Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-31
2004-04-27
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2171)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06728727
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data management apparatus for managing at least one managed object (MO) stored as at least one persistent object in a data storing system. The present invention also relates to a data storage and management process for storing and managing an object as a persistent object in the data storing system. In particular, the present invention is suitable for use in management of objects (MOs) in an information management system which is realized by using the object-oriented technology.
2) Description of the Related Art
Recent information management systems using the object-oriented technology handle great amounts of data having different structures which are respectively defined by individual users. Therefore, such information management systems are required to flexibly handle and efficiently process the differently structured data so as to manage data contained in a plurality of managed objects in consideration of complexity of required operations.
FIG. 18
is a diagram illustrating an outline of an information management system. The information management system
1
illustrated in
FIG. 1
is provided for managing a communication system. In the example of
FIG. 18
, the managed communication system contains a group
7
of network elements
7
-
1
,
7
-
2
, . . .
7
-n, and is connected to the information management system
1
through a data communication network
6
. In order to issue manipulation requests to the information management system
1
, an upper level system group
3
is connected to the information management system
1
through another data communication network
2
. In the upper level system group
3
, each of a plurality of computers
3
-
1
,
3
-
2
, . . .
3
-n′ functions as a client. In addition, a group
5
of graphical user interface (GUI) terminals
5
-
1
,
5
-
2
, . . .
5
-n″ is connected to the information management system
1
through a local area network (LAN)
4
. Each of the graphical user interface (GUI) terminals
5
-
1
,
5
-
2
, . . .
5
-n″ is a computer, which also functions as a client, communicates with the information management system
1
in accordance with the TCP/IP protocol, and issues manipulation requests to the information management system
1
.
The information management system
1
comprises a computer
1
-
1
and a database (DB)
1
-
2
. A system program for realizing the information management system
1
is installed in the computer
1
-
1
. The system program realizes two objects, a resource manager (RM)
1
-
3
and a persistent object service (POS)
1
-
4
. The resource manager
1
-
3
is provided for managing data stored in the database
1
-
2
, and the persistent object service
1
-
4
is provided for performing manipulations data in the database
1
-
2
. The resource manager
1
-
3
manages data relating to the network elements
7
-
1
,
7
-
2
, . . .
7
-n and information used for responding to requests by the upper level system group
3
and the graphical user interface (GUI) terminals
5
-
1
,
5
-
2
, . . .
5
-n″, where the data relating to the network elements are necessary for managing and controlling the respective network elements
7
-
1
,
7
-
2
, . . .
7
-n. The above data and information for management and control of the network elements
7
-
1
,
7
-
2
, . . .
7
-n are stored by the persistent object service
1
-
4
in the database
1
-
2
as managed objects, and are maintained in the database
1
-
2
as persistent objects. The data and information for management and control of the network elements
7
-
1
,
7
-
2
, . . .
7
-n (hereinafter called management information) include information relating to connection and establishment of circuits, monitoring of transmission lines and transmission devices for failures, control of switching of transmission lines in the case of failure, and the like.
FIG. 19
is a diagram illustrating details of a conventional construction of the information management system, which manages objects (called managed objects) in the database
1
-
2
as persistent objects. In addition to the above-mentioned functions, the resource manager
1
-
3
functions as an interface with the aforementioned clients (i.e., client applications). As mentioned above, the computers
3
-
1
,
3
-
2
, . . .
3
-n′ in the upper level system group
3
and the graphical user interface (GUI) terminals
5
-
1
,
5
-
2
, . . .
5
-n″ in the group
5
are the clients. The persistent object service
1
-
4
contains a persistent query manager (PQM)
1
-
5
, which functions as an interface with the resource manager
1
-
3
.
In the construction of
FIG. 19
, each of the managed objects (MO) may contain as attribute complex data which is comprised of a plurality of data elements, such as a structure containing a plurality of members (defined in the programming languages C and C++). For example, a structure is declared as follows.
struct S
{
int a;
float b;
char c;
}
struct S d; //d: Name of Attribute
In the conventional data management apparatus, the database
1
-
2
stores the respective members in the structure in a main table T
1
as illustrated in FIG.
19
. That is, the main table T
1
contains a distinguish name (DN) and attributes for each managed object, and data of all of the attributes are included in the main table T
1
. In addition, the resource manager
1
-
3
contains an attribute management table T
2
, which contains as table elements an attribute name, a data type or data structure, and the number of members of each structure.
When a client issues a request for manipulation of a managed object stored in the database
1
-
2
, the resource manager
1
-
3
receives the request, and determines one of the attributes of the managed object of which the manipulation is requested to be performed. Since complex data (e.g., a structure) per se cannot be treated as an attribute in the database
1
-
2
, the complex data must be decomposed into data elements (e.g., members of the structure) each being a basic data type (i.e., integer, floating point number, character, or the like) before performing manipulation of data in the database
1
-
2
, and the resource manager
1
-
3
is required to recognize data types of respective data elements of the complex data (members of the structure). Therefore, the resource manager
1
-
3
determines whether or not the attribute of which the manipulation is requested to be performed contains complex data. When the resource manager
1
-
3
determines that the attribute of which the manipulation is requested to be performed contains complex data, the resource manager
1
-
3
refers to the attribute management table T
2
, decomposes the complex data into data elements each being a basic data type, and requests the persistent query manager
1
-
5
to perform the requested manipulation of the data elements (e.g., members of the structure) each being a basic data type. The persistent object service
1
-
4
queues manipulation requests received from the resource manager
1
-
3
, and passes the manipulation requests to the persistent query manager
1
-
5
one by one. The persistent query manager
1
-
5
translates the passed manipulation request (including its manipulation condition) into a query language, and performs the requested manipulation of the database
1
-
2
. When the persistent query manager
1
-
5
receives a response in the query language from the database
1
-
2
, the persistent query manager
1
-
5
translates the response into a form which can be recognized by the resource manager
1
-
3
. When the resource manager
1
-
3
receives the response, the resource manager
1
-
3
composes data elements (members) each being a basic data type in the response, into the form of complex data, and sends the complex data to the client.
In addition, in the case wherein the persistent query manager
1
-
5
receives manipulation requests from more than one resource manager, the persistent query manager
1
-
5
also trans
Komine Hiroaki
Yokoshi Noriyuki
Yokota Hiroko
Fujitsu Limited
Katten Muchin Zavis & Rosenman
Metjahic Safet
Nguyen Merilyn P
LandOfFree
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