for metadata for a logical unit within the database, the logical unit comprising plural objects of different types;

extracting the requested metadata;

returning the extracted metadata in an order in which the logical unit can be recreated;

wherein the request specifies at least one heterogeneous object type filter, and restricting objects to be extracted based on the at least one heterogeneous object type filter;

translating the heterogeneous object type filter to a member object filter for a member object type;

restricting member objects of the member object type based on the member object filter; and

storing the extracted metadata in a file.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the logical unit comprises a table and its dependent objects.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a dependent object is a constraint.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein a dependent object is an index.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a dependent object is a grant.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the logical unit comprises all objects in a schema.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the logical unit comprises all objects in the database.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

using the extracted metadata to recreate the logical unit of objects on another database.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the member object filter value is inherited from the heterogeneous object type filter.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

specifying the member object filter value as a fixed value.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the fixed value is a boolean value.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the fixed value is a text value.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the single request comprises a single OPEN command, a single CLOSE command, and at least one FETCH command.

29. A method for extracting metadata for plural related objects of different types from a database, comprising:

defining a heterogeneous object type as a collection of database objects of different types;

upon a request to fetch a particular heterogeneous object, fetching member objects from the particular heterogeneous object in a specific order based on the definition of the heterogeneous object'"'"'s type;

restricting a set of member objects to be fetched according to at least one specified filter;

wherein the at least one specified filter is translated to a second filter according to a type of a member object being fetched; and

storing the metadata from the fetched objects in a file.

30. A method for extracting metadata for plural related objects of different types from a database, comprising:

defining a heterogeneous object type as a collection of database objects of different types;

upon a request to fetch a particular heterogeneous object, fetching member objects from the particular heterogeneous object in a specific order based on the definition of the heterogeneous object'"'"'s type;

specifying, in a first table, the specific object types;

defining, in a second table, the specific order in which member types for a given heterogeneous object type are to be returned;

upon a fetch command, fetching member objects according to the specific order defined in the second table;

specifying, in a third table, filters that can be applied to the particular heterogeneous object type;

specifying, in a fourth table, filter translations for individual member object types; and

storing the metadata from the fetched objects in a file.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein a translated filter inherits a filter value from a filter specified for the particular heterogeneous object type.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein a filter defined in the fourth table has a fixed text value.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein a filter defined in the fourth table has a fixed Boolean value.

34. A method for extracting metadata for plural related objects of different types from a database, comprising:

defining a heterogeneous object type as a collection of database objects of different types, the database objects including metadata;

upon a request to fetch a particular heterogeneous object, fetching member objects from the particular heterogeneous object in a specific order based on the definition of the heterogeneous object'"'"'s type;

restricting a set of member objects to be fetched according to at least one specified filter;

wherein the at least one specified filter is translated to a second filter according to a type of a member object being fetched;

from the fetched member objects, returning the metadata in a formatted markup language; and

storing the metadata from the fetched objects in a file.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the formatted markup language is XML.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

translating the markup language-formatted data into statements formatted to recreate the particular heterogeneous object.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the member object filter value is inherited from the heterogeneous object type filter.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising specifying the member object filter value as a fixed value.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the fixed value is a boolean value.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the fixed value is a text value.

37. A method for retrieving, from a relational database, object metadata, comprising:

receiving a single request for metadata for a logical unit within the database, the logical unit comprising plural objects of different types, the request specifying at least one heterogeneous object type filter;

restricting objects to be extracted based on the at least one heterogeneous object type filter;

translating the heterogeneous object type filter to a member object filter for a member type;

restricting member objects of the member object type based on the member object filter;

extracting the requested metadata;

returning the extracted metadata in an order in which the logical unit can be recreated; and

storing the extracted metadata in a file.