Gateway Server Unifying Disparate Datastore Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Remote devices face difficulties in accessing disparate network services due to complex data exchange protocols and messaging sequences, making it challenging to leverage them in an Internet environment for uniform data access.

Innovation Solution

A method that reformats search requests into a uniform access protocol, allowing queries to various services and transcoding data for presentation on remote devices, enabling seamless access to disparate data sources without requiring knowledge of specific APIs or protocols.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If remote devices access disparate network services directly using their native protocols, then each service can be accessed with its specific format, but the device complexity and difficulty of operation increase significantly due to needing to handle multiple complex protocols and messaging sequences

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess capability to disparate servicesVSAvoidoperation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a gateway server as an intermediary component that sits between the remote device and multiple disparate data stores. The gateway server receives search requests from the remote device in a uniform format, translates them into appropriate protocols for each target data store, and returns results in a standardized format. This mediator approach allows the remote device to access diverse services without directly handling multiple complex protocols, thus maintaining adaptability while simplifying operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If remote devices implement multiple native protocols and messaging sequences to access different data stores, then comprehensive service access is achieved, but the device complexity increases making it difficult to leverage remote devices in Internet environment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice access coverageVSAvoidprotocol overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway server acts as a protocol translation intermediary that handles the complexity of multiple data exchange protocols and messaging sequences. Instead of embedding multiple protocol implementations in the remote device, the gateway server performs the translation from a simple uniform request format to the specific protocols required by each data store (SQL databases, XML-based services, etc.), thereby maintaining service access coverage while eliminating protocol overhead from the remote device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway server provides universal access functionality by supporting multiple data store types and protocols through a single interface. It implements a unified request format that can target diverse data stores (relational databases, XML data stores, search engines) without requiring the remote device to know about the specific protocols of each target, thus achieving comprehensive service access through a universal access point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If a uniform access protocol is introduced to simplify remote device operation, then ease of operation improves, but additional system components and infrastructure are required increasing overall system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniform access simplicityVSAvoidsystem infrastructure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway server is positioned as a centralized intermediary that consolidates the complexity of protocol translation and data store management. By placing the translation logic in a single server rather than distributing it across multiple components or embedding it in each remote device, the system achieves uniform access simplicity for clients while concentrating the infrastructure complexity in one manageable component that can be maintained and updated independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2485168B1System and method for searching disparate datastores via a remote device
Publication Date: 2019.06.26 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2485168B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2485168B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2485168B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system and associated methodology are provided for searching the contents of a network system connected to data storage devices from a remote terminal over a wired or wireless link. This system formulates search requests, and dispatches the requests. A variety of search engines and services are invoked to find the requested contents. A summary is formed in a format brief enough for transmission over a wireless link. The search summary information is indexed the remote terminal to subsequently request all or part of a document referenced in the search summary, allows formation of requests of all or part of a referenced document in its original form or in a form transcoded appropriately for transmission over a wireless link and presented on the remote terminal.