Patent · US Expired

Method and combination for minimizing data conversions when data is transferred between a first database storing data in a first format and a second database storing data in a second format

US5566332A · kind A · utility

82Cited by
6References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 11, 1994
Grant dateOct 15, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 11, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99954
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention establishes the context in which data exchanged between dissimilar relational database management systems can be mutually understood and preserved, and data conversions can be minimized. The invention accomplishes this by establishing layers of descriptive information which isolate machine characteristics, levels of support software, and user data descriptions. Optimized processing is achieved by processing the different descriptor levels at different times during the development and execution of the database management systems. Minimal descriptive information is exchanged between the cooperating database management systems. Any data conversions that may be necessary are done only by the receiver of the data, and only at the point where it is necessary to have the data represented in the receiver's native format for processing. For sending and receiving systems which match, data conversion is completely avoided, even when the data may have been forwarded through intermediate DBMS systems which do not match. For sending and receiving systems which do not match, data conversion is minimized. The data conversion routines and tables in each system are also minimized by re…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.