Patent Application
20060218163
The subject invention relates generally to computer system(s), and more particularly, to a generic schema that facilitates rapid prototyping of database(s).
During conventional database prototyping, the structure of a database schema can frequently change due, for example, to changing requirement(s) and/or programming difficulties. Updating a hard-coded schema can be hard and infeasible especially when the compatibility with prior versions is required in a rapid prototyping environment and especially when a product or a prototype is already deployed. Often it requires writing special software for upgrading the database which is a source of potential errors and defies the requirements of rapid prototyping.
The following presents a simplified summary of the subject invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the subject invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the subject invention or to delineate the scope of the subject invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the subject invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. summary
The subject invention provides a system and method for generating a schema for a database. The schema is based, at least in part, upon three main tables: object types, objects, and, associations. Through these three tables, an extensible, flexible framework for generating and/or dynamically modifying the database schema is provided.
The system can facilitate association(s) between various objects (e.g., documents, people, message etc.) with which user(s) interact. For example, the system can generate a schema that provides information regarding a list of associated objects to a given known object (e.g., a list of relevant documents, contacts, meetings, etc. generated for a selected document (e.g., in real time)). In accordance with aspects of the subject invention, other scenarios can be derived from this basic one—having the same main characteristic: use of object associations.
The system can be used, for example, in conjunction with a file system database. Extraction of associations and their evaluations can be done by a file system engine (e.g., in triggers and/or stored procedures).
The system includes an input component that receives information associated with a requested database prototype. The system further includes a schema generation component that generates a schema based, at least in part, upon the information received by the input component.
The schema generated by the schema generation component is based on three base tables: associations, objects, and, object types. Through these three base tables, the system facilitates rapid prototyping of schema associated with database(s). The schema is extensible since associations between objects, objects and object types are not hard-coded and can be dynamically updated by modifying the appropriate entry(ies) in one or more of these three base tables.
The entries of the associations table are type independent to support “linking” of objects of different types. For example, this can be is implemented by assigning a unique ID (e.g., integer) to each object (e.g., document, person, web site, etc.) and storing it in the objects table which is the second central table of the system. Objects table entries identify an object and includes an object identifier and a type identifier.
Entry(ies) of the associations table associate two objects with a third object (associating object). The two objects and the associating object are entities existing in the objects table. The associations entry also includes an association identifier which uniquely identifies the association between the two objects via associating object.
Object types table entries describe object types. An object type can include a type identifier, a name, and a description. The type identifier can be identified in a particular object table entry. Exemplary object types include an association, a person, a file, an email, an application, a web page, a folder, an event, a raw event, a group type, a group and/or an email server.
During prototyping, the schema generation component can be employed to generate and/or dynamically modify the schema of the database. Additionally, in addition to the three base tables (associations table, objects table and object types table), the schema generation component can generate/populate additional table(s).
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the subject invention are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the subject invention may be employed and the subject invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features of the subject invention may become apparent from the following detailed description of the subject invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The subject invention is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the subject invention. It may be evident, however, that the subject invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the subject invention.
As used in this application, the terms “component,” “handler,” “model,” “system,” and the like are intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a server and the server can be a component. One or more components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. Also, these components can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored thereon. The components may communicate via local and/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and/or across a network such as the Internet with other systems via the signal). Computer components can be stored, for example, on computer readable media including, but not limited to, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), CD (compact disc), DVD (digital video disk), ROM (read only memory), floppy disk, hard disk, EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory) and memory stick in accordance with the subject invention.
Referring to
The system 100 can facilitate association(s) between various objects (e.g., documents, people, message etc.) with which user(s) interact. For example, it is very efficient for people to remember things and events by associating them with other information. For example:
In one example, the system 100 can generate a schema that provides information regarding a list of objects associated with a given known object. For example a list of relevant documents, contacts, meetings, etc. is generated for a selected document (e.g., in real time). In accordance with aspects of the subject invention, other scenarios can be derived from this basic one—having the same main characteristic: the user of object associations.
The system 100 can be used, for example, in conjunction with a file system database. Extraction of associations and their evaluations can be done by a file system engine (e.g., in triggers and/or stored procedures). The system 100 can thus reduce the need for manual filing and maintenance of the information store structure (e.g., documents in the file system, email messages in the email folders, etc.) and the need for memorizing locations of this information (this includes maintenance of various links that get broken with time). The design also helps in minimizing the need and importance of searching and browsing, very common tasks of everyday computer user. These ways of locating information is common even when users search for their own documents and contacts on their own machines.
The system 100 includes an input component 110 that receives information associated with a requested database prototype. The system 100 further includes a schema generation component 120 that generates a schema based, at least in part, upon the information received by the input component 110.
Referring briefly to
Since the system 100 relies heavily on associations, one of the central points of the schema is the associations table 210. The entries of the associations table 210 are type independent to support “linking” of objects of different types. For example, this can be is implemented by assigning a unique ID (e.g., integer) to each object (e.g., document, person, web site, etc.) and storing it in the objects table 220 which is the second central table of the system.
Referring briefly to
Turning to
In this example, the associated objects obj1410 and obj2420 and the associating object objA 430 can be of any type but instances of each must exist, that is, entries in the objects table 220 with the specified object identifier must exist. If an object is deleted, then the associations of this object are also deleted (e.g., all entries of the associations table 210 for which the object identifiers obj1410 and/or obj2 are equal to the object identifier of the deleted object are deleted).
If the associating object identifier, objA 430, references the deleted object then the association is not deleted but the identifier value of objA 430 is changed to a predefined identifier of a static null object of the same type. In this example, there is one instance of a null object of each type. Identifier(s) of null objects are equal to identifier(s) of object types from the object types table 230, as described below.
The ctime entry 330, ctime entry 440, ltime entry 340 and/or the ltime entry 450 can be employed in evaluations of objects and associations related to time durations and time decay.
Next, referring to
The raw_event_table 540 specifies a name of a table that stores raw event(s) for this type of object. Raw events are collected events that do not reference any existing object in the objects table 220. This table can be treated as a temporary table for deriving object events and object instances. The evt_table 550 contains entries that reference existing objects of this type. The obj_table 560 specifies a table name of the table that contains objects of this type.
Exemplary object types table entries include:
In this example, an object table of each type (if specified) contains columns that are specific to the object type. For example, email messages can have different data columns than folders. Further, in this example, object tables (obj_table) for each type are required to have an object identifier column that references existing objects in the objects table 220.
In the associations table 210, the associating object, objA430, is sometimes referred to as association type if its ID represents a “static” predefined object (e.g, not an instance of a dynamically created object). Continuing with the example of Table 1, an exemplary predefined association (e.g., Associnfo) includes:
In this example, when a new type of association is created (e.g., NOT an association instance between objects) an entry in the Associnfo table (Table 2) is added together with an instance of “Association” object in the Objects table 220 table in the “reserved” space for the same object ID as the association ID (associd). For this reason, in this example, entries of the objects table 220 for the object IDs from 2000 to 2099 are of type “1” (e.g., object of type “Association”—from object types table 230).
During prototyping, the schema generation component 120 can be ed to generate and/or dynamically modify the schema of the database.
As noted previously, in addition to the three base tables (associations table 210, objects table 220 and object types table 230), the schema generation component 120 can populate additional table(s). Referring next to
Continuing with this example, each person can additionally have a set of predefined properties of different types. The property types are stored in the PersonPropertyTypes table. Turning to
In this example, properties of each person are stored in a PersonProperties table. In accordance with an aspect of the subject invention, an exemplary PersonProperties table entry 800 is illustrated in
Next, referring to
It is to be appreciated that the system 100, the input component 110 and/or the schema generation component 120 can be computer components as that term is defined herein.
Turning briefly to
The subject invention may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by one or more components. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Typically the functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.
Referring to
At 1030, objects are created, for example, by populating an objects table 220. Next, at 1040, associations between objects are created, for example, by populating an associations table 210. At 1060, the generated schema is provided, for example, to a requesting user.
In order to provide additional context for various aspects of the subject invention,
With reference to
The system bus 1118 can be any of several types of bus structure(s) including the memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus or external bus, and/or a local bus using any variety of available bus architectures including, but not limited to, an 8-bit bus, Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA), Micro-Channel Architecture (MSA), Extended ISA (EISA), Intelligent Drive Electronics (IDE), VESA Local Bus (VLB), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Universal Serial Bus (USB), Advanced Graphics Port (AGP), Personal Computer Memory Card International Association bus (PCMCIA), and Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI).
The system memory 1116 includes volatile memory 1120 and nonvolatile memory 1122. The basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines to transfer information between elements within the computer 1112, such as during start-up, is stored in nonvolatile memory 1122. By way of illustration, and not limitation, nonvolatile memory 1122 can include read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory 1120 includes random access memory (RAM), which acts as external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in many forms such as synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM).
Computer 1112 also includes removable/nonremovable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media.
It is to be appreciated that
A user enters commands or information into the computer 1112 through input device(s) 1136. Input devices 1136 include, but are not limited to, a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, stylus, touch pad, keyboard, microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, TV tuner card, digital camera, digital video camera, web camera, and the like. These and other input devices connect to the processing unit 1114 through the system bus 1118 via interface port(s) 1138. Interface port(s) 1138 include, for example, a serial port, a parallel port, a game port, and a universal serial bus (USB). Output device(s) 1140 use some of the same type of ports as input device(s) 1136. Thus, for example, a USB port may be used to provide input to computer 1112, and to output information from computer 1112 to an output device 1140. Output adapter 1142 is provided to illustrate that there are some output devices 1140 like monitors, speakers, and printers among other output devices 1140 that require special adapters. The output adapters 1142 include, by way of illustration and not limitation, video and sound cards that provide a means of connection between the output device 1140 and the system bus 1118. It should be noted that other devices and/or systems of devices provide both input and output capabilities such as remote computer(s) 1144.
Computer 1112 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as remote computer(s) 1144. The remote computer(s) 1144 can be a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a workstation, a microprocessor based appliance, a peer device or other common network node and the like, and typically includes many or all of the elements described relative to computer 1112. For purposes of brevity, only a memory storage device 1146 is illustrated with remote computer(s) 1144. Remote computer(s) 1144 is logically connected to computer 1112 through a network interface 1148 and then physically connected via communication connection 1150. Network interface 1148 encompasses communication networks such as local-area networks (LAN) and wide-area networks (WAN). LAN technologies include Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Copper Distributed Data Interface (CDDI), Ethernet/IEEE 802.3, Token Ring/IEEE 802.5 and the like. WAN technologies include, but are not limited to, point-to-point links, circuit switching networks like Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN) and variations thereon, packet switching networks, and Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL).
Communication connection(s) 1150 refers to the hardware/software employed to connect the network interface 1148 to the bus 1118. While communication connection 1150 is shown for illustrative clarity inside computer 1112, it can also be external to computer 1112. The hardware/software necessary for connection to the network interface 1148 includes, for exemplary purposes only, internal and external technologies such as, modems including regular telephone grade modems, cable modems and DSL modems, ISDN adapters, and Ethernet cards.
What has been described above includes examples of the subject invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the subject invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the subject invention are possible. Accordingly, the subject invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
