Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-12
2001-03-06
Black, Thomas G. (Department: 2771)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C709S216000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199060
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
2. Background
Increasingly, computer systems are being used to present multimedia material. Such material is usually in the form of text, graphics, video, animation, and sound. Two or more of these data types are usually combined to form the multimedia data presented by the computer system. A computer system that is used to present multimedia material is called a multimedia system.
A multimedia system should include components that allow input, information retrieval, and display.
FIG. 1A
provides an illustration of components for a multimedia system. Client
110
includes an interface capability to accept user input. The user input can specify criteria for identifying multimedia data. Method player
102
converts the media data from its storage version to a playback version for use by client
110
.
Index server
108
, archive server
106
, and tertiary storage
104
provide storage and retrieval capabilities. Index server
108
is used to store and retrieve text data. Information entered in the user interface can be used to retrieve textual information stored by index server
108
. The user input might identify a video segment using a title that is associated with the video segment using index server
108
, for example. The multimedia data is stored on a physical storage device. A retrieval mechanism is provided to retrieve data from a physical storage device. Archive server
106
locates the multimedia data wherever it is stored and interfaces with tertiary storage manager
105
to access the media data.
Current multimedia systems attempt to provide some or all of the components described in FIG.
1
A. However, the components provided by these systems are merged to form a single component thereby making it impossible to separate the merged components into the discrete components described in FIG.
1
A. This architecture is disadvantageous for at least two reasons: 1) there is no ability to replace a less capable component with another, more capable component; 2) it forces each system to run on a single hardware platform.
Each system provides vendor-specific implementations in which at least one of the vendor-specific components used in these systems renders the system less viable as a solution for multimedia applications. Since, the services are merged into a single server, there is no ability to remove a less viable component and substitute a more capable component in its place. For example, a vendor may offer a multimedia system that includes its premiere DBMS product as an index server along with a less capable archive server or client. All of the components are intertwined such that it is impossible to substitute another archive server or client for the existing archive server and client. The following provides a brief summary of some existing multimedia systems.
FIG. 1B
illustrates one multimedia system having an intermedia server, client and index server combined as a single component that runs on one, monolithic hardware platform. The system is not portable to another hardware platform. It runs on a single hardware platform (i.e., platform
112
, a Hewlett Packard platform). The system includes intermedia server
118
, index server
116
, and client
114
. Client
114
is used to make a multimedia request to intermedia server
118
. Intermedia server
118
queries index server
116
for information to locate the requested data. Intermedia server
118
uses the data returned from index server
116
to request the data from its archive server and tertiary storage management subsystems.
The archive server and tertiary storage management subsystems are integrated in Intermedia server
118
. Client and method player
114
and index server
116
are interconnected with intermedia server
118
to form a single component. The interconnections are hardwired such that it is impossible to replace one of the existing components. Another aspect of the design of this system results in the inability to substitute another component. Client
114
has a built-in method player functionality. Thus, the system expects the client component to include a method player. Yet, most client components that are offered by vendors do not include a method player. Therefore, it is impossible to use a different client or method player component with intermedia server
118
.
A multimedia system having a hub is illustrated in FIG.
1
C. Such a system is provided by Oracle. The hub is provided by media server
130
. The system runs on a specific hardware platform (hardware platform
138
, an N-Cube hardware platform) and is not portable to other platforms. Media server
130
acts as a hub that uses a proprietary interface to communicate with the other services. Components with which media server
130
can communicate are method player
122
, tertiary storage manager
124
, and client
120
(via lines
134
,
132
, and
136
, respectively). These components are merged into a single component thus making it impossible to replace a component. The component formed by media server
130
, method player
122
, tertiary storage manager
124
, index server
128
, archive server
126
and client
120
must run on a single hardware platform, platform
138
. Further, while index server
128
is a powerful database management system, client
120
, archive server
126
, method player
122
and tertiary storage
124
offer weak solutions.
A system having an index server, tertiary storage manager, and archive server is illustrated in FIG.
1
D. Such a system is provided by IBM. The system offers index server
148
(e.g., IBM's DB2 or Oracle's DBMS), archive server
146
, and tertiary storage manager
144
in an integrated system that runs on mainframe
140
. Mainframe
140
is an IBM SP
2
hardware platform comprised of two RS6000 machines. Mainframe
140
is comprised of processing units
144
in which components (e.g., index server
148
) can run. Tertiary storage
144
is connected to one of processing units
144
. A request for multimedia content from a client is processed by index server
148
. Index server
148
provides selection information that identifies the content which is retrieved from tertiary storage
144
. The system is built to run in a mainframe environment using IBM hardware. Further, the system does not include a client or method player. Index server
148
, tertiary storage manager
144
and archive server
146
are combined as a single component such that it is impossible to replace one or more of them.
A system having a kernel and data blades that interface with the kernel is illustrated in FIG.
1
E. Such a system is provided by Informix. As illustrated below, the system includes kernel
170
that acts as a hub. Kernel
170
is supplemented by a plurality of data blades
160
A-
160
H. Data blades
160
A-
160
H communicate with the kernel using a proprietary interface. A data blade is a complex data type that is defined using a programming language such as “C”. Each data blade (e.g.,
160
A-
160
H) is attached to kernel
170
and integrated into data dictionary
172
. Data blades
160
A-
160
H can then be used over a file system. Kernel
170
includes a index. Thus, another component must communicate with the index via a proprietary interface provided by a data blade (e.g., data blades
160
A-
160
H). Data blades
160
H,
160
B, and
160
D provide a proprietary interface to method player
162
, tertiary storage manager
164
, and archive server
166
, respectively. The components provided by this system are merged to form a single component that use a proprietary interface to communicate. The component combination runs in a single hardware platform
174
. Data dictionary
172
can become large and cumbersome. In addition, a fault that occurs in one data blade that is included in data dictionary
172
causes a fault for the entire system. This system construction is not fault tolerant and is unacceptable for a production environment.
A pre-packaged system having interconnected system components with hardwired, proprietary interconne
Black Thomas G.
Mizrahi Diane D.
Survivors of THW Shoah Visual History Foundation
The Hecker Law Group
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