Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1994-08-01
2001-10-09
Homere, Jean R. (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301581
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the information age, one of the most significant challenges facing business is the management of ever increasing amounts of information across increasingly complex and varied environments. As the competitive environment in which the business operates expands across the globe, the speed and ease of access to this information becomes critical. From a storage and processing standpoint, significant advances in computing hardware, including computer memory and computer processors, have kept pace with the increasing amounts of information required in day-to-day business operations. However, these advances in computing hardware are in part responsible for the increasingly complex and varied environments in which the information is found.
One reason that a variety of platforms are used to store and process data is that as business expands and competition increases, control is decentralized so that decisions can be made quickly by each business entity using local information. As a result of the decentralization of the business decision making process, the mainframe processors, previously the only platform on which to handle high volume information processing, are downsized to or integrated with local minicomputers and workstations. Along with the local minicomputers and workstations come a variety of software tools specific to that platform to assist in the processing of information.
Localized processing capability generally means even more information is generated but, the additional information and local changes to existing information may not be available throughout other areas of the business system.
One solution is to simply duplicate all information across all platforms. This solution, however means wasted resources in that if all of the duplicated information is not needed, the space could have been used to store other information. Also, duplication of information across multiple platforms also means that the information must be updated on each platform. Another solution is to provide access, i.e., though a network, to every other platform. The problem with this solution, however, is that each platform must then know how to operate under the systems of every other platform in order to take advantage of the availability of that platform's information. One platform, for example, may be a minicomputer using an Oracle database and another platform may be a mainframe using IBM's Database 2 (DB2).
What is needed is a method and system for managing access to a plurality of data objects located across a variety of platforms which provides quick, easy access to the information contained therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the system of the present invention includes an information access encyclopedia, or information repository, for selecting, updating, creating and deleting information describing and information included in a plurality of data objects across a variety of platforms which insulates users from the technical complexity of the platform on which the data resides. This embodiment of the information access encyclopedia of the present invention comprises first means for storing the information describing the plurality of data objects; second means for iteratively accepting and processing user queries based on previous queries of the information describing the plurality of data objects stored in the first means generating first results data; and third means responsive to the second means for generating second results data using the first results data. The second results data includes the information contained in the plurality of data objects.
One embodiment of the method of the present invention includes the steps of providing data which describes the plurality of data objects, attributes of the plurality of data objects, and relationships therebetween; providing at least one procedure operable to generate a query specific to at least one of the plurality of data object; iteratively accepting user queries based on the results of previous queries on the data; updating a first results file in response to the user queries; generating the query specific to at least one of the plurality of data objects with at least one procedure in response to the first results file; executing the query specific to at least one of the plurality of data objects; and generating a second results files in response to the executing step which includes information contained within at least one of the plurality of data objects.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4791561 (1988-12-01), Huber
patent: 5133068 (1992-07-01), Crus et al.
patent: 5161225 (1992-11-01), Abraham et al.
patent: 5295256 (1994-03-01), Bapat
patent: 5317729 (1994-05-01), Mukherjee et al.
patent: 5379419 (1995-01-01), Heffernan et al.
patent: 5388196 (1995-02-01), Pajak et al.
patent: 5432930 (1995-07-01), Song
patent: 5493677 (1996-02-01), Balogh et al.
patent: 5499368 (1996-03-01), Tate et al.
Homere Jean R.
Telecky , Jr. Frederick J.
Texas Instruments Incorporated
Troike Robert L.
LandOfFree
Method and system for managing access to a plurality of data... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and system for managing access to a plurality of data..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for managing access to a plurality of data... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2616658