Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1997-03-14
2001-01-09
Homere, Jean R. (Department: 2777)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173289
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of object oriented computing, and more particularly to a method for performing actions on objects in a computer network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Networked computer systems may be organized in a variety of configurations. In a local configuration, a number of user nodes may be coupled via a network to a central file server. In the local configuration, each of the nodes stores a local copy of all of the application programs that are available to that node. In addition, each node stores operating parameters for controlling accesses by that node to external devices such as disks and printers.
One example of a local configuration would be a number of personal computers coupled via an Ethernet link to a file server. As the personal computer is powered up, an initialization script is executed to assign printers to the print ports of the personal computer. In addition, during initialization, application programs, resident on the personal computer, are loaded and made available to a user via icons.
Because the application and operating parameters of the user workstations are stored remotely at each workstation, whenever an upgrade of an application or an update of the operating parameters is required, the upgrade and update must be made at each individual workstation. In the above example, if a printer was to become unavailable in the network, the initialization script of each of the personal computers would have to be updated to prevent assignment of the unavailable printer to a printer port of the personal computer. Thus networked configurations having applications and operating parameters stored locally are often difficult to upgrade and maintain.
Global network configurations may also include a number of nodes coupled to a file server. However, in a global network configuration, resources such as applications and printer controllers are shared by each of the nodes in the system. The resources may be distributed among different devices in the network, or stored in a central database. Access to the resources controlled by creating an object for each resource and controlling accesses to that object. An object consists of properties and the values of data corresponding to those properties. A network which uses objects to control accesses to resources is referred as an object-oriented network.
A global naming service for use in an object-oriented network is the NetWare Directory Services (NDS) database (available from Novell, Inc., Orem Utah). NDS provides a global directory containing information about all of the objects in a network, regardless of their location.
The global network arrangements facilitate upgrades and maintenance of the network. For example, because only one copy of an application exists in the global network, only one copy of the application needs to be upgraded. In addition, if a printer becomes disabled, accesses to that printer may similarly be disabled by disabling access to the printer object.
One drawback of the global naming service arises due to the number of objects that are created in the network. An object is created for each user in the network. Likewise, an object is created for each application and each resource in the network. Objects are typically organized in a hierarchical tree arrangement. When a user wants to gain access to a resource, it must first locate the resource object. Often this location step requires a time-consuming search through a large directory tree.
Often, once an object is selected, the user may want to perform an action on the object. For example, assume that one object is a printer object. A user may want to view the jobs at a specific printer. In a typical object oriented system, the user would first invoke a printer control object, capable of performing the ‘view jobs’ function, and then select the printer object on which it wishes to perform the action. Both the printer control object and the printer object will be stored at different locations in the directory tree, and therefore two searches will be required to perform a simple “view jobs” function. Thus it can be seen that although the global networks are more easy to maintain than the local networks, the size of the database may result in increased time delays and user frustration.
What is needed, therefore, is a means for providing an improved method and apparatus for performing actions on objects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a method for performing actions on resources in a global directory network includes the steps of storing a plurality of action objects, each action object representing at least one action capable of being performed on a resource, and forming, for each one of a plurality of users of the network, a list of associations between resources capable of being accessed by the respective user and at least one of the action objects.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a method of operating a computer system includes the steps of providing a database schema for defining classes and attributes of objects representing available resources of the computer system and modifying the schema to include a class of objects representing actions available in the computer system. Once the schema has been modified, for each set of executable codes provided by a user a corresponding action object is generated representing an action performed by the executable code. When a user enters the network, at least one action object in the modified schema available to the user is identified. In response to the identified action object and to a resource objects available to the user, a list of associations is generated. The list includes at least one action object for each resource object.
According to another aspect of the invention, a computer system having a plurality of coupled users includes a schema database for defining classes and attributes of objects representing available resources of in the computer system. A code module is coupled to the schema data base and includes a data store and a set of routines for modifying the schema to include a class of objects representing actions available in the computer system. The set of routines of the code module further includes code for generating, for each of a set of executable codes, a corresponding action object representing an action performed by the executable code. The action objects are stored in a database. Interface means, at each user, identifies, upon entry of the user into the computer system, at least one action object in the data base associated with the user. The interface means includes means for generating, responsive to the identified action object and to resource objects available to the user, a list of associations, comprising, for each of the plurality of resource objects, at least one of the action objects. At least one action icon is associated with each action object and with each resource object. Each user includes means for displaying the resource icons of the objects available to the user. Means, at each user, are provided for selecting an object by selecting the associated resource icon. In response to the selection, the action objects associated with the resource object are displayed, allowing the user to select one of the displayed action objects. Once the object is selected, the action object is invoked to cause an operation associated with the action object to be executed on the associated resource.
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Brooks Matthew G.
Gaisford Calvin
Janis Damon
Sonderegger Kelly E.
Homere Jean R.
Novell Inc.
Wolf Greenfield & Sacks P.C.
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