Update mechanism for computer storage container manager

A method for preparing information from persistent storage for further processing in temporary storage, said information being represented in said persistent storage in both a first information state and a second information state, comprising the steps of:

• accessing a persistently stored target container representing a plurality of objects which identify said information in said first information state;
• producing a first temporary representation of said information in said first information state in dependence upon said target container;
• accessing a persistently stored update container identifying container changes which are sufficient to modify said information from said first information state to said second information state, including the substeps of,
• accessing a table of contents (TOC) containing format information of the container changes, and
• utilizing the format information to determine said container changes;
• applying said container changes to said first temporary representation of said information to form a temporary representation of said information in said second information state;
• and
• producing a second temporary representation of said information in said first information state in dependence upon said target container, said second temporary representation of said first information state existing simultaneously with said temporary representation of said second information state.

A method for manipulating information, said information being represented in a first information state by a persistently stored target container containing a plurality of objects, comprising the steps of:

• determining container changes sufficient to modify said first information state to a second information state;
• committing said second information state by, at least in part, persistently storing, in a structure logically separate from said target container, an update container including objects identifying said container changes such that said first information state remains readable without requiring application of change records relative to said second information state;
• including a table of contents (TOC) in the update container that includes information about every object in the update container;
• subsequently accessing said target container;
• producing a temporary representation of said information in said first information state in dependence upon said subsequently accessed target container;
• accessing said update container;
• and
• applying said container changes persistently stored in said update container to said temporary representation of said information.

A storage medium carrying a collection of software procedures for updating information from a first persistently stored information state to a second persistently stored information state, said information being represented in said first information state by a target container containing a plurality of objects, said procedures including:

• first computer instructions which determine container changes sufficient to modify said first information state to said second information state;
• second computer instructions which commit said second information state by, at least in part, persistently store, in a structure logically separate from said target container, an update container including objects identifying said container changes, such that said first information state remains readable without requiring application of change records relative to said second information state;
• and
• including a table of contents (TOC) in said update container that includes information about every object in the update container.

A storage medium carrying a collection of software procedures for retrieving information from persistent storage for further processing in temporary storage, comprising:

• first computer instructions which access a persistently stored target container representing a plurality of objects which identify said information in a first information state;
• second computer instructions which produce a first temporary representation of said information in said first information state in dependence upon said target container;
• third computer instructions which access a persistently stored update container identifying container changes which are sufficient to modify said information from said first information state to a second information state, which include instructions for,
• accessing a table of contents (TOC) containing format information of the container changes, and
• utilizing the format information to determine said container changes;
• fourth computer instructions which apply said container changes to said first temporary representation of said information;
• and
• computer instructions which produce a second temporary representation of said information in said first information state in dependence upon said target container, said second temporary representation of said first information state existing simultaneously with said temporary representation of said second information state.

A storage medium carrying a collection of software procedures for manipulating information, said information being represented in a first information state by a persistently stored target container containing a plurality of objects, comprising:

• first computer instructions which determine container changes sufficient to modify said first information state to a second information state;
• second computer instructions which commit said second information state by, at least in part, persistently storing, in a structure logically separate from said target container, an update container identifying said container changes such that said first information state remains readable without requiring application of change records relative to said second information state, and a table of contents (TOC) in said update container that includes information about every object in the update container;
• third computer instructions which, after execution of said second computer instructions, access said target container;
• fourth computer instructions which produce a temporary representation of said information in said first information state in dependence upon said subsequently accessed target container;
• fifth computer instructions which access said update container;
• and
• sixth computer instructions which apply said container changes persistently stored in said update container to said temporary representation of said information.

A computer implemented persistent storage having:

• a first chain of at least two sequentially associated containers including a top container and a bottom container, wherein,
• each of said containers in said chain except said top container being a prior container to a respective next container in said chain,
• each of said containers in said chain except said bottom container containing a reference to the respective prior container in said chain and each of said containers representing information in a respective state, and
• said bottom container having a first information state stored therein, and
• at least one of said containers representing said information as a plurality of objects, including a table of contents (TOC) that includes information about every object in the container, each given one of said containers except said bottom container identifying, container changes sufficient to update said information from the state represented by the prior container to the state represented by the given container.