Associating information related to components in structured documents stored in their native format in a database

• US 8,145,668 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: van der Linden, Robbert, Vickery, Brian S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US12/270,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 707/711, 707715-716, 707/741, 707/778
• US Class Current: 707/778
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system for associating information related to a component of a structured document that is stored in its native format in a database system includes generating a hierarchical node tree comprising a plurality of nodes, where each node represents a component in the structured document, and generating a path associated with each node, where the path follows the hierarchical structure of the structured document from a root node to the node. In each node, an identifier associated with the path is stored. A table is provided that correlates the identifier with information related to the associated path. The information applies to the component represented by the node.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium containing programming instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of associating information related to a component in a structured document that is stored in its native format in a database system comprising instructions for:

a) generating a node slot array and a hierarchical node tree, wherein the hierarchical node tree comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein each node represents a component in the structured document, wherein each node comprises a header section and a child pointer section, wherein the child pointer section comprises a plurality of child pointers to minimize node size, and wherein at least one child pointer points to a node slot within the node slot array, which in turn, includes an entry which points to a node corresponding to the child node;

b) for each node, generating a path associated with the node, wherein the path follows the hierarchical structure of the structured document from a root node to the node;

c) storing in each node an identifier associated with the path for the node; and

d) providing a table that correlates the identifier with the information related to the associated path, wherein the information applies to the component represented by the node.

2. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 wherein generating the hierarchical node tree comprises:

a1) parsing the structured document into the plurality of nodes; and

a2) linking each of the nodes via pointers to form the hierarchical node tree.

3. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 further comprising:

e) storing each node in at least one record in the database, wherein each record comprises a plurality of node slots and each node slot includes a pointer pointing to a node of the plurality of nodes.

4. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 wherein a node has at least one child node and comprises at least one child pointer that points to each of the child nodes.

5. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 further comprising:

e) storing the identifier in the table.

6. The computer readable medium according to claim 5 further comprising:

f) storing the path in the table; and

g) correlating the identifier with the path associated with the node.

7. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 further comprising:

e) for each path, providing access control information based on an access control policy for the structured document;

f) storing the access control information in the table; and

g) correlating the identifier for the node with the access control information associated with the path.

8. The computer readable medium according to claim 7 wherein the access control information associated with the path is an executable statement indicating who is granted or denied access to the node.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 further comprising:

e) for each path, determining schema information associated with the path;

f) storing a reference to the schema information in the table; and

g) correlating the identifier for the path with the reference to the schema information associated with the path.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 further comprising:

e) for each path, collecting statistical information associated with the path;

f) storing the statistical information in the table; and

g) correlating the identifier for the path with the statistical information associated with the path.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 wherein the child pointer points to an in-lined character array.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 1 wherein the child pointer points to itself.

13. A system for associating information related to a component in a structured document that is stored in its native format in a database system comprising:

a) a computer system coupled to at least one data storage device;

b) a database management system in the computer system;

c) a storage mechanism in the database management system for generating a node slot array and a hierarchical node tree, wherein the hierarchical node tree comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein each node represents a component in the structured document, wherein each node comprises a header section and a child pointer section, wherein the child pointer section comprises a plurality of child pointers to minimize node size, and wherein at least one child pointer points to a node slot within the node slot array, which in turn, includes an entry which points to a node corresponding to the child node, wherein the storage mechanism comprises a path generator for generating a path associated with each node, wherein the path follows the hierarchical structure of the structured document from a root node to the node and wherein the storage mechanism stores in each node an identifier associated with the path; and

d) a table in the data storage device, wherein the table correlates the identifier with information related to the associated path, wherein the information applies to the component represented by the node.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the storage mechanism further comprises a parser for parsing the structured document into a plurality of nodes and a node tree generator for linking each of the nodes via pointers to form the hierarchical node tree.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the storage mechanism stores each node in at least one record in the database, wherein each record comprises a plurality of node slots and each node slot includes a pointer pointing to a node.

16. The system according to claim 13 wherein the storage mechanism stores the identifier in the table.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the storage mechanism stores the path in the table and correlates the identifier with the path associated with the node.

18. The system according to claim 13 further comprising access control information for each path, wherein the access control information is based on an access control policy for the structured document, and wherein the storage mechanism stores the access control information in the table and correlates the identifier for the path with the access control information associated with the path.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the access control information associated with the path is an executable statement indicating who is granted or denied access to the node.

20. The system according to claim 13 further determining for each path schema information associated with the path, and wherein the storage mechanism stores a reference to the schema information in the table and correlates the identifier for the path with the reference to the schema information.

21. The system according to claim 13 further comprising means for collecting for each path statistical information associated with the path and wherein the storage mechanism stores the statistical information in the table and correlates the identifier for the path with the statistical information.