Data management interoperability methods for heterogeneous directory structures6484177Abstract A method for use with a data management system (DMS) enabling a directory service such as the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and Microsoft's Active Directory to interact with centralized DMS employs a single access application at a user API interface at one or more application layers of the data management system to map transactions for access appropriate to a heterogeneous physical implementation of data storage managed by a virtual control repository used in the DMS. Data objects are classified according to a PFVL Paradigm according to Package, Filetype, Variance and Level as a model for storage of data object in separate DMS storage and directory service storage. Objects in the directory service storage are managed to direct a request in a manner appropriate to the request to a directory service server or if not appropriate to the directory service, to one or more DMS processing managers. Claims What is claimed is: Description FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Package An arbitrary grouping of data objects that
has some relationship or common bond with
each other. Each package contains one or
more variances.
Variance One or more objects within a package that,
when combined with the remaining objects in
the same Variance or from one or more
dependent Variances, comprise a coherent and
meaningful collection of objects.
Level A collection of objects, within a Variance,
that have achieved some arbitrary degree of
quality.
Filetype A collection of objects sharing the same data
type or format.
Version An iteration of a data object.
As an example, FIG. 2A depicts Package "A" (20) comprised of two Variances. Within each Variance are one or more data objects (21) of a given Filetype, residing at one or more Levels, with one or more Versions of the object. In the simplest case, a single Version of a single Filetype exists at a single Level within a single Variance of a single Package. Our invention achieves tremendous flexibility by allowing any of these attributes to be expanded n ways. By varying the dimensions of the cube, and the number of cubes in the Package, one can create a DMS capable of managing data in almost any environment. The present invention also permits Packages to be arranged hierarchically. This is illustrated at the bottom of FIG. 2A where Package "A" (20) is embedded within a higher level Package (22). The higher level Package may also contain its own data objects (21) as shown in the figure. This is possible because each Package in the hierarchy has its own set of PFVL attributes. For example, a printed circuit board could be considered a high level Package comprised of various ASICs, resistors, capacitors and connectors. The ASICs on the board could be considered Packages themselves, where each ASIC Package is comprised of the underlying circuit designs. FIG. 2B contemplates two examples of how the PFVL Paradigm can be implemented in actual applications. The first table (23) demonstrates a typical electrical engineering design environment comprised of design objects dispersed in the DMS. The primary design object is an MPEG design consisting of multiple versions of a schematic residing in the "dsgn_lib" design library. This library also contains a VHDL object for the MPEG design. It can also be seen that the dsgn_lib library contains two Levels, Test and Prod. Versions of the MPEG schematic simultaneously exist at both Levels. Most of the objects are classified under the Universal Serial Bus (USB) Variance, except for a PCI Variant of the MPEG schematic. Our invention allows Variances to be completely independent or dependent upon other Variances. In this example, if the PCI Variance is based on the USB Variance, then all objects in the USB Variance can be picked up and used in the PCI Variance, unless they need to be modified. DMS Table 23 also illustrates an additional object, the Bus Controller, which also resides in the PCI Variance of the dsgn_lib library. Finally, the diagram illustrates an MPEG Layout which resides in a separate Package known as the Circuits library. The second DMS Table (24) in FIG. 2B shows how the same PFVL paradigm can be used to track objects and sub-assemblies in an automotive environment. In this case, Packages are used to denote the Cooling and Engine sub-assemblies as well as the Electro-Mechanical main assembly. Within each sub-assembly are one or more components described in the form of schematics, layouts and VHDL, and residing at quality levels QA1, and QA2. Also, some components exist under distinct Variances in order to accommodate two different automobile models. Returning to the overall architectural diagram identified as FIG. 1, the top layer is the User Interface Layer (10). This layer makes possible such scenarios as sharing electrical and mechanical design information by acting as an environmental adapter. An example of such an adaptation is present in a large electronic design organization where several design groups need to share data among several libraries. A common DMS application in this scenario would be a Check-In operation which allows data to enter the DMS from a user's private work space. Since the DMS accommodates several design groups using numerous libraries, the DMS Check-In application's API requires one of the invocation parameters to be the Package. If the methodology requires all the designers on a team to check their data into a single library, the User Interface Layer may employ a local "wrapper" or user utility which only requires the user to enter the name and type of design object being checked in. This wrapper then passes this information to the DMS Check-In application. It also supplies the sole library name as the Package as well as a hard-coded Level and Variance. To further demonstrate the advantage of the User Interface Layer, consider a second design group which also uses the same DMS to manage their data. Unlike the first design team, this one designs sub-assemblies in which each sub-assembly is treated as a Package. Since this team requires access to multiple packages, their Check-In function may consist of a "wrapper" in the User Interface Layer which invokes a menu that permits the user to specify a sub-assembly name. The wrapper then calls the same DMS Check-In application used by the aforementioned design group. However, this wrapper passes the sub-assembly name as the Package rather than hard-coding it like the first wrapper. One skilled in the art could easily envision how the User Interface Layer can employ several methods such as, but not restricted to, wrappers, shell scripts, batch files, command line interfaces, graphical user interfaces, web browsers, menus, or voice activated systems, which would be customized to the user's environment or methodology. The advantage to this approach is it allows different methodologies or processes to utilize the same underlying Data Management System. In addition, if an existing methodology changes, the underlying DMS functions remain intact. Only the functions in the User Interface Layer need to be modified to accommodate the new methodology. Returning to FIG. 1, our preferred embodiment contemplates the use of several layers which comprise the core architecture of the DMS. Spanning three of the layers are the DMS Managers (11). These are comprised of a plurality of functions, some of which belong to the DMS Application, Client/Server and Control Repository Access layers. By grouping these functions into isolated Managers with standardized interfaces, a great deal of modularity is achieved. Furthermore, these functions can be combined to form larger, more complex, applications. Consider the following portion of an example promotion application which illustrates one way to deploy a modular DMS: if (Lock_Manager_Installed) { query Control Repository for any locks that exist on the file if (locks_exist) fail the promote } if (Authority_Manager_Installed) { query Cntl Repos to see if user has authority to do the promote if (user_not_authorized) fail the promote. } if (Process_Manager_Installed) query cntl Repos to see if any Library Processes need to run if (library_processes_exist) invoke them and wait for completion } Check Promotion Criteria Tell Control Repository to update level of the file Perform update to Data Repos (move file, update link, etc.) Within each code branch one or more Manager functions are invoked to perform the necessary DMS operations. By combining these functions together in an algorithmic way, one can achieve highly complex DMS applications. Furthermore, one can see how modularity can be achieved using the if statements to test the Control Repository for existence of a particular Manager. This permits Managers to be installed or configured in a "plug-n-play" manner simply by setting switches in the Control Repository. One could also envision an alternate embodiment where all the functions within each manager are compiled into independent objects. A DMS vendor or supplier could then construct customized DM systems based on the customer's needs, simply by linking together the required modules. For example, customer "A" may only require basic data management services so the DMS provider would only link the object code from the Library, Package and Lock Managers into a "lite" version of the DMS. Customer "B", on the other hand, may require use of applications involving aggregations (configurations) and Library Processing. This customer's DMS would link the object code from the Library, Package, Lock, Aggregation and Process Managers. Regardless of the implementation method, one skilled in the art can clearly envision the advantages afforded by such a system since enhancements or changes to functions in one Manager don't require the entire DMS to be recompiled, or redistributed. FIG. 1 also depicts the DMS Applications layer (12) which contains all the standard utilities that a user needs in order to interact with the DMS. This includes things like Check-In, Check-Out, Promotion, Locking, Library Searching, creating and tracking an aggregation or configuration, and setting or viewing process results. These utilities are described further is this disclosure as either functions residing within a particular Manager, or applications which consist of one or more functions, confined to a single Manager or involving a plurality of Managers. All functions and applications within this layer follow a consistent, standardized Application Program Interface which allows them to remain isolated from any user environment or methodology. This feature of the invention allows a single DMS to be deployed through several user groups performing similar or disparate work, yet having the need to share data between them. In the preferred embodiment, all functions and applications communicate with the Control and Data Repositories through the Client/Server Interface (13) layer. This is an expandable or contractible layer designed to allow either communication between the various layers in a client-only environment or between clients and one or more servers existing anywhere in a global enterprise. The same set of Manager functions, DMS applications and Control Repository Access routines are utilized regardless of the client/server topology. All communication into the Client/Server interface layer are directed to either the Control Repository Access Layer (14) or the Data Repository (15). The Control Repository Access Layer consists of one or more "transactions" which perform simple or complex operations against the Control Repository (CR) itself. These can typically be categorized as adding information to the CR, modifying existing information in the CR, deleting information from the CR, or extracting (and potentially filtering) information out of the CR. Regardless of the type of operation, all transactions in this layer are written as if the control Repository is a single virtual repository consisting of tables organized around the PFVL paradigm. This approach allows different physical implementations of the Control Repository. It even permits a plurality of physically different implementations to appear as a single virtual Control Repository. Our invention further contemplates a virtual Data Repository (15) comprised of one or more physical repositories. The underlying repositories can be a simple file management system such as the Distributed File System (DFS) or a simple directory structure organized on a hard or floppy disk. Correspondingly, the data repository could be constructed using proprietary or commercially available storage engines or PDM products such as RCS, Sherpa, MetaPhase, SCCS, CMVC, and ClearCase. Furthermore, the present invention permits Automated Library Machines to be employed as Data Repositories. As shown in FIG. 1, all communication with the Data Repository is performed through the Client/Server Interface layer, which permits the Data Repository to be locally accessible to the client, or distributed anywhere in the global enterprise on a remotely accessible server. FIG. 3 depicts a complex Data Repository comprised of Data Repository "A" (30) which is a simple unix directory where the files in the DMS may reside. One skilled in the art can see how a similar structure can be employed on other file systems such as DOS, Windows NT, Linux, etc. Additional data may be stored in Data Repository "B" (31) which is a commercially available PDM such as RCS or Sherpa. Although these storage engines automatically handle revision control whenever a user checks data into or out of the system, the preferred embodiment maintains it's own unique file identifier in the form of a File Reference umber within the Control Repository. The main reason for this is that it allows all data in the DMS to be tracked in a similar fashion regardless of the physical storage method employed. Furthermore, if the data ever needs to be transplanted from one storage engine to a completely different one, the operation can be accomplished by checking the data out of the old storage engine, checking it into the new one, and updating the associated Control Repository table which maps the File Reference number into a revision number. Since all information associated with the object is tracked by PFVL and File Reference number, the information is kept completely in tact even if the old and new storage engines use completely different revision control methods. One can also envision a simpler alternate embodiment wherein the revision number of the commercial storage engine plays the role of the File Reference number. Returning to FIG. 3, Data Repository "C" (32) could be a physical location on a server accessible via a Universal Resource Locator (URL) on the World Wide Web (WWW). Although all data in this system is stored using a variety of means, the PFVL Paradigm serves as the common storage model such that any client (33) can interact with the data. Furthermore, data is directed to the appropriate Data Repository through the use of the Data Repository Table (34). It clearly illustrates how the PFVL attributes can be used in any combination to segregate the data into one or more physical repositories. For example, all VHDL in the MPEG design library will be stored in Repository "B" which represents one of the commercial revision control engines such as RCS or Sherpa. Wiring Layouts for the Rel.sub.-- 1 Level of the Base Variant of the MPEG design library are stored in a DFS directory represented by Repository "A", and customer documentation for the MPEG design is stored in a publicly accessible URL on the World Wide Web (WWW) represented by Repository "C." One skilled in the art will also note that the use of wildcards in conjunction with the PFVL attributes permits a great deal of granularity in storage partitioning. The example shows a wildcard (*) in the Filename field, but this could also be filled in with a specific file or a family of files matching a certain pattern. Additional fields could also be added to the table such as a Version field to allow data to be physically segregated by revision number, File Reference numbers, or any pattern of said version control mechanisms. This approach offers the advantage of being able to not only use different storage methods for different types of data, but also solves problems associated with large, incompressible, files filling up physical storage media. This problem is prevalent in many commercial available data management systems which require either entire libraries or entire releases of data to be physically stored using the same means under a common directory structure. Returning to FIG. 1, the bottom of the diagram shows the Control Repository (17) which can be implemented using a multitude of methods, including, but not limited to, Table Formatted Files, Relational or Object Oriented Databases, or Meta-Data files in any format. Our invention also permits one or more of the above implementations to be used simultaneously to comprise a single virtual Control Repository. Regardless of the physical implementation of the Control Repository, all information is organized under the PFVL paradigm such that any entry in the repository directly or indirectly maps to one or more PFVLs. This permits users to access information about any object residing in any Package or library, at any Level or Variance regardless of whether that piece of information exists in a relational database, a simple ASCII file or a binary encoded MetaData file. Information can be freely reorganized or transplanted between different Control Repository implementations without the need to modify any DMS Applications, Manager functions or Control Repository Access transactions. Tables support underlying Manager functions and DMS Applications. A key player in enabling the aforementioned feature are the Command Translators (16) which interface between the Control Repository Access Layer and the Control Repository (17). Each physical implementation of the Control Repository would employ a unique Command Translator to map the generic Control Repository Access transactions into the appropriate command to satisfy the physical repository. Our invention contemplates the use of any syntax structure for the Control Repository Access (CRA) transactions. The syntax can be chosen to accommodate the physical embodiment of the DMS. The only requirement is that the syntax adheres to the PFVL paradigm. For example, in an homogenous environment where the entire Control Repository is implemented as a relational database, the CR Access transaction syntax might be structured in a manner similar to SQL commands. Thus, only a minor translation may be required prior to interfacing with the relational database. On the other hand, a heterogeneous environment with several physical implementations of the Control Repository may employ a much more generic CRA syntax based on a flexible programming structure more adept to multiple translations. In a similar manner to the Data Repository, this approach also enables a great deal of flexibility in upgrading the Control Repositories or permitting data from disparate sources to appear as one logical repository. For example, a SQL database may be employed as the primary Control Repository which includes all information necessary to track each object in the DMS by File Reference, PFVL, physical location, etc. This repository may also contain a Part Number table for all the manufactured pieces of a product. Off to the side might exist a Lotus Notes database containing service call or defect repair information organized by Part Number for the same product. Our invention would allow Control Repository Access transactions to be written, using an identical generic syntax, to extract design information about the part from the SQL database and repair actions from the Lotus Note database. This permits someone with no knowledge of the underlying Control Repository structure to write a DMS Application to invoke said functions and create a customized report containing information from both databases. The Command Translators would be responsible for mapping the generic transactions for the design information into a true SQL query, and the repair action transaction into a Notes extraction. Integrating Directory Services into S.O.M.A. Having thus described the Scaleable Open Management Architecture (S.O.M.A.), we now turn our attention to the preferred embodiment which incorporates S.O.M.A. into a directory service such as those defined under the X.500 standard, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Novell Directory Services (NDS) and Microsoft's Active Directory. Although the preferred embodiment envisions integrating LDAP into S.O.M.A., one skilled in the art can appreciate how the methods described herein can be applied to any of the aforementioned services. The LDAP architecture offers several key features that make it a perfect match for S.O.M.A. For example, it permits a hierarchical directory structure to be established which mimics the organizational structure of a business. FIG. 4A illustrates an example LDAP directory structure (41) which depicts the highest level of the directory tree as root. Within root, directories are divided by geography, then business, then organizations within each business. Depending on the size of the business, these may be divisions, organizational units, subsidiaries, departments, business units, etc. Since LDAP can accommodate virtually any size organization, from a single individual to the largest company, it serves as a universal standard for accessing information about people and resources in a particular business organization. However, since the traditional role of directory services has been limited to supplying information pertaining to network infrastructure, the standard LDAP schema fails to provide a universal means for accessing data and product information within a business organization. For instance, a typical directory service may be employed to manage a company's web site. The LDAP protocol permits the user to easily navigate through the organizational hierarchy and locate a web page pertaining to a particular group such as consumer electronics. Additional web pages containing product information may also reside in the directory service, but to fully embrace e-commerce the information currently managed by the directory service must be integrated with detailed product information that may exist in other heterogeneous repositories. For example, a product may have inventory, manufacturing, and distribution information stored in a traditional database or data warehouse, engineering data in some type of design repository, and customer/supplier data residing in a groupware application such as Lotus Notes or Domino. Our invention offers the means by which all of this data can be accessed through the directory service. Consider the following example of an e-business conducting on-line transactions over the Internet. LDAP or Active Directory could be used to store and manage the web pages, images and Java scripts which comprise the on-line store front. The actual product and customer order information is likely to be stored in a traditional database. Our invention would permit a uniform data management paradigm to encompass both sets of data. In this manner one could query information about a product based on Package, Variance, Level and Type with command translators accessing the appropriate repository. FIG. 4B expands on the conventional LDAP directory structure by applying the PFVL paradigm. In our example, the Sony corporation is divided into two organizational units, Consumer Electronics and Technology. Our invention classifies each of these as a Package (42). Consumer Electronics is further divided into Audio Products, Televisions, and Personal Computers. These are also classified as Packages (42) since our invention permits hierarchical packages. At this point, a conventional directory service may simply store product information about all the televisions. Our invention improves upon this by permitting the additional PFVL attributes to be mapped into an LDAP service. FIG. 4B depicts Televisions broken down into 3 Levels (43), future_models, current_models and 1998_models. The current_models are divided by Variance (44) into the 110 volt and 220 volt variants. Each Variant is comprised of several Models (45). Finally, each model contains directories for several FileTypes (46). These directories comprise the various types of data that might be required to support an e-business, such as HTML and XML pages, JPG images of the products and Java applets. The advantage of applying the PFVL paradigm to the data types stored in the directory structure is that data residing outside of the directory service can also be classified using the same PFVL paradigm. Thus, seemless access to both repositories becomes viable. For instance, one can envision how the aforementioned example can be used to manage all the elements necessary for an end user to display a web page on his client computer which describes all the features of the xl32g34 model television, including a JPG photo of the product. However, this product information would have to exist within an HTML or XML web page. Our invention improves on this by allowing the user to obtain dynamic product information such as the quantity of xl32g34 models available in the inventory even if the inventory is being managed by an Oracle or DB/2 database. This is possible because the inventory databases can be managed with the same paradigm by creating Package, Level, Variance, and Model fields within the database tables, and organizing the inventory data accordingly. The HTML page would simply provide "static" product information and could employ a java applet to query the dynamic information, such as, available inventory, from the database. There are several benefits to this approach. To begin with, it shields the application developer from knowledge about the underlying database. If the inventory system is replaced in the future with something completely different, as long as the inventory data retains the PFVL paradigm, the application querying the data doesn't need any modification. Secondly, Levels and Variances are an integral piece of the S.O.M.A. architecture and our invention applies these concepts to directory structures as well. For example, the television models can be classified by Level as Current_Models and New_Models. This becomes useful during the introduction period of a new product line. Prior to introduction, all the data pertaining to the new models can be installed in the New_Models directory and this serves as a "sandbox" to test the entire system without affecting the production environment centered around the Current_Models. The web site can be exercised, including mock transactions, to ensure that not only the web pages, links, Java scripts, etc. are working but any associated data residing in the traditional databases is also correct (i.e. pricing information, product specs, retail marketing information, etc. Once the testing is complete, S.O.M.A. allows cross platform promotions between levels, so all the data necessary to support the new models can be promoted into the Current_Models level. At this point the new product line is officially accessible by the general public and on-line ordering can begin. Finally, S.O.M.A. further allows modular expansion of features using Managers. The present invention further contemplates the use of said Managers to interact with data in heterogeneous environments. For example, the Process Manager can be used to automate a Library Process which is initiated during a promotion between levels. Continuing with the Sony on-line store, a Library Process could be written which automatically reduces the price of outgoing television models and uses the LDAP services to send e-mail to key retailers encouraging them to hold "fire sales" and deplete excess inventory of the older models as well as begin advertising the new models. Our invention accomplishes the aforementioned concepts by first defining PFVL attributes for each entry managed in an LDAP directory. For instance a web page for a particular model television might have the following LDAP attributes shown in FIG. 5. The LDAP attribute table (51) depicts how the PFVL attributes can be seamlessly integrated into the existing LAP attributes to permit an LDAP query to locate a piece of information based on qualifiers such as country, organization, organizational unit, package, level, variance, model and data type. Similarly, a relational database table (52), such the one shown in FIG. 5, may contain product information for all televisions. Our invention has the advantage of the user being able to access all information using one interface. The Sony web site could have a web page listing all Consumer Electronics with a link called Televisions. When the user clicks on the link, a form would be displayed where the user can select either current models or older models. The form would generate a PFVL-based query requesting a listing of model numbers, which the S.O.M.A. architecture would translate into a relational database query and obtain the list from the database table. The user would then select the desired model, each of which may has it's own web page. When the user clicks on the desired model, another PFVL-based query would ensue, but this time the S.O.M.A. architecture would translate it into an LDAP request for the web page. The LDAP client would incorporate the aforementioned LDAP attributes to launch the request to the LDAP server, which would invoke the LDAP search routine to locate and deliver the desired web page for that model television. FIG. 6 illustrates the detailed instantiation of the PFVL Paradigm into a directory service structure using the LDAP API for the Sony example of FIG. 4. The objectclass definitions used to implement the Sony example are industry (61), sector (62) and appliance (63). These objectclass definitions specify the required and allowed (optional) attributes. All LDAP entries are required to have an objectclass attribute to describe its contents. For example the industry objectclass (61) requires the objectclass, c, o, ou and sector attributes. The sector objectclass (62) requires the c, o, ou and cn attributes. The appliance objectclass (63) requires the c, o, ou, partno, pl, level, var, model, size, color, spec and filetype attributes. It may optionally contain the msrp attribute. The c (country), cn (common name), o (organization) and ou (organizational unit) attributes are standard LDAP attributes. The syntax of the additional attributes sector, pl (product line), level, var (variance), model, filetype, partno, size, color, spec (specification page html) and msrp (manufacturers suggested retail price are described in attribute definitions (64) in LDAP protocol terms. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the package (42) portion of the PFVL Paradigm is represented by the combination of the industry (65) and the sector (66) entries. The appliance (67) entries complete the level (43), variance (44) and filetype (46) portions of the PFVL Paradigm. Control Repository Access Layer Our invention contemplates the use of a separate Control Repository Access Layer comprised of a library of functions or transactions which extract, add, modify or delete information from the Control Repository. There are two main advantages to separating this code from the functions comprising the DMS Application Layer: 1. Many transactions can be used in multiple DMS applications, so in an effort to modularize the code and prevent duplication, one skilled in the art could envision how these transactions can be instantiated in DMS applications much like a logic designer instantiates circuit macros. 2. In larger DM systems where performance is a critical issue, it is frequently prudent to combine several smaller transactions into "macro" transactions. This is best performed by someone with intimate knowledge of the internal organization of the Control Repository. By separating the CR Access functions from the DMS applications, the end users can readily modify the DMS applications without acquiring the aforementioned knowledge. 3. This approach readily lends itself to a plurality of physical embodiments of the Control Repository since all the transactions can employ the same format, and only the command translation code needs to be personalized for its associated physical Control Repository. 4. One physical embodiment of a Control Repository can be replaced with a different physical embodiment without the need to alter any of the DMS applications or underlying Control Repository Access transactions. The administrator of the Control Repository need only update the command translation code to reflect the new physical embodiment. One key aspect of the present invention is the use of Command Translators which perform the role of converting a generic "PFVL-based" query into the appropriate syntax for communication with the underlying control repository. The use of a command translator to remap a PFVL-based request into an LDAP request becomes rather straightforward if one considers the LDAP API published as rfc1823 for the Networking Working Group by T. Howes and M. Smith from the University of Michigan. Their proposed API offers the following functions for manipulating LDAP entries: ldap_search // searching the LDAP directory for a requested set of attributes ldap_modify // modify information regarding an existing LDAP entry ldap_modrdn // change the name of an LDAP entry ldap_add // add an entry to the LDAP directory ldap_delete // delete an entry from the LDAP directory These functions are analogous to their counterparts in a typical relational database, therefore our invention would merely take the original PFVL-based query and make the appropriate translation based on the type of data requested. For instance, a web page for a particular television model may contain two links; one to click on to request the price and the other to see a JPG image. The Java applet rendering the web page would initiate two nearly identical PFVL-based requests Get_Price(Package=Televisions, Level=Current_Models, Model=xl32g34, Variance=110v) Get_Image(Package=Televisions, Level=Current_Models, Model=xl32g34, Variance=110v) However, the first request would be remapped to a SQL query such as: SELECT Price FROM (Package,Level,Variance, Model) VALUES(Televisions, Current_Models,110v,xl32g34) which would return the price back to the client's Java applet for display on the screen. The second request would use the PFVL attributes to construct the proper LDAP Relative Domain Name (RDN) and invoke a request for the associated JPG for rendering by the client's browser. The obvious advantage of our invention is that the client code can work with a single data model governed by a uniform API even though the underlying data may be distributed throughout several types of repositories. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a detailed example employing said command translators in a heterogeneous environment with two disparate physical Control Repositories which together comprise a single virtual Control Repository. The virtual Control Repository contains an inventory table and a Relative Domain Name (RDN)table. In this example, the Get_Quantity (71) transaction is used to query the quantity of a particular television model currently in inventory. Similarly, the Get_FileSpec (72) transaction is used to locate a web page or graphical image of the television model from an LDAP repository. One will immediately notice that both transactions utilize a similar syntax. In both cases, all PFVL (Package, Filetype, Variance, Level) information is supplied. It is also important to note that one can't deduce the manner by which the control information is physically organized or stored, nor can one deduce whether the authorization and financial results are stored in the same or different Control Repositories. The Get_Quantity (71) transaction is then processed through Command Translator "A" (73) which performs a relatively simple remap into the appropriate SQL queries (74) to interface with a Relational Database (75) where the inventory information resides. This query would return the quantity of which could then be displayed on a web page, included in a report, etc. Conversely, the Get_FileSpec (72) transaction is processed through Command Translator "B" (76) which forwards the request to an LDAP Server (77). Unlike the inventory table, the RDN table is comprised of LDAP attributes, such as those depicted in FIG. 6. Therefore, this translator would need to repackage the PFVL information into an LDAP search to return the exact location of the desired file. For example, the application may wish to display an image of the television alongside the inventory information. The Get_FileSpec transaction could request the location of a JPG for that particular model, by specifying "JPG" for TYPE. Additionally, TYPE could be set to "*" if the developer wanted to query all available image types for that model. An example routine (78) is shown in FIG. 7B which establishes a connection to the LDAP Server (77), maps the PFVL attributes into the proper syntax to make an ldap_search_s query, and then parses out the resulting file spec information. Once again, the application developer doesn't need to know how the data is physically stored in the directory service. In fact, the developer doesn't even know the data is managed by a directory service. One of the key advantages contemplated by this invention is that the DMS application writer only needs to reference the available transactions and their parameter lists. Once the application is written, it can remain intact, even if the underlying physical Control Repositories are further distributed, combined or in any other way reorganized. For example, if the LDAP repository is replaced by Microsoft's Active Directory, thus requiring modifications to the directory services API, only the Command Translator (76) needs to be modified. The DMS application remains intact. The aforementioned example also demonstrates another advantage of the present invention. One could envision a scenario whereby the users initially interact with both physical control repositories via a traditional computer system employing those elements typically found in said system, such as a keyboard, monitor, central processing unit, memory, mouse, etc. In such an environment, the users would obtain authorization to query financial data by manually entering their employee identification. Suppose the desire exists to improve the authorization process by introducing a pervasive device such as a badge reader or biomedical device such as retina or iris scanner. By using a generic API for the Control Repository Access functions, one could appreciate how much easier it would be to interface with nontraditional devices such as badge readers or retina scanners since they only need to provide information to be passed to the Command Translator. Since the device doesn't directly communicate with the Control Repository it can employ a relatively simple protocol such as TCP/IP or RS232, and doesn't need to generate complex commands such as SQL queries. One might conclude from the previous example that our invention implicates a one-to-one correspondence between Control Repository Access functions and Command Translators. However, our invention permits any combination of Control Repository Access transactions to interact with any combination of Command Translators to communicate with any combination of physical Control Repositories. FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate how the various architectural layers can be used to achieve greater overall processing efficiency. In this example, it necessitates the use of a single Control Repository Access transaction to perform multiple repository accesses. The left side of FIG. 8A depicts the control flow of a simple DMS application designed to establish an ownership or File Check Out for Update lock on a data object. This is a typical requirement for any data management system that permits multiple users to access and update the same piece of data. Step 80 displays the File Lock menu which can be any type of text based or graphical menu in which the user enters the necessary Package, Filetype, Variance, Level and Filename of the object they wish to update. One can appreciate how this step could utilize code similar to that previously disclosed to test for the existence of various Managers and tailor the menu accordingly. In this example, the application permits the user to select multiple files so Step 81 sets up a File Loop to perform the desired action for each file. Step 82 represents the Control Repository Access transaction for setting an ownership lock. Step 83 displays the results of the lock setting operation back to the user. To further illustrate the advantage of this invention, assume that the example employs an implementation which submits the lockset CRA transaction through the client server interface illustrated in FIG. 1. Also assume that the example methodology requires that only authorized users of the DMS may establish ownership locks. The layered architecture disclosed in the present invention permits a very efficient implementation of such an example environment. The right side of FIG. 8A (84) depicts the internal steps comprising the CRA lockset transaction (82). Our invention contemplates the use of several different types of locks on data objects in the DMS, therefore the Lock Menu (80) may offer the user a choice of locks. Therefore, the first step in the internal lockset transaction (84) is Step 85 which tests to see if the type of lock desired is an ownership lock (file check-out). Step 86 then queries the Authority table to ensure the user is authorized to update the requested file. The virtual Authority table (88) is shown in FIG. 8B. Step 87 then performs the necessary updates to the Lock table (89) also shown in FIG. 8B. Since steps 86 and 87 are both required for all File Check Out operations, it's more efficient to combine them into a single Control Repository Access transaction. This way, all the overhead associated with the client/server communication is only incurred once per file. It is worth noting that both tables are structured identically, but this does not imply they reside in the same physical Control Repository. In fact, it's not possible using FIG. 8B to discern how these tables are physically organized, nor if they reside in the same or separate physical embodiments. The present invention permits the data comprising a virtual Control Repository to be organized in any physical arrangement desirable, and furthermore, one or more of these physical Control Repositories can be accessed from the same CR access transaction. Conversely, multiple CR access transactions can access data from the same physical Control Repository. The existence of Command Translators in our invention permits any conceivable arrangement of Control Repository Access transactions to interact with any organization of one or more physical Control Repositories. Additionally, this example demonstrates a further advantage of having the DMS applications architecturally segregated from the CRA transactions. If the user desires to set ownership locks on all the files of a given Type in a given Level and Variance of a particular Package, then the File Loop (81) could recognize this and rather than initiating a multitude of CRA transactions for each selected file, it could generate a single transaction substituting a "*" for the Filename. The aforementioned example shows how a single CRA transaction may require a plurality of control repository accesses. However, our invention does not mandate the quantitative relationship between accesses and the underlying command translators. For example, the authority check in Step 86 and the lock table update in Step 87 will both employ command translators, but said translation code can be implemented in any desirable embodiment. Each step may call an independent translator implemented as an independent entity, or both translators could be embodied together within the same entity. Our invention even permits the translation code to be incorporated directly into the Control Repository Access transaction code as subroutines, methods, etc. One skilled in the art could appreciate how various programming techniques such as dynamic link libraries, subroutines, modules, and features found in object oriented programming languages can work in concert with the flexible architecture disclosed herein to produce the most efficient means of packaging the numerous CRA transactions and command translators which might comprise a typical data management system. Turning our attention to FIG. 9A, the illustration depicts a heterogeneous physical Control Repository comprised of an Authorization table physically stored on a server (91) using a conventional database application such as DB/2, Oracle, Access, Notes, or even a flat file. One advantage to using this type of implementation is that the virtual Authorization table can be physically manipulated using the traditional row and field paradigm. On the other hand, the Lock table is physically implemented as a plurality of .LCK files resident in a directory structure (92) mapped to the PFVL architecture. The directory structure (92) shows a typical engineering design library where the Package=DSGN_LIB, Variance=USB, Level=TEST, Filetype=SCHEMATIC, and Filename=MPEG. The MPEG.LCK file denotes the existence of a lock on this particular file. The contents of the MPEG.LCK file contain other information such as the identity of the lock owner, and the type of lock. One can see how this physical arrangement can be derived from a virtual Lock table such as the one depicted in FIG. 8B. Although this specific example only depicts seven fields of information in the virtual Lock table, one can see how this can be expanded to add additional information such as time/date when the lock was set, reason for the lock, or any other desirable meta data, and how this additional information can be easily added to the contents of the .LCK file. In addition, one skilled in the art can appreciate how other files in this example system can contain their own .LCK files, or how alternate embodiments of this system could use various other means of implementation including but not limited to symbolic links, Directory Service attributes, flat files which contain information on a plurality of locks, multiple lock files per data object, etc. Once again, the preferred embodiment only conveys a small subset of the possibilities afforded to the user by the present invention. Continuing with the figures, FIG. 9B depicts an example Control Repository Access transaction (93). The syntax of the transaction is purely arbitrary and can be chosen to accommodate the environment. The Perl code Command Translator (94) on the left side of FIG. 9B shows how CR Access transaction (93), which treats the information as if it's located in rows and fields of a table, is translated into the file I/O routines necessary to manifest the physical embodiment depicted in the PFVL-based directory structure (92) of FIG. 9A. Although this represents a simple subset of a realistic Command Translator, it illustrates the four minimum steps required to accomplish the task. First the arguments are parsed according to their position in the entry argument list. Second, the PFVL portion of the argument list is used to construct the path down to the file being locked. The third step takes into account the possibility that a PFVL attribute (such as the Variance) may be absent in the physical embodiment of the DMS. As stated earlier in this disclosure, absence of a PFVL attribute is denoted with a key character such as "%". In the event a "%" is passed in it means the directory corresponding to that PFVL attribute is missing. Finally, the fourth step writes the .LCK file containing the type of lock and identity of the owner. One skilled in the art can see how the example Perl code could be easily implemented in virtually any programming language such as C, Java, Basic, Rexx, Pascal, etc. It should be noted that a Perl example was selected for purposes of providing a simple and straight forward illustration of the present invention. One skilled in the art could appreciate how this sample perl code can be replaced with code to communicate with an API such as one found in a typical Directory Service such as LDAP or Active Directory. One of the key advantages of the present invention is the ability to easily replace the physical embodiment of the Lock table shown in the PFVL-based directory structure (92) with a more centralized physical embodiment such as the traditional database server (91) managing the Authority table. This is accomplished by simply replacing the Perl Command Translator (93) with the appropriate database translator such as the SQL Translator (95) shown on the right side of FIG. 9B. In this example, the SQL Translator (95) performs the same function as the Perl Translator (93) by using three steps. The first two are combined into an atomic database operation which updates the reference ID of the Lock Table by incrementing the last known reference ID and returning the newly incremented value into the ref variable. The third SQL statement uses this ref variable to insert the PFVL, owner and lock type information into the newly created row of the table. Notice how the same CR Access transaction (93) is used, but the underlying actions are entirely different. Rather than performing file system operations, the new command translator must perform traditional database table modifications. Although this may be a radical alteration to the command translator, it is completely hidden from the CR Access transaction and any DMS application which uses the craSetLock function. It is this manner by which our invention permits a low-end simplistic data management system such as that shown in the right side of FIG. 9A to grow into a more sophisticated high-end system. In addition it provides a means of replacing one physical embodiment of a Control Repository with another embodiment that may be very similar or completely different, without impact to the end users. This is a strategic advantage in a business environment where mergers and consolidations require constant modifications to their computer and information systems. As previously stated, the syntax of the example Control Repository Access transaction (93) is purely arbitrary. Our invention does not dictate the format of the Control Repository Access functions, it merely requires that the syntax allow for inclusion of any and all PFVL attributes necessary to define a data object, along with any additional information pertinent to the corresponding virtual Control Repository table. In this particular example: craSetLock(Pkg,Type,Var,Lvl,FileName,LockType,Userid) the syntax resembles a typical subroutine or function call where the information is passed as a series of arguments or parameters where the order of the parameters is determined in advance. One should note that this same transaction could use any other imaginable syntax including but not limited to the following examples: craSetLock(Package=Pkg, FileType=Type, Variance=Var, Level=Lvl,FileName=FileName, LockType=LockType,Owner=Userid) craSetLock(?Package Pkg ?FileType Type ?Variance Var ?Level Lvl ?FileName FileName ?LockType LockType ?Owner Userid) craSetLock->Package->FileType->Variance->Level-> FileName-> LockType->Owner=(Pkg Type Var Lvl FileName LockType Userid) SELECT(Lock, Pkg, Type, Var, Lvl, FileName, LockType, Userid) The present invention affords the opportunity to select the syntax of the Control Repository Access transactions to best accommodate the implementation of the DMS. For example, a DMS which is predominantly implemented as SQL databases would likely choose a different syntax from a DMS largely constructed out of C code. Furthermore, our invention doesn't mandate that all Control Repository Access transactions follow the same syntax. Although the preferred embodiment demonstrates the advantages of using a single syntax to create a uniformity and consistency across the entire DMS, our invention recognizes where there may be circumstances that warrant use of a plurality of syntaxes for different groups of CR access functions. For instance, consider the case where the virtual Control Repository is comprised of three physical repositories such that some of the information is stored in a relational database, some of it is organized as simple ASCII files in a file system and the remainder resides on a web server. If the situation is such that the environment is unlikely to change, our invention permits the administrator to have three sets of CR access transactions. The first could use a "SQL-like" syntax, the second a simple parameterized list, and the third might use Extensive Markup Language (XML). The disadvantage to this approach is it requires the DMS application developers to use a multitude of CR access syntaxes. However, this may not be a major concern if the DMS applications tend to access data only within a particular physical Control Repository. On the other hand a considerable performance advantage may be obtained by simplifying the Command Translation code. As previously stated, the present invention simply requires that whatever syntax is used permits any and all PFVL attributes to be expressed. Alternate Embodiment Another useful application of the present invention pertains to managing data solely within an LDAP structure. The IBM-led Directory Interoperability Forum (D.I.F.) is currently defining standards that would facilitate application development in LDAP directories. Once again, the PFVL paradigm can be applied to create an LDAP structure that further subdivides a business organizational units directories into Package, Level, Variance, and Type directories where the application components would reside. A development level could exist where application development can occur and system integration testing can be performed. Once the testing is complete, the Configuration Manager described in the S.O.M.A. architecture, can be used to promote all of the components that comprise the application to the production level. There are two distinct advantages to assimilating the PFVL paradigm and the S.O.M.A. architecture with the D.I.F. sponsored LDAP structures. First, since these structures are designed to work with heterogeneous networks, the development level could physically reside on one type of platform (i.e. a local network where the application developers reside) while the production level could reside on another platform such as a large Internet server. The second advantage is that LDAP contains facilities to perform directory synchronization. This can be very useful if the need exists to replicate data or applications across many physical repositories. Our invention offers improvements in this area since these replication policies can be encompassed in Library Processes. In this manner, a promote of applications from the development to the production level could initiate a Library Process to perform a replication or synchronization of any required data. In addition, the S.O.M.A. architecture comprises a Library Manager which contains DM applications to perform checkout and checkin operations. This is a critical component for proper management of data in a large enterprise, especially if a multitude of "read-only" copies of the data exist in a distributed fashion. Our invention provides a means for someone who wants to edit an object to perform a checkout and acquire an "out-for-update" lock thus ensuring nobody else can update that same object. Once the users completes the edits, and checks the data in or promotes it to a target directory, an LDAP synchronization process can be initiated to update the "read-only" copies distributed throughout the network. While we have described our preferred embodiments of our invention, it will be understood that those skilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first disclosed.
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