Managing relationships between resources stored within a repository

• US 8,356,053 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Murthy, Ravi, Sedlar, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONYERS, DAWAUNE A
• Application Number:
  US11/256,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,644 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/100, 707/781, 707/796, 715/853
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing relationships between resources stored in a repository is provided. A client sends, to a server, a request to store a first resource within a repository. In response to receiving the request, the server parses the first resource to retrieve relationship data that identifies a relationship between two or more resources to be stored, or currently stored, within the repository. The server stores, within a database accessible to the server, one or more relationship records that identify the relationship between the two or more resources. The one or more relationship records are stored separate from the two or more resources. Subsequently, the client may issue queries, to the server, about the one or more relationships records stored in the database. In this way, a user may access the one or more relationship records to analyze the relationship between resources stored in repository.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in response to a server receiving a request to store a first resource in a repository;

said server parsing the first resource to retrieve relationship data from within the first resource, wherein said relationship data identifies a relationship between the first resource and a second resource in the repository;

said server determining a type of link to represent the relationship;

said server storing, within a database, one or more relationship records that identify said relationship using the type of link between said first resource and said second resource, and

wherein said one or more relationship records are stored separate from said first resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said type of link is one of:

a hard link, a weak link, and a symbolic link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said type of link is a hard link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by an object identifier assigned to said second resource by said repository.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said type of link is a weak link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by an object identifier assigned to said second resource by said repository.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said type of link is a symbolic link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by specifying a path, within said repository, at which said second resource resides.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

in response to receiving a request to delete said second resource from said repository, determining whether at least one resource, stored in said repository, has a first type of link to said second resource;

upon determining that said at least one resource, in said repository, has a first type of link to said second resource, denying said request to delete said second resource from said repository; and

upon determining that said at least one resource, in said repository, does not have a first type of link to said second resource, granting said request to delete said second resource from said repository.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more records identify how said relationship is to be displayed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said relationship is of a first type, and wherein the method further includes:

in response to storing, within said database, said one or more relationship records, incrementing a counter associated with said second resource, wherein said counter indicates how many resources, in said repository, have a relationship of the first type within said second resource.

9. A method comprising:

a server storing, within a repository, a first resource and a second resource, wherein said first resource does not contain any link to said second resource;

after said server storing, within a repository, a first resource and a second resource, receiving a request to store a third resource in said repository;

in response to said server receiving said request to store a third resource in said repository;

said server parsing the third resource to retrieve relationship data, wherein said relationship data identifies a relationship between the first resource and said second resource;

said server determining a type of link to represent the relationship;

said server storing, within a database, one or more relationship records that indicate the existence of said type of link from said first resource to said second resource, and

wherein said one or more relationship records are stored separate from either of said first resource and said second resource.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said type of link is one of:

a hard link, a weak link, and a symbolic link.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said type of link is a hard link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by an object identifier assigned to said second resource by said database.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said type of link is a weak link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by an object identifier assigned to said second resource by said database.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said type of link is a symbolic link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by specifying a path, within said repository, at which said second resource resides.

14. The method of claim 9, the method further including:

in response to receiving a request to delete said second resource from said repository, determining whether at least one resource, stored in said repository, has a first type of link to said second resource;

upon determining that said at least one resource, in said repository, has a first type of link to said second resource, denying said request to delete said second resource from said repository; and

upon determining that said at least one resource, in said repository, does not have a first type of link to said second resource, granting said request to delete said second resource from said repository.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more records identify how said relationship is to be displayed.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said relationship is of a first type, and the method further including:

incrementing a counter associated with said second resource, wherein said counter indicates how many resources, in said repository, have a relationship of the first type with said second resource.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method, comprising:

in response to a server receiving a request to store a first resource in a repository;

said server parsing the first resource to retrieve relationship data from within the first resource, wherein said relationship data identifies a relationship between the first resource and a second resource in the repository;

said server determining a type of link to represent the relationship;

said server storing, within a database, one or more relationship records that identify said relationship using the type of link between said first resource and said second resource, and

wherein said one or more relationship records are stored separate from said first resource.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 17, wherein said type of link is one of:

a hard link, a weak link, and a symbolic link.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 18, wherein said type of link is a hard link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by an object identifier assigned to said resource by said repository.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 18, wherein said type of link is a weak link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by an object identifier assigned to said second resource by said repository.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 18, wherein said type of link is a symbolic link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by specifying a path, within said repository, at which said second resource resides.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 18, further including:

in response to receiving a request to delete said second resource from said repository, determining whether at least one resource, stored in said repository, has a first type of link to said second resource;

upon determining that said at least one resource, in said repository, has a first type of link to said second resource, denying said request to delete said second resource from said repository; and

upon determining that said at least one resource, in said repository, does not have a first type of link to said second resource, granting said request to delete said second resource from said repository.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more records identify how said relationship is to be displayed.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 17, wherein said relationship is of a first type, and wherein the method further includes:

in response to storing, within said database, said one or more relationship records, incrementing a counter associated with said second resource, wherein said counter indicates how many resources, in said repository, have a relationship of the first type within said second resource.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

a server storing, within a repository, a first resource and a second resource, wherein said first resource does not contain any link to said second resource;

after said server storing, within a repository, a first resource and a second resource, receiving a request to store a third resource in said repository;

in response to said server receiving said request to store a third resource in said repository;

said server parsing the third resource to retrieve relationship data, wherein said relationship data identifies a relationship between the first resource and said second resource;

said server determining a type of link to represent the relationship;

said server storing, within a database, one or more relationship records that indicate the existence of said type of link from said first resource to said second resource, and

wherein said one or more relationship records are stored separate from either of said first resource and said second resource.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 25, wherein said type of link is one of:

a hard link, a weak link, and a symbolic link.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 26, wherein said type of link is a hard link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by an object identifier assigned to said second resource by said database.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 26, wherein said type of link is a weak link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by an object identifier assigned to said second resource by said database.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 26, wherein said type of link is a symbolic link, and wherein said one or more relationship records identify said second resource by specifying a path, within said repository, at which said second resource resides.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 25, the method further including:

in response to receiving a request to delete said second resource from said repository, determining whether at least one resource, stored in said repository, has a first type of link to said second resource;

upon determining that said at least one resource, in said repository, has a first type of link to said second resource, denying said request to delete said second resource from said repository; and

upon determining that said at least one resource, in said repository, does not have a first type of link to said second resource, granting said request to delete said second resource from said repository.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 26, wherein the one or more records identify how said relationship is to be displayed.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 25, wherein said relationship is of a first type, and wherein said instructions, when executed by said one or more processors, further cause:

incrementing a counter associated with said second resource, wherein said counter indicates how many resources, in said repository, have a relationship of the first type with said second resource.