KR20000047622A - Data storage system and method of operating - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A system for data memory is disclosed to increase data memory system's affinity for its users by adjusting document memory system to the user's management ability. CONSTITUTION: A system for data memory is composed of comparison, transmission, and procession. A data memory system compares saved document and the user's data format information. If data formats are identical, the data format system transmits document to the user and enables the user to process the document. If data formats are not identical, the data memory system converts the document by selecting a converter. The data memory system transmits the converted document to the user and enables the user to process the document.

Description

DATA STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING}

The present invention relates to a data storage system and a method of operating the same.

Every day, millions of documents are written to data storage systems (e.g., document databases), retrieved and processed on demand, for example displayed or printed out. Such documents could be, for example, loan applications, deeds, deposit statements, etc. in the case of banks, insurance policies, invoices, etc. in the case of insurance companies.

Up until several years ago, document databases used only a few strictly defined data formats, but today's documents have completely different formats, images (eg TIFF or GIF format), texts (eg "Lotus WordPro"). Or in the format of various text processing programs such as "Corel WordPerfect". Thousands of these formats already exist, and many continue to add. Yet, it is not possible to establish uniform standards that restrict the format of documents stored in the document database. In addition, data formats and the ability to handle them belong to important valuation factors of many different applications, so it is not expected that a standard specification will be established that restricts document formats.

The file retention period can be 10 years, 30 years, or longer, depending on operating or legal conditions. Therefore, it should also be assumed that the technical environment will change significantly during this period. If a new program with its own data format appears on the market, other programs will disappear, and the new program will not be able to process documents with a specific data format. In addition, when a new operating system is adopted, earlier programs on the operating system will no longer be able to run. In summary, it can be said that no design exists to date that ensures long-term use of long-term stored documents.

In order to support the output of various data formats, a number of solutions currently exist.

The first solution is often found in database systems. This solution supports only a limited number of predefined data formats, for example display on screen or print output. Thus, the number of available data formats is very limited. In addition, such database systems have very limited scalability in terms of supported data formats. The user will have to convert the document to a different data format.

The second solution is most often found on the Internet. Internet servers can view data in a variety of data formats. If the browser supports the data format of these data, the user will be able to observe this data using the browser. Otherwise, if the browser provides so-called plug-ins or viewers, the user tells the browser which program to use for which data format. This has the advantage that there is no limit on the number of data formats. However, the disadvantage is that the user requires multiple (possibly hundreds) plug-ins or viewers. This does not only require storage, but also significant maintenance costs. Because of the short life span of the data on the Internet, new data formats continue to be used, so much more plug-ins or viewers have to be created to handle these data formats. Therefore, this solution also requires user intervention.

Furthermore, every computer system user is aware of the problem, whether the system is a database system, a mailing system, or another system, and in most cases, the user first changes the document sent to him to a different data format. You can't process the document without it. The sender sends the document without considering the receiver's request. As a result, the receiving side has to perform a conversion process which is sometimes time-consuming and expensive, which may worsen the workflow.

It is an object of the present invention to increase the user friendliness of a data storage system.

According to the data storage system operating method of the present invention, in the data storage system, the data format of the requested item in the stored information is compared with the data format preferred by the information user, and optionally before the information is transmitted to the user. The required portion of the stored information is converted into a data format preferred by the user.

In addition, the data storage system of the present invention includes means for comparing the data format of the requested storage information with the data format preferred by the information user, and the user's preferred data before the information is supplied to the user. Means for searching and invoking a converter to convert the format.

Therefore, the present invention is based on the concept of aligning the data storage system in a manner that matches the document's processing power. The present invention allows a user to process a document ordered in a data storage system without further conversion. Thus, the user friendliness of the data storage system is increased. Further, in the data storage system, particularly in the case of the database system, the data format can be used without limitation in the number without limiting the document processing ability of the user due to the unsupported format. Furthermore, even if the type of data format increases in the data storage system, a high cost increase in hardware and software can be avoided on the user side of the data storage system. In addition, the user may be able to process documents (most of which are originally obtained in various document formats) using a minimum processing power, for example, a minimum viewer. This is particularly advantageous in the case of old or non-orthodox data formats, and consequently the present invention ensures long-term utilization of the file archived documents.

The present invention can be applied not only to the database system but also to other systems such as the Internet (for example, a mailing system).

1 is a schematic diagram of a data storage system;

2A is a schematic diagram of Example 1 of a first portion of a procedure;

2B is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a first portion of a procedure,

2C is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a first portion of a procedure;

3 is a schematic representation of a second portion of the procedure,

4 is a schematic diagram of a weight list of a user's standard data format;

5 is a schematic diagram of a weighted configuration list,

6 is a schematic diagram of a converter list.

Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

1: user 2: object server

3: object storage device 4: configuration file

5: converter 6: document

10: Converter Access Component 100: Data Storage System

The invention is explained in more detail by way of example hereinafter.

The user will understand that a computer program means that the data storage system is accessible.

As shown in FIG. 1, the data storage system 100 necessarily includes an object server 2 and an object storage device 3. In object storage 3, documents 6 are stored, for example, as Binary Large Objects (BLOBs), and therefore any desired digital is characterized only by database fields, images, text, video, or size and position. May contain data. The data storage system 100 resides on at least one computer. However, it is also possible to distribute it over several computers in a computer network. In one preferred embodiment, the data storage system 100 is in the form of a document database. However, the data storage system 100 may be an internet server.

Flowcharts of the procedure are shown in FIGS. 2A-2C and FIG. 3. 2A-2C, variations of the first portion of the procedure are shown. The second portion of the procedure is the same as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. This is shown in FIG. The flow of the procedure is described later.

The user 1 wants to ask the data storage system 100 for a certain part of the information (hereinafter referred to as the document 6). In this case, the user 1 sends a request, for example, a RETRIEVE command to the object server 2, which causes the object server 2 to obtain the document 6, and then sends the document to the user 1. Do it. When the object server 2 receives a document request sent to it, the object server 2 has a request acceptance component.

The object server 2 receives the request and finds the requested document 6 in the object storage 3. The object server 2 also has an objecting locating component, which searches for the position of the required document 6 in the object storage 3.

The object server 2 also obtains data for the data format in which this document 6 can be obtained together with the document 6. The object server comprises an object storage access component, by which the object server 2 uses the ordered document 6, the object search component, and furthermore the object storage device 3; Move to itself from the object location determined by In this way, the data format of the document 6 to be transmitted is also conveyed to the object server 2 at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 3, the object server 2 compares the data format of the generated document 6 with the data format preferred by the user 1 using a data format comparison component. do. For this purpose, the data format preferred by the user 1 is known to the object server 2.

The data format preferred by the user 1 is a data format that the user 1 wants to transmit the document 6 obtained. In other words, this is a data format that the user can process.

In Embodiment 1, as shown in Fig. 2A, a request for a document 6, along with information about a user's preferred data format, is sent from the user 1 to the object server 2, so that the order approval component (the order accepting component). The request command previously used, for example "RETRIEVE Document reference (xxx)", is changed. This command, in addition to the document reference number indicated by "xxx", includes an additional area representing information about the data format preferred by the user 1, and includes a "RETRIEVE Document reference (xxx) Preferred_Format (ASCII, TIFF, GIF, WordPerfect) ". Preferred data formats are preferably defined as a list of preferred data formats with at least one element. If this list contains more than one data format, the user 1 can weight these preferred data formats in the weight list 7 of the preferred data formats shown in FIG. Here, the weight may be described as a numerical value. The lower the assigned numerical value, the higher the weight of the format. For example, the user 1 may want to receive a document in the format of "Corel WordPerfect". However, if this is not possible, you may want to receive the document in "ASCII" format.

The order approval component increases access to the input data area relative to conventional order approval components (buffers) in order to receive data for the data format preferred by the user 1, such access being for example TCP / IP. It is transmitted in one block by the transport protocol.

As a variant of this embodiment, it is conceivable that the user 1 can also instruct the object server 2 but not change the ordered document 6. This is meaningful if the user 1 is confident.

As another variant of this embodiment, it is conceivable to reveal what kind of processing the user 1 intends to use when requesting a document. In the data storage system, different editing formats are predefined for each document 6 in accordance with the type of processing scheduled. For example, the first data format may be designated for print output, and the second data format may be designated for editing on the screen.

In another embodiment described in FIG. 2B, the data request component of the object server 2 sends an inquiry to the user 1. This query asks the user 1 to send information about the user's preferred data format to the object server 2. The user 1 transmits the information about the data format which he or she prefers to the object server 2. Under some circumstances, this information can likewise be read automatically on the computer system of the user 1 as well. If the present invention is used on the Internet, it can be foreseen that this information can be read from the list of plug-ins and / or viewers provided by the Internet browser.

As a variant of this embodiment, the query for the user 1 may have a list that includes not only the original format of the document 6 but also the format in which this ordered document 6 is to be changed. The user 1 selects the desired data format and sends this information to the object server 2.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 2C, a data format read component of the object server 2 is located in the data storage system 100 to provide information about the data format preferred by the user. Information about the data format preferred by the user 1 is read from the configured configuration file 4 (see FIG. 1). The configuration file 4 contains a configuration list and is located in the data storage system 100, in which the configuration list describes at least one user 1 and the preferred data format assigned to this user 1. It is also possible for the data to be stored in a weighted configuration list 8 as shown in FIG.

Preferably, the data storage system 100 automatically complements the configuration list creation by a data format storage component so that the information about the data format preferred by the user 1 is matched with the document request. At the same time, or after the document request is connected via the data storage system 100, it is transmitted from the user 1 to the data storage system 100.

In the present embodiments the options described in connection with providing information about the data format preferred by the user 1 may be combined with each other. If information about the data format preferred by the user 1 has not been sent with the document request from the user 1 to the object server 2 or the corresponding information is not present in the configuration file 4, for example, For example, sending a query from the data format request component to the user 1 about the transmission of information about the data format preferred by the user 1 will always occur automatically. If the data format comparison component has some contradictory data for the user 1's preferred data format, an option is provided to notify the object server 2 which data the user 1 or a third party prefers to use. May have

If the data format of the received document 6 matches the data format preferred by the user 1, or if the user 1 wants to keep the format of the document 6 in the currently stored format without conversion, the data The storage system 100 sends the document 6 to the user 1 as shown in FIG. To this end, an object delivery component is used. The user 1 can receive and process the document 6. The processing options of the user 1 generally include an output function, a reproduction function, and a storage function. For example, the processing option may be, for example, a program such as word processing or a program having an application on the Internet, a plug-in or a viewer. Furthermore, processing options may include displaying the document 6 on a screen, printing the document 6, outputting a voice document to a speaker, or transmitting the document 6 to another computer or another computer program. Things, or remembering a document as a file.

If the data format of the acquired document 6 does not match the format preferred by the user 1, the object server 2 selects a converter 5 as shown in FIG. 3, which converter obtains the document. Can be converted from the original data format to the data format preferred by the user 1.

To this end, a converter location component searches for the corresponding converter 5. The converter search component accesses information about the current conversion options. This information is preferably stored in the converter list 9 and obtained from the object server 2 as a file or a database table. As shown in Fig. 6, the converter list 9 contains at least one detail for the current converter 5, including the actual raw format and the target format in each case. The converter list 9 contains additional information, for example the location of the converter 5 or the necessary calling parameters.

The other transducers 5 are preferably located outside of the data storage system 100 (see FIG. 1). If the converter 5 is called as a program, they are on the same computer on which the object server 2 runs. Alternatively, the converter 5 may be present on another computer in the computer network and converted by a communication protocol such as TCP / IP, for example. As another example, the converter 5 may be a component of the data storage system 100.

Furthermore, the object server 2 comprises a converter access component, which calls the converter 5 searched by the converter search component and already from the object storage 3. The read document to be converted 6 is passed to the converter 5 together with the data for the target format (even raw format if necessary).

After the converter 5 is called, this converter converts the document 6 into a specific data format. The conversion can occur at once or in several steps over several intermediate formats. After conversion to the output format, the converted document 6 is sent from the converter 5 to the converter access component, which in turn passes the document 6 to the object carrying component in the object server 2. The object carrying component sends this document 6 to the user 1 as described in FIG. 3. The user then processes this document without further conversion.

A marking of the modified document 6 in addition to the converter 5 or the object server 2 can be carried out before transporting this modified document 6 to the user 1. To this end, administration information attached to the document 6 to be carried is supplemented by a marking, which indicates whether the document has changed. In addition, it can be seen in what format the document was originally stored in the data storage system. This marking can later be used to determine whether data format conversion has occurred in this document 6. Because formatting is often destroyed by transformations, marking may be important later on.

In another embodiment, information about the document type is known to the object server 2, which information does not change, for example for legal reasons. This information is stored in the object server 2 in the form of a table having a corresponding identifier for the document type. This information is read and processed before the information about the data format preferred by the user 1, and has a higher priority than the user 1's request. If a document 6, which is a document type that does not need to be changed, is ordered, it is conveyed to the user 1 without further conversion.

The present invention is based on the concept of aligning the data storage system in a way that matches the document's processing power. The present invention allows a user to process a document ordered in a data storage system without further conversion. Thus, the user friendliness of the data storage system is increased. Further, in the data storage system, particularly in the case of the database system, the data format can be used without limitation in the number without limiting the document processing ability of the user due to the unsupported format. Furthermore, even if the type of data format increases in the data storage system, a high cost increase in hardware and software can be avoided on the user side of the data storage system. In addition, the user may be able to process documents (most of which are originally obtained in various document formats) using a minimum processing power, for example, a minimum viewer. This is particularly advantageous in the case of old or non-orthodox data formats, and consequently the present invention ensures long-term utilization of the file archived documents.

The present invention can be applied not only to the database system but also to other systems such as the Internet (for example, a mailing system).

Claims (12)

In the operating method of the data storage system 100 for storing the formatted information, In the data storage system 100, the data format of the requested item of the stored information 6 is compared with the data format preferred by the user 1 of the information 6; Before converting the information 6 to the user 1, optionally converting the requested portion of the stored information 6 into a data format preferred by the user 1; How data storage systems operate. The method of claim 1, And said user (1) sends information on said preferred data format to said data storage system (100) with a request for said stored information (6). The method according to claim 1 or 2, When the data storage system 100 sends a request to the user 1 to transmit information on a preferred data format, the user 1 sends information on the preferred data format to the data storage system 100. Data storage system operating method characterized in that the sending. The method of claim 3, wherein The request to the data storage system 100 includes a list of data formats, and the user 1 selects one of the preferred data formats from the list, and selects this information portion from the data storage system 100. Data storage system operating method characterized in that the transmission. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, And said data storage system (100) reads information on a data format preferred by said user (1) from a configuration file (4) in said data storage system (100). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, And said data storage system (100) automatically stores in said configuration file (4) said information received in relation to a data format preferred by said user (1). In the data storage system 100 which stores the formatted information 6, Means for comparing the data format of the requested storage information 6 with the data format preferred by the user 1 of the information 6; (2) means for searching and invoking a converter (5) for converting the requested memory information (6) into a data format preferred by the user (1) before supplying it to the user (1). Data storage system. The method of claim 7, wherein At least one converter (5) for converting said formatted information (6) from a first data format to a second data format. The method according to claim 7 or 8, Means for receiving the request and generating information 6, Means for searching for information (6), And a means for conveying information (6). The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, And a means for requesting data format information. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, And a means for storing data format information. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, And a means for reading data format information.