System and method for providing lifecycles for custom content in a virtual content repository

• US 7,236,989 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Owen, James, Posner, Brad, Patadia, Jalpesh, Toussaint, Alexander, McCauley, Rodney
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/915,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/9, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1, 709/213, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

In embodiments, a system and method for providing a lifecycle for information in virtual content repository (VCR) are provided. A method embodiment includes defining a plurality states and one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states, wherein the information can be in a first state of the plurality of states and can transition to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions, wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the VCR; and, wherein the information can include at least one of: content and schema information.

Claims

1. A method for providing a lifecycle for information in virtual content repository (VCR), comprising:

defining a plurality of states

and one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states;

transitioning at least a portion of the information that is associated with a first state of the plurality of states to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions; and

invoking at least one action associated with the second state, the action allowing a change in privileges relating to the information from privileges in the first state for at least one of a class of users and a class of processes;

wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the VCR; and

wherein the information can include at least one of;

content and schema information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining an action associated with one of;

a state in the plurality of states, and a transition in the one or more transitions.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the action can be constrained by at least one of;

a policy, a role, and a capability.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the action can include one of;

a function/method call, a remote procedure call, inter-process communication, intra-process communication, interfacing with a hardware device, checking information into/out of version control, processing the information, providing a notification to a user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

a transition in the one or more transitions can be constrained to at least one of;

a user, a group of users, and a role.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

an information state change can be initiated by one of;

a user, and a process.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a version history to track changes to the information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating a plurality of repositories into a virtual content repository (VCR).

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of integrating includes:

implementing a service provider interface (SPI) that is compatible with the VCR.

10. A system for providing a lifecycle for information, comprising:

a virtual information repository (VCR) including

a plurality of repositories integrated into the VCR;

a state machine to govern a plurality of states according to

one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states; and

a mechanism to invoke at least one action associated with at least one state of the plurality of states, the action allowing a change in privileges relating to the information in a first state of the plurality of states from privileges in a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions;

wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the plurality of repositories; and

wherein the information can include at least one of;

content and schema information.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an action associated with one of;

a state in the plurality of states, and a transition in the one or more transitions.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the action can be constrained by at least one of;

a policy, a role, and a capability.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the action can include one of;

a function/system call, a remote procedure call, inter-process communication, intra-process communication, interfacing with a hardware device, checking information into/out of version control, processing the information, providing a notification to a user.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein:

a transition in the one or more transitions can be constrained to at least one of;

a user, a group of users, and a role.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein:

an information state change can be initiated by one of;

a user, and a process.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a version history to track changes to the information.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein:

a service provider interface (SPI) is implemented by the plurality of repositories and wherein the SPI is compatible with the VCR.

18. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause a system to:

define a plurality of states;

define one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states;

transition at least a portion of the information that is associated with a first state of the plurality of states to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions; and

invoke at least one action associated with the second state, the action allowing a change in privileges relating to the information from privileges in the first state for at least one of a class of users and a class of processes;

wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the VCR; and

wherein the information can include at least one of;

content and schema information.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

define an action associated with one of;

a state in the plurality of states, and a transition in the one or more transitions.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 19 wherein:

the action can be constrained by at least one of;

a policy, a role, and a capability.

21. The machine readable medium of claim 19 wherein:

the action can include one of;

a function/machine readable medium call, a remote procedure call, inter-process communication, intra-process communication, interfacing with a hardware device, checking information into/out of version control, processing the information, providing a notification to a user.

22. The machine readable medium of claim 18 wherein:

a transition in the one or more transitions can be constrained to at least one of;

a user, a group of users, and a role.

23. The machine readable medium of claim 18 wherein:

an information state change can be initiated by one of;

a user, and a process.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

maintain a version history to track changes to the information.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

integrate a plurality of repositories into a virtual content repository (VCR).

26. The machine readable medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to:

implement a service provider interface (SPI) that is compatible with the VCR.

27. A method for transmitting a computer data signal embodied in a transmission medium, comprising:

transmitting a code segment including instructions to define a plurality of states and one or more transitions to interconnect and impose an order on the plurality of states;

transmitting a code segment including instructions to transition at least a portion of the information that is associated with a first state of the plurality of states to a second state of the plurality of states according to a first transition of the one or more transitions; and

transmitting a code segment including instructions to invoke at least one action associated with the second state, the action allowing a chance in privileges relating to the information from privileges in the first state for at least one of a class of users and a class of processes;

wherein the information is accessible through a logical namespace that encompasses the VCR; and

wherein the information can include at least one of;

content and schema information.