Application-independent data synchronization technique

Details Application-independent data synchronization technique Application-independent data synchronization technique

2000-07-06

2003-01-07

Coby, Frantz (Department: 2171)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06505200

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system, and deals more particularly with a method, system, and computer program product for applicant-independent, automatic synchronization of data between a replicated version and a back-end data store version which may or may not have the same format. Queues are used for scheduling refreshes of read-access objects and updates of write-access objects, where the actual processing will occur when the client device connects to the back-end data source.
2. Description of the Related Art
Business and consumer use of distributed computing, also commonly referred to as network computing, has gained tremendous popularity in recent years. In this computing model, the data and/or programs to be used to perform a particular computing task typically reside on (i.e. are “distributed” among) more than one computer, where these multiple computers are connected by a network of some type. The Internet, and the part of the Internet known as the World Wide Web (hereinafter, “Web”), are well-known examples of this type of environment wherein the multiple computers are connected using a public network. Other types of network environments in which distributed computing may be used include intranets, which are typically private networks accessible to a restricted set of users (such as employees of a corporation), and extranets (e.g., a corporate network which is accessible to other users than just the employees of the company which owns and/or manages the network, such as the company's business partners).
The client/server model is the most commonly-used computing model in today's distributed computing environments. In this model, a computing device operating in a client role requests some service, such as delivery of stored information, from another computing device operating in a server role. The software operating at one particular client device may make use of applications and data that are stored on one or more server computers which are located literally anywhere in the world. Similarly, an application program operating at a server may provide services to clients which are located throughout the world. A common example of client/server computing is use of a Web browser, which functions in the client role, to send requests for Web pages or Web documents-to a Web server. Another popular model for network computing is known as the “peer-to-peer” model, where the requester of information and the provider of that information operate as peers.
Whereas the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the communications protocol typically used for communication between a client and a server in the client/server model used in the Web, a protocol such as Advanced Program-to-Program Communication (APPC) developed by IBM is typically used for communication in a peer-to-peer model.
Application integration middleware technology has been developed for use in these distributed computing environments to enable application programs to efficiently and conveniently interact with legacy host applications and/or legacy host data stored in a back-end data store (such as a database, directory, or other data storage repository). For the legacy host environment, for example, software components written as objects are being developed to access legacy host data, where these objects enable replacing procedural language software developed for prior computing architectures (such as the 3270 data stream architecture). These objects are then executed by the middleware. Examples of middleware technology include the Host Integration product (and its Host On-Demand and Host Publisher components) and the WebSphere™ product, both from IBM, which can be used to access back-end data sources including CICS® (Customer Information Control System) host applications and JDBC (Java™ Database Connectivity) databases. (“CICS” is a registered trademark of IBM, “WebSphere” is a trademark of IBM, and “Java” is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Application middleware of this type serves as a surrogate for the back-end data source, and provides a consistent interface to its callers. It maintains connections to one or more of the back-end data sources, enabling quick and efficient access to data when needed by an executing application. That is, when a client application (or requesting application, in a peer-to-peer model) requests information or processing, the middleware starts a process to interact with the back-end data source across a network connection to get the information needed by the caller. In this interaction with the back-end data source, the middleware typically functions in the client role, as the surrogate of the requesting client which initiated the request. (Note: the term “back-end data source”, as used herein, refers to data stores as well as to applications which create and/or return data to a requester. The term “back-end” as used herein refers to legacy host systems as well as to database systems.)
Many examples of this computing approach exist. As one example, WebSphere applications developed using the Enterprise Access Builder (“EAB”) component of IBM's VisualAge® for Java product include back-end data source connector objects which are used to get back-end source information from EAB-created JavaBeans™. (“VisualAge” is a registered trademark of IBM, and “JavaBeans” is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) As another example, Host Publisher applications may operate to get back-end source information from the “Integration Objects” which are created using its Design Studio component. (Integration Objects are application-specific encapsulations of legacy host access code,. or database access code, specified as reusable JavaBeans. These Integration Objects are designed for enabling remote client access to the back-end data source.) In a more general sense, any middleware application can use a Host Access Session bean with a Macro bean to get back-end source information which is described using a Host Access macro script. (A “Host Access Session bean” is a bean created for establishing a session that will be used for accessing a back-end data source. A “Macro bean” is a bean which, when executed, plays out the commands of a macro. Instances of these Host Access Session and Macro beans may be created using classes provided by IBM's Host On-Demand product. A “Host Access macro script” is a recording of macro commands that may be used to access data via a host session. For example, a macro may be used to record the log-on sequence used to log on to a host application. This sequence typically includes actions such as establishing a network connection to a host application; prompting the user for his or her identification and password; and then transmitting the information entered by the user to the host application over the network connection. The macro transforms the sequence into commands. When using a Macro bean, the log-on process occurs as the macro commands are executed by the bean. The Macro bean insulates the legacy host code from the object-oriented environment of the requesting client: the legacy code interacts with the macro commands as if it was interacting directly with a user whose device is using, for example, a 3270 protocol for which the legacy code was originally designed. The client never sees the legacy code. Additional host access macro scripts may be created to perform other host interaction sequences.)
Use of application middleware in a distributed computing environment provides a number of advantages, as has been described briefly above and as will be understood by one familiar with the art. However, there are several shortcomings in this approach as it exists in the prior art. One problem of the prior art is in the area of system performance; another is in programming complexity. The performance concern is due to the requirement that the middleware needs to be connected to the back-end system, and to interact in real time for the information requested by its callers. This requires a consi

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