Ad-hoc Temporary Record Relationship Management in Database Systems

Solution Overview

Problem

Current database systems lack an automated mechanism to establish arbitrary relationships between data records, requiring a priori knowledge of relationships for schema design and programmatic logic, which is not feasible when such knowledge is unknown.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for ad hoc temporary record relationship management that allows users to select and create data objects in a database, relate them to other objects, and store these relationships in a collection for querying, enabling the creation of arbitrary relationships without pre-defined schema or logic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a pre-defined database schema is used to store relationships, then data organization is structured and efficient, but arbitrary relationships cannot be established when relationship knowledge is unknown

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to establish arbitrary relationshipsVSAvoidschema design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic relationship management by allowing relationships to be created and modified at runtime through programmatic logic rather than being fixed in advance. The system dynamically generates queries and establishes relationships between records based on runtime conditions, enabling adaptability without requiring rigid pre-definition of all possible relationships in the schema.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service relationship management by providing automated mechanisms that can discover and establish relationships between records without requiring manual schema design for every relationship. The programmatic logic automatically handles relationship creation, querying, and management, reducing the burden of a priori knowledge requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If linking records are used to aggregate related data, then data retrieval is simplified, but a priori knowledge of relationships is still required for schema specification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata aggregation easeVSAvoidloss of flexibility in relationship definition

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic relationship management by allowing relationships to be created and modified at runtime through programmatic logic rather than being fixed in advance. The system dynamically generates queries and establishes relationships between records based on runtime conditions, enabling adaptability without requiring rigid pre-definition of all possible relationships in the schema.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary layer of programmatic logic that acts as a mediator between the database schema and the relationship requirements. This intermediary dynamically determines relationships at runtime, allowing the system to maintain a stable schema while adapting to various relationship needs without requiring a priori knowledge of all relationships.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If complicated programmatic logic is used to query related data without linking records, then schema simplicity is maintained, but data aggregation becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveschema simplicityVSAvoiddata retrieval efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary layer of programmatic logic that acts as a mediator between the database schema and the relationship requirements. This intermediary dynamically determines relationships at runtime, allowing the system to maintain a stable schema while adapting to various relationship needs without requiring a priori knowledge of all relationships.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service relationship management by providing automated mechanisms that can discover and establish relationships between records without requiring manual schema design for every relationship. The programmatic logic automatically handles relationship creation, querying, and management, reducing the burden of a priori knowledge requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS9275109B2Ad-hoc temporary record relationship management

Publication Date: 2016.03.01 SUGARCRM INC

AI summary

A method for ad hoc temporary record relationship management includes selecting an instance of a data object persisted in a database of a database driven application and creating a different instance of a different data object referencing the selected instance of the data object and relating the selected instance of the data object to an instance of yet a further data object also persisted in the database. The method also includes storing the created different instance of the different data object in a collection of instances of the different data object and querying the collection of instances of the different data object for a particular instance of the further data object. Of note, the querying can produce a result set of data objects related to the particular instance of the further data object. Finally, the method includes processing the result set in the database driven application.