Relational schema format

• US 7,912,862 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Laskos, Alex, Wiener, Adam J., Ari, Bertan, Vaschillo, Alexander, Aharoni, Avner Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US12/176,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• 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 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A Relational Schema Definition (RSD) language that uses metadata of the relational database to generate an implementation-neutral or implementation-specific format that represents the precise database structure and data. The RSD language is a declarative description language such that an RSD file can then be used offline in a disconnected environment to reconstruct and use the database.

Claims

1. A method for generating a relational schema definition (RSD) file that includes a representation of structure and data of a relational database using a declarative description language, thereby enabling access to the represented structure and data of the relational database via the RSD file when disconnected from the relational database, the method comprising:

a computer system accessing relational schema information of a relational database, the computer system including at least one processor;

the computer system identifying physical information harvested directly from the relational schema information;

the computer system identifying logical information that represents semantics of the relational database, including one or more annotations to the physical information defining one or more relationships between a plurality of tables of the relational database;

the computer system selecting a first portion of the physical information and a first portion of the logical information that includes at least one of the one or more relationships; and

the computer system generating an RSD file using a declarative description language the RSD file including structure and data of the relational database comprising the first portion of the physical information and the first portion of the logical information, wherein the RSD file contains sufficient information to regenerate the structure and data for offline processing when disconnected from the relational database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the declarative description language is based upon an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) syntax.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

segmenting the relational schema information into a plurality of RSD files that are combinable to form a single logical unit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the relational database comprises an overall relational database that includes multiple separate relational databases, and wherein each of the plurality of RSD files corresponds to one of the multiple separate relational databases, such that the logical unit represents the overall relational database.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the RSD file when the relational database is changed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the relational schema information is metadata.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reconstructing the relational database in a disconnected environment by processing the RSD file.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating the RSD file with changes made while in the disconnected environment; and

propagating the changes back to the relational database.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restricting access to the RSD file according to user profile privileges.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restricting access to the relational database while providing open access to the RSD file.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical information includes the plurality of tables.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying logical information that represents semantics of the relational database is performed automatically by the computer system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying at least one foreign key constraint that indicates the at least one of the one or more relationships.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying logical information that represents semantics of the relational database includes receiving user input.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a first portion of the physical information and a first portion of the logical information includes receiving user input.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a first portion of the physical information and a first portion of the logical information includes consulting access rights of a user.

17. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, implement a method for generating a relational schema definition (RSD) file that includes a representation of structure and data of a relational database using a declarative description language, thereby enabling access to the represented structure and data of the relational database via the RSD file when disconnected from the relational database, the method comprising;

the computer system accessing relational schema information of a relational database, the computer system including at least one processor;

the computer system identifying physical information harvested directly from the relational schema information;

the computer system identifying logical information that represents semantics of the relational database, including one or more annotations to the physical information defining one or more relationships between a plurality of tables of the relational database;

the computer system selecting a first portion of the physical information and a first portion of the logical information that includes at least one of the one or more relationships; and

the computer system generating an RSD file using a declarative description language, the RSD file including structure and data of the relational database comprising the first portion of the physical information and the first portion of the logical information, wherein the RSD file contains sufficient information to regenerate the structure and data for offline processing when disconnected from the relational database.

18. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, implement a method for generating a relational schema definition (RSD) file that includes a representation of structure and data of a relational database using a declarative description language, thereby enabling access to the represented structure and data of the relational database via the RSD file when disconnected from the relational database, the method comprising:

a computer system accessing relational schema information of a relational database, the computer system including at least one processor;

the computer system identifying physical information harvested directly from the relational schema information;

the computer system identifying logical information that represents semantics of the relational database, including one or more annotations to the physical information defining one or more relationships between a plurality of tables of the relational database;

the computer system selecting a first portion of the physical information and a first portion of the logical information that includes at least one of the one or more relationships; and

the computer system generating an RSD file using a declarative description language, the RSD file including structure and data of the relational database comprising the first portion of the physical information and the first portion of the logical information, wherein the RSD file contains sufficient information to regenerate the structure and data for offline processing when disconnected from the relational database.