Repository Data Model Update Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing approaches to updating data models in stateless repositories, such as those used in web services, often lead to incompatibility issues when changes are made, risking data integrity and requiring complex validation processes.
Innovation Solution
A method where a copy of the data model is sent to the client for editing, with validity checks performed, and updates are classified as compatible, non-compatible, or non-allowed, ensuring that only safe changes are applied to the repository, using an extension package mechanism to manage updates and merge changes while maintaining data integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data model updates are applied directly to the repository, then the data model can be updated efficiently, but data integrity and compatibility issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing validation checks and compatibility assessments on data model updates before they are applied to the repository. The system evaluates the proposed changes against existing data and constraints in advance, ensuring that only compatible updates are deployed, thus preventing data integrity issues while maintaining efficient updates.
2Reliability
If complex validation processes are implemented to ensure data integrity during updates, then data compatibility is maintained, but the update process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs validation and compatibility checks in advance, before the actual update is applied. This preliminary assessment identifies potential conflicts between the proposed data model changes and existing data, allowing the system to reject incompatible updates early in the process, thus ensuring data compatibility without requiring complex validation during the update execution.
3Ease of operation
If the repository maintains state information about sessions, then client context can be preserved, but the system loses statelessness and increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by creating a copy of the data model structure for validation purposes during update operations. This copy allows the system to perform compatibility checks and assessments without modifying the actual repository state or storing session information. The original repository remains stateless while the copy serves as a temporary working model for validation, eliminating the need to maintain session state.
Data Source
AI summary
A repository has a database containing a number of artifacts storing data and a system device model defining various entities, including the artifacts and properties used in the artifacts. To update a system device model in database an extension package is passed to the repository. Update software identifies differences introduced by the extension package that are only permitted if the data in the artifacts is compatible and updates the database if and only if the data and extension package are compatible.