Database management method, apparatus and system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsKohji Takano, Sawa Takano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique for appropriately managing a database in an apparatus with a limited storage capacity is described. A client apparatus includes a first storage unit storing part of a record set included in a database of a database server apparatus, and a second storage unit storing a copy of the record set stored in the first storage unit. The client apparatus usually searches the second storage unit. If data is not found, the client apparatus transmits a search request to the database server apparatus and stores a search result in the second storage unit. When the client apparatus receives update data from the database server apparatus, the client apparatus performs processing of updating the first storage unit.
Claims12
1) A client apparatus comprising:
- a communication unit communicating with a database server apparatus over a network;
- a first storage unit storing part of a record set included in a database of the database server apparatus;
- a second storage unit storing a copy of the record set stored in the first storage unit;
- a management unit copying the record set from the first storage unit to the second storage unit and managing the first and second storage units;
- and
- a searching unit searching the second storage unit in response to a search request for data from a user, wherein
- in response to absence of the requested data in the second storage unit, the searching unit requests the data from the database server apparatus via the communication unit and stores a record containing the requested data returned from the database server apparatus in the second storage unit, and
- the management unit updates the record set stored in the first storage unit by using update data for updating part of the record set included in the database, the update data being received from the database server apparatus via the communication unit.
7) A system comprising a database server apparatus and a plurality of client apparatuses connecting to the database server apparatus over a network, wherein each client apparatus comprises:
- a communication unit communicating with the database server apparatus over the network;
- a first storage unit storing part of a record set included in a database of the database server apparatus;
- a second storage unit storing a copy of the record set stored in the first storage unit;
- a management unit managing the first and second storage units, the management unit updating the record set stored in the first storage unit and copying the record set from the first storage unit to the second storage unit;
- and
- a searching unit searching the second storage unit in response to a search request for data from a user of the client apparatus and, if the data is not found, transmitting a search request to the database server apparatus and storing a record containing the data returned from the database server apparatus in the second storage unit, and the database server apparatus comprises:
- the database;
- a database management unit searching the database in response to a search request for data not included in the second storage unit from each client apparatus;
- a search information recording unit recording the number of searches for each record;
- an order list storage unit storing an order list of the records commonly stored in the first storage unit of each client apparatus;
- and
- an update data generation unit generating, based on the number of searches and the order list, update data for updating the record set commonly stored in the first storage unit of each client apparatus.
10) A database management method performed in a client apparatus capable of communicating with a database server apparatus over a network, comprising:
- storing, in a first storage unit, part of a record set included in a database of the database server apparatus;
- copying the record set stored in the first storage unit to a second storage unit;
- searching the second storage unit in response to a search request for data from a user of the client apparatus;
- in response to absence of the requested data in the second storage unit, requesting the data from the database of the database server apparatus and storing a record containing the data returned from the database server apparatus in the second storage unit;
- and
- updating the record set stored in the first storage unit in response to reception of update data for updating part of the record set included in the database from the database server apparatus.
12) A database management method performed in a system comprising a database server apparatus and a plurality of client apparatuses connecting to the database server apparatus over a network, wherein each client apparatus comprises a first storage unit storing part of a record set included in a database of the database server apparatus and a second storage unit storing a copy of the record set stored in the first storage unit, the method comprising:
- in each client apparatus,
- searching the second storage unit in response to a search request for data from a user;
- in response to absence of the requested data in the second storage unit, requesting the data from the database of the database server apparatus and storing a record containing the data returned from the database server apparatus in the second storage unit;
- and
- updating the record set stored in the first storage unit, and
- in the database server apparatus,
- searching the database in response to a request for data not included in the second storage unit from each client apparatus;
- recording the number of searches for each record;
- and
- with reference to an order list of the record set commonly stored in the first storage unit of each client apparatus and the number of searches, generating update data for updating the record set commonly stored in the first storage unit of each client apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.