System and method for rapid database application deployment and use

• US 7,725,501 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Yamatani, Dayle S., Essing, John E., Stillman, Jerry M., Mettenburg, David J., Hinnershitz, Patrick E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US11/271,923
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/103.X, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases

Abstract

A system and a method for rapid database application deployment and use. A system includes a host server that includes a database and a database application framework. The database stores a virtual relational database structure and a virtual relational database implementation. The database may store the virtual relational database structure and virtual relational database implementation in an existing relational database structure. The virtual relational database structure includes one or more object types and one or more object properties. Object types are definitions of types of objects for which data may be stored in the database and object properties are definitions of types of data that may be stored for objects and are associated with the one or more object types. The virtual relational database implementation includes one or more actual objects that are based on the one or more object types and one or more populated properties that are based on the object properties and which include data for the one or more actual objects. The database application framework enables a user to define virtual relational database structures and create virtual relational database implementations. The database application framework communicates with the database and includes user interface software that creates and processes user interface displays that enable a user to view, edit and search the database and which adapt to changes to the virtual relational database structure to immediately reflect such changes on the user interface displays.

Claims

1. A system for rapid database application deployment and use, comprising:

a physical relational database that includes a fixed database structure, wherein the fixed database structure includes one or more pre-defined tables in which may be stored database application structures, the structure of the fixed database structure does not change when an end-user creates or modifies the database application structures, and the fixed database structure contains;

one or more database application structures, wherein each database application structure is stored in the fixed database structure, each database application structure is presented to the end-user as an actual database structure without being implemented as an actual database structure in the physical database, each database application structure may be configured for a specific application, the end-user may use each database application structure to store data relevant to a specific application, and the end-user may add object types and object properties to the one or more database application structures after using the one or more database application structures to store data, each database application structure including;

one or more object types, wherein object types are definitions of types of objects for which data may be stored and the end-user may create and modify the one or more object types, including adding object types to a database application structure;

one or more object properties, wherein object properties are definitions of types of data that may be stored for objects, each object property includes one or more columns, each column with a column name, a column size and a data type, and the end-user may create and modify the one or more object properties, including adding object properties to the database application structure;

one or more actual objects that are each based on the one or more object types, wherein each actual object is an entity to which actual data stored in one or more populated properties is related, each actual object has a unique name and is assigned an object type, and each actual object may be created and modified by the end-user; and

one or more populated properties that are based on the object properties, wherein each populated property includes data related to one of the one or more actual objects, each populated property includes one or more columns, each column with a column name, a column size and a data type, each populated property may be created and modified by the end-user, and the data in each populated property may be entered and modified by the end-user; and

a computer connected to the physical relational database, including a processor and a memory, the memory comprising a database application framework that is executed by the processor and communicates with the physical relational database, the database application framework enables the end-user to create and modify the one or more database application structures, wherein the database application framework;

displays one or more user interface displays on which the end-user may enter inputs to create and modify database application structures, such definitions and modifications including the addition of new object types, new object properties, and columns to an existing object property;

displays one or more user interface displays that displays the one or more object types, object properties, actual objects and populated properties so that the one or more database application structures appear to be actual relational databases;

processes inputs received from the user interface displays to implement end-user creation of and modifications to the one or more database application structures, wherein the database application framework automatically adapts the user interface pages to immediately display modifications to the one or more database application structures, including the immediate display of the addition of new object types, new object properties, and columns to an existing object property; and

wherein the database application framework further includes triggers, wherein the triggers validate data received from the user interface displays and process data security markings that indicate end-user security levels that have permission to access data in the database application structure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface displays are web pages.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the database application framework includes:

one or more creator Common Gateway Interface (CGI) programs, wherein creator CGI programs create and output user interface displays; and

one or more receiver CGI programs, wherein receiver CGI programs receive and process end-user inputs from the user interface displays.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a label security application that labels data in at least one of the one or more database application structures with data security markings indicative of an end-user security level necessary to access the data and that works with the database application framework to control access to the data based on the data security markings.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a host server, which hosts the physical relational database, a user machine and a network connection between the user machine and the host server, wherein the user machine includes a web browser that displays the user interface displays that enable an end-user to view, modify and search the database application structure.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the one or more actual object include association notations that include phrases describing associations between objects.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the database application structure further includes one or more link objects that define an association between actual objects.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the database application structure further includes object categories.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the physical relational database includes a plurality of database application structures.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of database application structures include unrelated database application structures.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of database application structures are stored in the same fixed database structure.

12. A computer readable medium for rapid database application deployment and use comprising:

a database application framework that includes instructions for execution by a processor, wherein the database application framework enables an end-user to create and modify a database application structure that is stored in a fixed database structure in a physical database and the database application framework further includes triggers, wherein the triggers validate data received from the displays and process data security

markings that indicate end-user security levels that have permission to access data in the database application structure, wherein the fixed database structure includes one or more pre-defined tables, and wherein the database application structure is presented to the end-user as actual relational database structure without being implemented as actual relational database structure in the physical database, the instructions including instructions for;

displaying editing displays on which the end-user may enter inputs to create and modify a database application structure, wherein the database application structure may be configured for a specific application, the end-user may use the database application structure to store data relevant to the specific application, and the end-user may add object types and object properties to the one or more database application structures after using the one or more database application structures to store data, wherein the displaying editing displays includes

displaying object type editing displays on which the end-user may enter inputs to create and modify object types, wherein object types are definitions of types of objects for which data may be stored and the end-user may enter inputs to add object types to the database application structure;

displaying object property editing displays on which the end-user may enter inputs to create and modify object properties, wherein object properties are definitions of types of data that may be stored for objects, each object property includes one or more columns, each column with a column name, a column size and a data type, and the end-user may enter inputs to create and modify object properties, including adding object properties to the database application structure;

displaying object editing displays on which the end-user may enter inputs to create and modify actual objects, wherein each actual objects is based on an object type, each actual object is an entity to which actual data stored in one or more populated properties is related, and each actual object has a unique name and is assigned an object type; and

displaying property populating displays on which the end-user may enter inputs to create and modify populated properties, wherein each populated property is based on an object property, each populated property includes data related to one of the one or more actual objects, each populated property includes one or more columns, each column with a column name, a column size and a data type, and the inputs may include data to be entered into a populated property and inputs to add a column to a populated property;

receiving inputs from the displays;

processing the received inputs to implement end-user creation of and modifications to the database application structure, wherein the processing includes;

storing created and modified database application structure in the one or more tables of the fixed database structure, wherein the structure of the fixed database structure does not change when an end-user creates or modifies the database application structure; and

automatically adapting displays to immediately display modifications to the database application structure, including immediately displaying the addition of new object types, new object properties, and columns to an existing object property; and

,

displaying viewing displays on which the database application structure is displayed, wherein the database application structure is presented to the end-user as a relational database structure.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the displays are web pages.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the database application framework includes instructions for communicating the processed end-user inputs to a physical relational database.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising a label security application that labels data in the physical relational database with data security markings indicative of an end-user security level necessary to access the data and that works with the database application framework to control access to the data based on the data security markings.