Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Patent
1996-12-10
1999-06-01
Kulik, Paul V.
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
707203, G06F 1730
Patent
active
059096837
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention concerns the design, development and use of computer systems. More precisely, the invention concerns control, in other words particularly retrieval and updating of relational data bases.
There are many known data base management systems. In general, they are based on a plane relational approach to storage memory. Storage memory is divided into tables, records and then data fields. Using these systems is complex and difficult to learn, for application developers and for final users. In particular, it requires good knowledge firstly of the data base structure and secondly of useable orders or requests.
Several tools have been suggested to simplify use of these relational data bases. Thus there are high level languages, compilers, code generators, man/machine interfaces, etc. However in all cases, they are simply intermediate layers added between the user and the data base. It is still necessary to know the data base structure, particularly relations defined between these data.
Furthermore, in conventional data base management systems there is a very large number of read and write accesses to the data base. Each retrieval and each modification requires an access to the data base storage unit. This has a number of disadvantages, particularly the increase in processing time (access times can be very long, particularly if the data base is remote), an increase in the processing cost (if accesses to the data base are charged and/or if it is accessed through a paying network), wear of storage units, etc.
One of the main objectives of the invention is to overcome these disadvantages of prior techniques.
More precisely, a first objective of the invention is to provide a relational data base control system capable of limiting the number of accesses to this data base. In other words, the purpose of the invention is to provide a system that requires far fewer accesses to the data base for a given application than are necessary with known systems.
The document "Complex Objects for Relational Databases" (T. Barsalou and G. Wiederhold--Computer Aided Design, Vol. 22, No. 8, October 1990, p. 458-68) thus describes a system whereby a data base can be retrieved either using classical relational method, or using an object oriented method. However, with this technique the user must be familiar with and must be capable of using the relational data base structure.
The document "View, Objects and Databases" (G. Wierderhold--Computer, Vol. 19, No. 12, December 1986, p. 37-44) describes a similar system.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a system for which it is completely unnecessary to have any knowledge about the structure of the data base and relations defined between data.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a system capable of easily managing data in time, and particularly authorizing retrievals at simulated past or future dates, and retroactive modifications. Furthermore, a complementary objective of the invention is to allow interaction of this type of retroactive modification on all data.
A history management technique is already known and is described in "Renovation of Complex Objects in the Temporal System" (A. Shah et al.--12th Annual International Phoenix Conference on Computers and Communications, Mar. 23 1993, Tempe, Ariz., p. 203-209). It is based on the concept of an objects family, all previous states of each object being fully memorized. This technique returns into the past, and occupies a large amount of memory.
These objectives, and others which will become evident later, are achieved in the invention through a relational data base control system that limits the number of accesses to the said data base, the said data base being stored in a first storage unit controlled according to a first relational access logic and including at least one series of records, each of the said records including at least one data field, a system in which each of the said records is associated with an object including at least one variable and at least one method of affecting the value of at
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Wiederhold, Gio, "Views, Objects, and Databases," 8153 Computer, Dec. 19, 1986, No. 12, New York, NY, USA, pp. 37-44.
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Notification of Transmission of Preliminary Examination Report for PCT/FR94/01274 dated Dec. 28, 1995.
Miginiac Jean-Charles
Planard Michel
Kulik Paul V.
Meyertons Eric B.
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