Pseudo Pointers for Distributed Database Object Linking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In engineering software, managing complex designs across multiple users and databases is challenging due to issues like modification or deletion of design parts by one user affecting others, where access rights restrict updating links between related design elements.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a database engine to create 'pseudo pointers' between objects, allowing users to link and query related design elements without modifying protected attributes, using a distributed database structure with reference tables for tracking connections without central aggregation or global indexing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users are allowed to modify design elements freely, then design flexibility and collaboration are improved, but data integrity and ownership protection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments design data into owned objects and referenced objects, allowing users to freely modify their own objects while protecting referenced objects from unauthorized changes. This segmentation enables collaborative design flexibility while maintaining data integrity through clear ownership boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pseudo-pointers as an intermediary mechanism that allows users to reference and view protected design elements without directly modifying them. The pseudo-pointer acts as a mediator that provides access to referenced objects while preventing unauthorized changes, thus maintaining both flexibility and integrity.
2Reliability
If centralized database aggregation is used, then data consistency is improved, but system complexity and single points of failure worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the database into multiple distributed local databases rather than using a single centralized database. Each local database maintains its own data consistency independently, eliminating the single point of failure while reducing system complexity through distributed architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the centralization requirement by allowing pseudo-pointers to reference objects across distributed databases without requiring centralized aggregation. This extraction enables data consistency through references rather than physical centralization, reducing system complexity.
3Productivity
If global indexing is implemented, then object linking efficiency is improved, but data ownership protection and compliance worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements local indexing within each user's local database rather than global indexing across all databases. This local quality approach maintains object linking efficiency for locally accessed objects while protecting data ownership by preventing global visibility and access to all objects.
Solution Approach 2:
Pseudo-pointers serve as intermediaries that enable efficient object linking without requiring global indexing. The pseudo-pointer mechanism allows rapid access to referenced objects through local references while maintaining ownership protection by not exposing global object structures.
4Reliability
If access rights restrict updates to protected objects, then data integrity is improved, but collaboration and design modification capability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of restricting access to protected objects, the system inverts the approach by allowing users to create pseudo-pointers that reference protected objects. This inversion enables collaboration and design modification capability while maintaining data integrity, as users can work with references without modifying the original protected objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates pseudo-pointer copies that reference protected objects without copying the actual data. This copying mechanism enables ease of operation by allowing users to work with lightweight references to protected objects, maintaining collaboration capability while preserving data integrity through immutable originals.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of linking first and second objects (91, 92) stored in first and second respective databases (41, 42) is disclosed. The first object comprises a plurality of attributes (10). The method comprises creating, in the second database (42), an entry (211) for the first object in a look up table (17), the entry including a first reference (221 identifying the first object (91) and a second reference (231) identifying the second object (92).