US5794241A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for dynamically disabling and enabling table locking for a database
Assignee: Oracle International Corp
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Filing: 1996-04-08
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Granted: 1998-08-11
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Expires: 2016-04-08
Abstract
Abstract Method for dynamically enabling and disabling table locking for a table in a database in a relational database management system. A table locking state is associated with the table and can be set to either enabled or disabled to indicate the current state of table locking for the table. To disable table locking, a user must first acquire an exclusive table lock. To re-enable table locking, a user must wait for any user currently accessing the table to perform e.g., a query, to finish accessing the table before table locking is enabled.
Inventors
- 👤 Juan R. Loaiza
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 14:23
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/52; G06F16/00; G06F16/20; G06F16/23; G06F16/2308; G06F16/2336; G06F16/2343; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99938
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
A computer implemented method for disabling locking on a resource in a database comprising the steps of: a) causing user processes to obtain a lock before accessing said resource; b) obtaining an exclusive lock on said resource; c) setting a locking state to disabled for said resource; d) releasing said exclusive lock on said resource; and, e) after releasing said exclusive lock, allowing said user processes to access said resource without obtaining said lock.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
74 words
A computer implemented method for disabling locking on a resource in a database comprising the steps of: a) causing user processes to obtain a lock before accessing said resource; b) obtaining an exclusive lock on said resource; c) setting a locking state to disabled for said resource; d) releasing said exclusive lock on said resource; and, e) after releasing said exclusive lock, allowing said user processes to access said resource without obtaining said lock.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of a user process querying said resource without obtaining a share lock on said resource after said step of setting a locking state to disabled for said resource.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of preventing a new user process accessing said resource from obtaining an exclusive lock on said resource after said step of setting a locking state to disabled for said resource.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said resource is a table in a relational database; and said step of obtaining an exclusive lock on said resource includes obtaining an exclusive lock on said table.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said resource is an object in an object-oriented database; and said step of obtaining an exclusive lock on said resource includes obtaining an exclusive lock on said object.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of a user process verifying said locking state is enabled for said resource before said step of causing user processes to obtain a lock before accessing said resource is performed; and each of said steps in claim 1 is performed by said user process.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of a new user process querying said resource without obtaining a share lock on said resource after said locking state is disabled for said resource.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of denying a request to obtain an exclusive lock on said resource made by a new user process accessing said resource after said locking state is disabled for said resource.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
A computer implemented method for enabling locking on a resource in a database, comprising the steps of: a) allowing user processes to access said resource without obtaining a lock; b) requesting a locking state of enabled for said resource; c) waiting for pre-existing user processes accessing said resource without having obtained said lock to finish accessing said resource; d) obtaining said locking state of enabled for said resource; and, e) requiring user processes accessing said resource to obtain said lock.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
A computer implemented method for enabling locking on a resource in a database, comprising the steps of: a) allowing user processes to access said resource without obtaining a lock; b) requesting a locking state of enabled for said resource; c) waiting for pre-existing user processes accessing said resource without having obtained said lock to finish accessing said resource; d) obtaining said locking state of enabled for said resource; and, e) requiring user processes accessing said resource to obtain said lock.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising said step of requiring a user process accessing said resource after said step of requesting a locking state of enabled for said resource to obtain a share lock on said resource to perform an operation that otherwise requires said share lock when said locking state is enabled for said resource.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising said step of preventing a user process attempting to access said resource after said step of requesting a locking state of enabled for said resource from obtaining an exclusive lock on said resource to perform an operation that otherwise requires said exclusive lock until said locking state is enabled for said resource.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said step of waiting for pre-existing user processes accessing said resource to finish accessing said resource includes the step of waiting until all user processes executing when said step of requesting a locking state of enabled for said resource is performed, have completed execution.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said resource is a table in a relational database; and said step of obtaining said locking state of enabled for said resource includes the step of obtaining said locking state of enabled for said table.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said resource is a object in an object-oriented database and said step of obtaining said locking state of enabled for said resource includes the step of obtaining said locking state of enabled for said object.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the step of waiting for pre-existing user processes accessing said resource to finish accessing said resource further comprises the step of scanning for pre-existing user processes accessing said resource without a share lock on said resource to perform an operation that would otherwise require said share lock when said locking state is enabled for said resource.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
143 words
A method for managing access to a resource in a database comprising the computer-implemented steps of: a) if said resource is in a disabled locking mode and no request to enable locking mode on said resource is pending, then allowing user processes to access said resource without obtaining locks on said resource; b) if said resource is in a disabled locking mode and a request to enable locking mode on said resource occurs, then requiring new user processes to obtain locks on said resource to access said resource; c) if a request to enable locking mode on said resource is pending, then switching to enabled locking mode on said resource when existing user processes accessing said resource finish accessing said resource; and, d) if said resource is in enabled locking mode, then requiring said user processes to obtain locks to access said resource.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
143 words
A method for managing access to a resource in a database comprising the computer-implemented steps of: a) if said resource is in a disabled locking mode and no request to enable locking mode on said resource is pending, then allowing user processes to access said resource without obtaining locks on said resource; b) if said resource is in a disabled locking mode and a request to enable locking mode on said resource occurs, then requiring new user processes to obtain locks on said resource to access said resource; c) if a request to enable locking mode on said resource is pending, then switching to enabled locking mode on said resource when existing user processes accessing said resource finish accessing said resource; and, d) if said resource is in enabled locking mode, then requiring said user processes to obtain locks to access said resource.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said resource is a table in a relational database.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said resource is an object in an object-oriented database.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-08-10 | 2002-02-09 | 2002-08-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-02-09 | 2006-08-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-08-10 | 2010-02-09 | 2010-08-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |