Database and operating system independent copying/archiving of a web base application

• US 7,756,835 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pugh, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chojnacki; Mellissa M
• Application Number:
  US09/816,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,399 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.03, 395/700, 395/707, 395/650, 395/200.31, 395/200.47, 395/200.55, 705/59, 707 1- 10, 707/100, 707/101, 707102-103, 707/104, 707/107, 707/204, 707/999.102, 707/667, 709/203, 709/223, 709/225, 709/246, 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 707/667
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web

Abstract

A web based application having non-file system structures is copied or archived by first initializing a file to store the web based application, including creation of a root directory within the file. Then, data directories are created under the root directory, and a number of storage data objects under the data directories are initialized for all non-file system structures of the web based application. Thereafter, the non-file system structures are copied and stored into the storage data objects. In embodiments where the web based application further includes files that are part of a file system, the files are stored as additional storage data objects under the root directory. Accordingly, database and operating system independence is achieved.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of copying an application that comprises a plurality of parts, wherein the parts comprise non-file system structures including a data table and corresponding schema, the method comprising:

initializing a resulting file;

creating a root directory within the resulting file;

creating an application level data directory under the root directory;

creating one or more storage objects under the application level directory;

storing a structural description of the application in a first storage object, wherein the structural description comprises a listing of the plurality of parts of the application;

creating one or more data table directories under the application level data directory based on the structural description, wherein at least one of the data table directories is a directory to a first data table data storage object and a first data table schema storage object; and

copying, from the application, the data table to the first data table data storage object and the schema to the first data table schema storage object;

wherein the application is a web based application and the structural description, data table, and schema are each an XML file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said initializing comprises initializing a compressible file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-file system structures further comprising:

initializing a user list storage object under said application level data directory to store a user description describing users of the application; and

copying and storing said user description in said user list storage object.

4. The method of claim 1, the application comprising files and an application control list, the method further comprising copying the files under the root directory.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising converting the application control list into an XML format.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein programming instructions, when executed, operate the apparatus to copy an application that comprises a plurality of parts, wherein the parts comprise non-file system structures including a data table and corresponding schema by;

initializing a resulting file;

creating a root directory within the resulting file;

creating an application level data directory under the root directory;

creating one or more storage objects under the application level directory;

storing a structural description of the application in a first storage object, wherein the structural description comprises an enumeration of the plurality of parts of the application;

creating one or more data table directories under the application level data directory based on the structural description, wherein at least one of the data table directories is a directory to a first data table data storage object and a first data table schema storage object; and

copying, from the application, the data table to the first data table data storage object and the schema to the first data table schema storage object;

wherein the application is a web based application and the structural description, data table, and schema are each an XML file.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said programming instructions, when executed, operate the apparatus to initialize a compressible file to store said application.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said programming instructions, when executed, operate the apparatus to:

initializing a user list storage object under said application level data directory to store a user description describing users of the application; and

copying and storing said user description in said user list storage object.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, the application comprising files and an application control list, the apparatus further comprising copying the files under the root directory.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising converting the application control list into an XML format.

11. A computer-readable medium having programming instructions executable by a processor stored thereon that cause the processor to:

copy an application that comprises a plurality of parts, wherein the parts comprise non-file system structures including a data table and corresponding schema, the copying comprising;

initializing a resulting file;

creating a root directory within the resulting file;

creating an application level data directory under the root directory;

creating one or more storage objects under the application level directory;

storing a structural description of the application in a first storage object, wherein the structural description comprises a listing of the plurality of parts of the application;

creating one or more data table directories under the application level data directory based on the structural description, wherein at least one of the data table directories is a directory to a first data table data storage object and a first data table schema storage object; and

copying, from the application, the data table to the first data table data storage object and the schema to the first data table schema storage object;

wherein the application is a web based application and the structural description, data table, and schema are each an XML file.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said programming instructions, when executed, operate the processor to:

initializing a user list storage object under said application level data directory to store a user description describing the users of the application; and

copying and storing said user description in said user list storage object.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the application comprising files and an application control list, the processor further comprising copying the files under the root directory.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising converting the application control list into an XML format.