Multi-object fetch component

• US 6,529,948 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Bowman-Amuah, Michel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUPSTAS, TOD A
• Application Number:
  US09/386,238
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/205, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/103, 707/103.Z
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4493 Object persistence

Abstract

A system, method, and article of manufacture are provided for retrieving multiple business objects across a network in one access operation. A business object and a plurality of remaining objects are provided on a persistent store. Upon receiving a request for the business object, it is established which of the remaining objects are related to the business object. The related objects and the business object are retrieved from the persistent store in one operation and it is determined how the retrieved related objects relate to the business object and each other. A graph of relationships of the business and related objects is instantiated in memory.

Claims

1. A method for implementing and retrieving multiple business objects across a network in one access operation, comprising the steps of:

providing a business object and a plurality of related objects on a database, wherein the related objects are related to the business object;

declaring a fetch specification for declaring what business object and plurality of related objects are going to be fetched and how the business object and related objects that are being fetched relate to each other;

generating an object identifier comprising;

(1) a relationship indicator that represents how the business object and related objects relate to each other, (2) a unique row identifier generated by the database, (3) an identifier generated by a utility, and (4) a unique string generated from one or more attributes of the business object;

loading the object identifier when the business object starts to implement instances of the business object and the related objects without retrieving the business object and the related objects from the database;

sending an access query across the network to a server when data for the business object is to be retrieved from the database;

wherein the access query is based on the fetch specification;

receiving from the server a query result, wherein the query result includes data for the business object and plurality of related objects;

providing a warning upon retrieval of objects missing at least one attribute, wherein the warning includes information on how to handle and resolve the at least one missing attribute; and

instantiating the business object and the plurality of related objects based on the data in the query result.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein an object navigation pattern of accessing the business object and then accessing relationships with the related objects is used to retrieve the related objects.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the relationships between the business and related objects for instantiating the graph of relationships is detennined from a source object, a set of target objects, and the name of the relationship.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the steps of establishing which of the remaining objects are related to the business object and determining how the retrieved related objects relate to the business object and each other are pre-processed before retrieving the selected related objects and the business object from the persistent store.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of retrieving a portion of the objects from a cache.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising the step of sending a batch request to the persistent store for retrieving the remainder of the objects.

7. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for implementing and retrieving multiple business objects across a network in one access operation, comprising:

a code segment that provides a business object and a plurality of related objects on a database, wherein the related objects are related to the business object;

a code segment that declares a fetch specification for declaring what business object and plurality of related objects are going to be fetched and how the business object and related objects that are being fetched relate to each other;

a code segment that generates an object identifier comprising;

(1) a relationship indicator that represents how the business object and related objects relate to each other, (2) a unique row identifier generated by the database, (3) an identifier generated by a utility, and (4) a unique string generated from one or more attributes of the business object;

a code segment that loads the object identifier when the business object starts to implement instances of the business object and the related objects without retrieving the business object and the related objects from the database;

a code segment that sends an access query across the network to a server when data for the business object is to be retrieved from the database;

wherein the access query is based on the fetch specification;

a code segment that receives from the server a query result, wherein the query result includes data for the business object and plurality of related objects;

providing a warning upon retrieval of objects missing at least one attribute, wherein the warning includes information on how to handle and resolve the at least one missing attribute; and

a code segment that instantiates the business object and the plurality of related objects based on the data in the query result.

8. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein an object navigation pattern of accessing the business object and then accessing relationships with the related objects is used to retrieve the related objects.

9. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the relationships between the business and related objects for instantiating the graph of relationships is determined from a source object, a set of target objects, and the name of the relationship.

10. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the code segment that establishes which of the remaining objects are related to the business object and the code segment that determines how the retrieved related objects relate to the business object and each other are pre-processed before retrieving the selected related objects and the business object from the persistent store.

11. A computer program as recited in claim 7, further comprising a code segment that retrieves a portion of the objects from a cache.

12. A computer program as recited in claim 11, further comprising a code segment that sends a batch request to the persistent store for retrieving the remainder of the objects.

13. A system for implementing and retrieving multiple business objects across a network in one access operation, comprising:

logic that provides a business object and a plurality of related objects on a database, wherein the related objects are related to the business object;

logic that declares a fetch specification for declaring what business object and plurality of related objects are going to be fetched and how the business object and related objects that are being fetched relate to each other;

logic that generates an object identifier comprising;

(1) a relationship indicator that represents how the business object and related objects relate to each other, (2) a unique row identifier generated by the database, (3) an identifier generated by a utility, and (4) a unique string generated from one or more attributes of the business object;

logic that loads the object identifier when the business object starts to implement instances of the business object and the related objects without retrieving the business object and the related objects from the database;

logic that sends an access query across the network to a server when data for the business object is to be retrieved from the database;

wherein the access query Is based on the fetch specification;

logic that receives from the server a query result, wherein the query result includes data for the business object and plurality of related objects;

providing a warning upon retrieval of objects missing at least one attribute, wherein the warning includes information on how to handle and resolve the at least one missing attribute; and

logic that instantiates the business object and the plurality of related objects based on the data in the query result.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein an object navigation pattern of accessing the business object and then accessing relationships with the related objects is used to retrieve the related objects.

15. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the relationships between the business and related objects for instantiating the graph of relationships is determined from a source object, a set of target objects, and the name of the relationship.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the logic that establishes which of the remaining objects are related to the business object and the logic that determines how the retrieved related objects relate to the business object and each other are pre-processed before retrieving the selected related objects and the business object from the persistent store.

17. A system as recited in claim 13, further comprising logic that retrieves a portion of the objects from a cache.

18. A system as recited in claim 17, further comprising logic that sends a batch request to the persistent store for retrieving the remainder of the objects.