Method and apparatus for modifying existing relational database

51 Pages·2013·2.73 MB·English

115005717924». ‘ 1
United States Patent [191 [11] Patent Number: 5,717,924
Kawai [45] Date of Patent: Feb. 10, 1998
[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR G. Decorte et al., “An Object-Oriented Model for Capturing
MODIFYING EXISTING RELATIONAL Data Semantics,” IEEE Computer Society Press, Feb. 1992,
DATABASE SCHEMAS T0 REFLECT pp. 126-135.
CHANGES MADE IN A CORRESPONDING M. Hammer and D. McLeod, “Database Description with
OBJECT MODEL SDM: A Semantic Database Model.” ACM Transaction 0n
Database Systems, vol. 6, No. 3, Sep. 1981, pp. 351-386.
[75] Inventor: Kenji Kawni, Seattle, Wash.
D. M. Kroenke, "Developing Object-Oriented Database
Applications on Microcomputers.” The Second Interna
[73] Assignee: Wall Data Incorporated, Kirkland,
tional Conference on Computers and Applications, The
Wash.
Computer Society of the IEEE, Jun. 1987, pp. 70-77.
D. M. Kroenke, Database Processing: Fundamentals,
[21] Appl. No.: 499,392
Design, Implementation, 4th Ed., Macmillan Publishing
[221 Filed: Jul. 7, 1995 Company, 1992, Chapters 5 and 7, pp. 123-167 and pp.
205-252.
[511 1111. c1.6 G06F 17/50
D. Keim et a1., “Object-Oriented Querying of Existing
[52] US. Cl. 95/613; 3951612; 395/614
Relational Database,” Databases and Expert Systems Appli
[58] Field of Search ................................... .. 395/612. 613. cation, 4th International Conference, Sep. 6-8, 1993, pp.
395/614
326-336.
[56] References Cited F. Leymann, “UDH: A Universal Relation System.” Data &
Knowledge Engineering vol. 5, (1990) pp. 21-38.
us. PATENT DOCUMENTS
(List continued on next page.)
4,930,071 5/1990 Tan et a1. 395/604
5,212,787 5/1993 Baker et. al. 395/612
Primary Examiner-John C. Loomis
5,263,167 11/1993 Conner, Jr. et al. 3951604
5,278,946 1/1994 Shimada et a]. 395/62 Attorney Agent, or Firm-Christensen, O’Connor, Johnson
5,295,256 311994 Bapat 395/500 & Kindness PLLC
5,307,499 4/1994 Yin 3951705
[57] ABSTRACT
5,418,950 5/1995 L141 41. . 3951604
5,495,567 2/1996 lizawa et =11. .. . 395/334
An object model comprises one or more semantic objects
5,499,371 3/1996 Henninger a 41. 395/709
that represent items about which data is stored in a relational
5,548,749 8/1996 Kroenke et a]. 3951613
$550,971 8/1996 Brunner et al. 395/603 database in a computer system. Each semantic object has
one or more components that de?ne the data stored for each
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS item. The object model is mapped into a current relational
database schema. As a user makes changes to the model the
0 560 543 A2 9/1993 European Pat. 01f. .
computer system generates a proposed relational database
UPI-[ER PUBLIC/“TONS schema, and the di?erenoes between the current relational
database schema and the proposed relational database
D. R. McClanahan, "Database Design: Relational Rules,”
schema are determined. The relation database is modi?ed to
DBMS, vol. 4, No. 12, Nov. 1991, pp. 54-58.
re?ect changes made in the corresponding object model
D. R. McClanahan, “Conceptual Design,” DBMS, vol. 5,
based upon the di?‘erences between the current and proposed
No. 1, Jan. 1992, p. 66(5).
relational database schemas.
Codd, E. E, “Extending the Database Relational Model to
Capture More Meaning," ACM Transactions on Database
Systems, vol. 4, No. 4, Dec. 1979, pp. 397-434. 15 Claims, 30 Drawing Sheets
5,717,924
Page 2
OTHER PUBLICATIONS Blaha et a1., “Relational Database Design Using An Objec
t-Oriented Methodology,” Communications of the ACM,
“Visual Representation of Database Query De?nition," IBM
Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 33, No. 9 Feb. 1991, pp. vol. 31, No. 4 Apr. 1988, pp. 414-427.
238-242.
Lejter et 111., “Support for Maintaining Object-Oriented
International Search Report dated Jan. 31. 1995.
S. Dewitz and M. Olson, “Semantic Object Modeling with Programs,” IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering,
SALSA,” Mitchell McGraw-Hill Publishing Company,
vol. 18, Dec. 1992, pp. 1045-1052.
1994.
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