Design information management system having a bulk data server and a metadata server

A design information access device comprising:

• a metaserver which unwarily manages management information about model data expressing the shape of an item;
• a plurality of bulk servers which store the model data;
• a network connecting the metaserver and the plurality of bulk servers together;
• definition means for creating and storing the management information on said metaserver including constitutional information relating to devices and components defined in the model data and attribute information indicating model data storage sites for objects related to the devices and components;
• import means for importing to said bulk servers, implemented or updated model data, based on the information indicating model data storage sites in the attribute information of the objects;
• and
• export means for exporting model data from said bulk servers based on the information indicating model data storage sites in the attribute information of objects.

A program memory medium comprising:

• a memory medium which stores programs for use in a design information access device, the memory medium storing a program executed by a processor connected to a metaserver, which provides unitary management of management information of model data expressing the shape of an item, and a plurality of bulk servers which maintain individual model data;
• definition means for storing, in the metaserver, constitutional information relating to devices and components formed by the model data, and attribute information including information indicating the model data storage sites of objects relating to the devices and components;
• import means for storing to the bulk servers, model data which has been created or updated, based on the information indicating the model data storage site;
• and
• export means for storing the model data from the bulk servers.

A CAD system comprising:

• at least one bulk server storing CAD data comprising a plurality of model data expressing the shape of component objects;
• a metaserver storing and unwarily managing management information, including an address on the at least one bulk server, for the CAD data and metadata indicating which model data are used to form a device;
• a network connecting the at least one bulk server and the metaserver;
• a workstation connected to the network which retrieves required CAD data by accessing the metaserver to obtain an address for the required CAD data and subsequently retrieving the required CAD data from the at least one bulk server.

A method of storing design information comprising:

• creating model data indicating a shape of an object and creating a centrally managed metadata specifying a device to which the object belongs and defining parent/child relationship of the object with other objects forming the device;
• identifying a bulk server and a location on the bulk server at which the model data is to be stored;
• storing the model data on a bulk server at the location;
• and
• storing the metadata on a metaserver.