Logic table abstraction layer for accessing configuration information

• US 7,337,174 B1
• Filed: 07/26/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Craig, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): To; Baoquoc N.
• Application Number:
  US09/360,440
• Time in Patent Office: 3,137 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103, 707/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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

Abstract

A logic table object for accessing configuration information sourced by one or more datastores is employed in a catalog environment of an attribute-based programming model. A logic table object may provide supplemental logic, consolidate multiple underlying tables, map between different disparate table coordinates, trigger external operations, and synthesize data for inclusion in a virtual table presented to a caller. A logic table object can provide access to configuration information cached in an underlying data table object and derived from a datastore. Alternatively, a logic table can include its own cache, servicing calls therefrom until an update to or from an underlying datastore is required.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable components executed by a computer system causing the computer system to provide access to Component Object Model (COM) configuration data about applications and services, in a runtime environment, sourced by one or more datastores, the components comprising:

a runtime catalog accessible by a server application and running on a server;

one or more table object dispensers called by the runtime catalog in response to a request for COM configuration data; and

a table system created by the one or more table object dispensers in response to the runtime catalog, the table system providing the COM configuration data to the server application, the server application executing with the COM configuration data, the table system including;

one or more datastores to store the COM configuration data;

one or more logic table objects to present the COM configuration data; and

one or more data table objects created by the one or more logic table objects, each data table object exposing a table cursor into one of the datastores, each data table object bound to one of the datastores;

wherein the one or more logic table objects supplement functionality of the one or more data table objects by intercepting interface calls and providing, at least one of, additional and overriding functionality of the one or more data table objects or the one or more logic table objects synthesize data, according to a type of request for COM configuration data, which is not available from the one or more data table objects.

2. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the table cursor is a predetermined table-oriented interface that hides the location and format of the underlying datastore.

3. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein two or more data table objects access one datastore.

4. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more data table objects populate one or more internal caches with read-write data associated with the bound datastore.

5. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 4, wherein queries to the bound datastore are responded to with data in the one or more internal caches through the table interface of the data table object.

6. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more logic table objects provide one or more callers with access to COM configuration data.

7. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 6, wherein the one or more logic table objects present the COM configuration data in a virtual table format with a predetermined table interface.

8. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the COM configuration data in the one or more logic table objects is accessed by a table-oriented interface that includes a table cursor method.

9. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the logic table object presents domain-specific COM configuration data.

10. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 9, wherein the domain-specific COM configuration data is defined by one or more input parameters.

11. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 10, wherein the one or more input parameters include at least one of a database ID, a table ID, a query parameter, and a level of server parameter.

12. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more logic table objects merge COM configuration data from at least two of the one or more data table objects and the one or more logic table objects.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable components executed by a computer system causing the computer system to provide access and management of Component Object Model (COM) configuration data about applications and services, in a configuration-time environment, sourced by one or more datastores, the components comprising:

an administration tool to present COM configuration data to a caller;

one or more client table objects, the one or more client table objects providing COM configuration data for the administration tool to present to the caller;

one or more catalog server objects, each of the client table objects bound to a catalog server object, each catalog server object executing on a single computer, managing COM configuration data on the single computer, and receiving all calls for COM configuration data located on the single computer; and

one or more table systems created by the one or more catalog server objects in response to a request for COM configuration data, each table system providing COM configuration data to the one or more catalog server objects, the table system including;

one or more datastores to store the COM configuration data;

one or more first logic table objects to present the COM configuration data;

one or more data table objects created by the one or more first logic table objects, each data table object exposing a table cursor into one of the datastores, each data table object bound to one of the datastores;

wherein COM configuration data is related from the table system to the administration tool and presented to the caller; and

wherein the one or more first logic table objects supplement functionality of the one or more data table objects by intercepting interface calls and providing, at least one of, additional and overriding functionality of the one or more data table objects or the one or more first logic table objects synthesize data, according to a type of request for COM configuration data, which is not available from the one or more data table objects.

14. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, having further computer-executable components comprising:

one or more second logic table objects created by the administration tool, the one or more second logic table objects creating the one or more client table objects, wherein the one or more second logic table objects receive the COM configuration data from the client table objects and provide the COM configuration data to the administration tool in a table format.

15. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein one of the second logic table objects is a multiple-domain specific logic table object that communicates with two or more client table objects.

16. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the one or more second logic table objects present the COM configuration data in a virtual table format with a predetermined table interface.

17. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the table cursor is a predetermined table-oriented interface that hides the location and format of the underlying datastore.

18. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein two or more data table objects access one datastore.

19. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the one or more data table objects populate one or more internal caches with read-write data associated with the bound datastore.

20. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 19, wherein queries to the bound datastore are responded to with data in the one or more internal caches through the a table interface of the data table object.

21. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the one or more first logic table objects provide one or more callers with access to COM configuration data.

22. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 21, wherein the COM configuration data in the one or more first logic table objects is accessed by a table-oriented interface that includes a table cursor method.

23. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the first logic table object presents domain-specific COM configuration data.

24. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 23, wherein the domain-specific COM configuration data is defined by one or more input parameters.

25. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the one or more input parameters include at least one of a database ID, a table ID, a query parameter, and a level of server parameter.

26. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the one or more first logic table objects merge COM configuration data from at least two of the one or more data table objects and the one or more first logic table objects.

27. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein both local and remote requests for COM configuration data are responded to by the catalog server object on the single computer.

28. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the one or more catalog server objects include one or more local catalog server objects executed on a local client computer to manage COM configuration data on the local client computer and one or more remote catalog server objects executed on a remote computer to manage COM configuration data on the remote computer.

29. The computer-readable storage medium as defined in claim 28, wherein the remote computer is a server computer.