Real-time distributed database system and method

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) creates said database on each node such that said tables in each database are created in at least one of a static or dynamic manner.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein said step (d) comprises: (d1) sending modification requests from non-owning applications to said owning application, said modification requests indicating a desired modification to a record in a table not owned by said non-owning applications; (d2) receiving, by said owning application, said modification requests which request modification of a record in a table owned by said owning application; (d3) generating, by said owning application, modifications to tables owned by said owning application; (d4) generating, by said owning application, modifications to tables owned by said owning application based on received modification requests; and (d5) modifying tables owned by said owning application in accordance modifications generated in said steps (d3) and (d4).

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein said step (f) broadcasts said updates made to each database on said communication medium using a reliable computer broadcast system.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5, further comprising the following steps prior to step (e): (f) determining whether another modified record exists in said modified table based on said record update flags; and (g) repeating said steps (c) and (d) for said another modified record if said step (f) determines that another modified record exists in said modified table.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6, further comprising the following steps prior to said step (e); (h) determining whether another modified table exists in said database based on said table update flags if said step (f) determines that another modified record does exist in said modified table; (i) repeating said steps (b)-(g) for said another modified table if said step (h) determines that another modified table exists in said database.

Claim 10

The method of claim 6, wherein said step (c) writes a table mark as part of said header, said table mark indicates whether said modified record corresponding to said header is from a different table than a record identified by said record number in the previous header written in said data update message.

Claim 11

The method of claim 6, further comprising: (h) clearing said table update flag corresponding to said modified table if said step (f) determines that another modified record does not exist in said modified table.

Claim 12

The method of claim 5, further comprising: (f) clearing said record update flag corresponding to said modified record after said step (d).

Claim 13

The method of claim 5, wherein said tables are at least one of statically and dynamically defined.

Claim 14

The method of claim 5, wherein said step (e) is preformed using a reliable network broadcast method.

Claim 17

The method of claim 13, further comprising the following steps prior to step (e): (f) determining whether another modified record exists in said modified table based on said updated record list corresponding to said modified table; and (g) repeating said steps (c) and (d) for said another modified record if said step (f) determines that another modified record exists in said modified table.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14, further comprising the following steps prior to said step (e): (h) determining whether another modified table exists in said database based on said updated table list if said step (f) determines that another modified record does not exist in said modified table; (i) repeating said steps (b)-(g) for said another modified table if said step (h) determines that another modified table exists.

Claim 19

The method of claim 14, wherein said step (c) writes a table mark as part of said header, said table mark indicates whether said modified record corresponding to said header is from a different table than a record identified by said record number in the previous header written in said data update message.

Claim 20

The method of claim 14, further comprising: (h) clearing said updated record list associated with said modified table if said step (f) determines that another modified record does not exist in said modified table.

Claim 21

The method of claim 13, wherein said tables are at least one of statically and dynamically defined.

Claim 22

The method of claim 13, wherein said step (e) is performed using a reliable network broadcast method.

Claim 25

The method of claim 20, further comprising the following steps prior to step (c): (e) determining whether said table containing said record exists in said database based on said table identifier; (f) discarding said contents of said record if said step (e) determines that said table containing said record does not exist in said database; and wherein said step (c) locates said record if said step (e) determines that said table containing said record does exist in said database.

Claim 26

The method of claim 21, further comprising the following steps: (g) determining whether more data exists in said data update message; (h) extracting another header from said data update message if said step (g) determines that more data exists in said data update message, each header further including a table mark indicating whether said record associated with said header is from a different table than a record associated with the previous header in said data update message; (i) determining whether said record associated with said another header is from a different table than a record associated with said previous header based on said table mark; (j) repeating steps (c) and (d) if (1) said step (i) determines that said record associated with said another header is not from a different table than a record associated with said previous header and (2) said step (e) determined that said table containing said record associated with said previous header exists in said database; (k) repeating step (f) if (1) said step (i) determines that said record associated with said another header is not from a different table than a record associated with said previous header and (2) said step (e) determined that said table containing said record associated with said previous header does not exists in said database; and (l) returning to step (e) if said step (i) determines that said record associated with said another header is from a different table than a record associated with said previous header.

Claim 27

A distributed database system, comprising: a plurality of nodes connected via a communication medium; and wherein each node includes, at least one application; a database stored on said node, said database at least partially overlapping at least one other database, said database including a plurality of tables, and each table including at least one record, ownership of each table in said database being assigned to only one application, and only an owning application being able to modify a table owned by said owning application; scheduling means for scheduling running of said applications on said node such that only one application reads from and writes to said database at a time; distributing means for distributing updates made to said database to every other database; and updating means for updating said database in accordance with received distributed updates.

Claim 28

A distributed database system, comprising: a plurality of nodes connected via a communication medium; and wherein each node includes, at least one application; a database stored on said node, said database at least partially overlapping at least one other database, said database including a plurality of tables, and each table including at least one record, ownership of each table in said database being assigned to only one application, and only an owning application being able to modify a table owned by said owning application; scheduling means for scheduling running of said applications on said node such that only one application reads from and writes to said database at a time; distributing means for distributing updates made to said database to every other database; and updating means for updating said database in accordance with received distributed updates.

Claim 29

The system of claim 23, wherein each node further comprises: means for creating said tables in said database in at least one of a static or dynamic manner.

Claim 30

The system of claim 23, wherein non-owning applications send modification requests to said owning application, said modification requests indicating a desired modification to a record in a table not owned by said non-owning applications; said owning application receives said modification requests which request modification of a record in a table owned by said owning application, first generates modifications to tables owned by said owning application, second generates modifications to tables owned by said owning application based on received modification requests, and modifies tables owned by said owning application in accordance with said first and second generated modifications.

Claim 31

The system of claim 23, wherein said distributing means broadcasts said updates made to said database on said communication medium using a reliable computer broadcast system.

Claim 32

A distributed database system, comprising: a plurality of nodes connected via a communication medium, each node storing a database, each database overlapping at least partially with a database stored on one other node, each database containing a plurality of tables, each table having a table update flag associated therewith and containing at least one record, each record having a record update flag associated therewith, said table update flag and said record update flag indicating that a corresponding table and record, respectively, have been modified when set; and wherein each node locates a modified table in said database based on said table update flags, locates a modified record in said modified table based on said record update flags, first writes a header in a data update message, said header including a table identifier and record number, said table identifier identifying said modified table, said record number identifying said modified record in said modified table, second writes contents of said modified record in said data update message, and sends said data update message to each node via said communication medium.

Claim 33

A distributed database system, comprising: a plurality of nodes connected via a communication medium, each node storing a database, each database overlapping at least partially with a database stored on one other node, each database containing a plurality of tables, each table having a table update flag associated therewith and containing at least one record, each record having a record update flag associated therewith, said table update flag and said record update flag indicating that a corresponding table and record, respectively, have been modified when set; and wherein each node locates a modified table in said database based on said table update flags, locates a modified record in said modified table based on said record update flags, first writes a header in a data update message, said header including a table identifier and record number, said table identifier identifying said modified table, said record number identifying said modified record in said modified table, second writes contents of said modified record in said data update message, and sends said data update message to each node via said communication medium.

Claim 34

The system of claim 27, wherein each node, prior to sending said data update message, first determines whether another modified record exists in said modified table based on said record update flags, and first repeats said first and second writing for said another modified record if said node determines that another modified record exists in said modified table.

Claim 35

The system of claim 28, wherein each node, prior to sending said data update means, second determines whether another modified table exists in said database based on said update flags table if said node determines that another modified record does exist in said modified table, and second repeats said second locating, said first writing, said second writing, said first determining and said second repeating for said another modified table if said node determines that another modified table exists in said database.

Claim 36

The system of claim 28, wherein each node, in performing said first writing, writes a table mark as part of said header, said table mark indicates whether said modified record corresponding to said header is from a different table than a record identified by said record number in the previous header written in said data update message.

Claim 37

The system of claim 28, wherein each node clears said table update flag corresponding to said modified table if said node determines that another modified record does not exist in said modified table.

Claim 38

The system of claim 27, wherein each node clears said record update flag corresponding to said modified record after said second writing.

Claim 39

The system of claim 27, wherein said tables are at least one of statically and dynamically defined.

Claim 40

The system of claim 27, wherein each node uses a reliable network broadcast system to send said data update messages.

Claim 41

A distributed database system, comprising: a plurality of nodes connected via a communication medium, each node storing a database, each database overlapping at least partially with a database stored on one other node, each database containing a plurality of tables, each table having a table identifier associated therewith and containing at least one record, each record having a record number associated therewith, said database at each node having an updated table list associated therewith, said updated table list storing said table identifier for each modified table in said database, each table having an updated record list associated therewith, said updated record list storing said record number for each modified record in an associated table; and wherein each node first locates a modified table in said database based on said updated table list, second locates a modified record in said modified table based on said updated record list associated with said modified table, first writes a header in a data update message, said header including said table identifier for said modified table and said record number for said modified record, second writes contents of said modified record in said data update message, and sends said data update message to each node via said communication medium.

Claim 42

A distributed database system, comprising: a plurality of nodes connected via a communication medium, each node storing a database, each database overlapping at least partially with a database stored on one other node, each database containing a plurality of tables, each table having a table identifier associated therewith and containing at least one record, each record having a record number associated therewith, said database at each node having an updated table list associated therewith, said updated table list storing said table identifier for each modified table in said database, each table having an updated record list associated therewith, said updated record list storing said record number for each modified record in an associated table; and wherein each node first locates a modified table in said database based on said updated table list, second locates a modified record in said modified table based on said updated record list associated with said modified table, first writes a header in a data update message, said header including said table identifier for said modified table and said record number for said modified record, second writes contents of said modified record in said data update message, and sends said data update message to each node via said communication medium.

Claim 43

The system of claim 35, wherein each node, prior to sending said data update message, first determines whether another modified record exists in said modified table based on said updated record list corresponding to said modified table, and first repeats said first and second writing for said another modified record if said node determines that another modified record exists in said modified table.

Claim 44

The system of claim 36, wherein each node, prior to sending said data update message, second determines whether another modified table exists in said database based on said updated table list if said node determines that another modified record does not exist in said modified table, and second repeats said second locating, said first writing, said second writing, said first determining and said second repeating for said another modified table if said node determines that another modified table exists.

Claim 45

The system of claim 36, wherein each node, in performing said second writing, writes a table mark as part of said header, said table mark indicates whether said modified record corresponding to said header is from a different table than a record identified by said record number in the previous header written in said data update message.

Claim 46

The system of claim 36, wherein each node clears said updated record list associated with said modified table if said node determines that another modified record does not exist in said modified table.

Claim 47

The system of claim 35, wherein said tables are at least one of statically and dynamically defined.

Claim 48

The system of claim 35, wherein each node uses a reliable network broadcast system to send said data update message.

Claim 49

A distributed database system, comprising: a plurality of nodes each storing a database and connected via a communication medium, each database overlapping at least partially with a database stored on one other node, each database containing a plurality of tables, each table containing at least one record; at least one node receiving a data update message on said communication medium, said data update message including at least one header associated with a record and contents of said record, said header including a table identifier identifying a table containing said record and a record number associated with said record; said node extracting said header from said data update message, locating said record in said database stored at said node based on said table identifier and said record number in said extracted header, and writing said contents of said record in said data update message into said located record of said database.

Claim 50

A distributed database system, comprising: a plurality of nodes each storing a database and connected via a communication medium, each database overlapping at least partially with a database stored on one other node, each database containing a plurality of tables, each table containing at least one record; at least one node receiving a data update message on said communication medium, said data update message including at least one header associated with a record and contents of said record, said header including a table identifier identifying a table containing said record and a record number associated with said record; said node extracting said header from said data update message, locating said record in said database stored at said node based on said table identifier and said record number in said extracted header, and writing said contents of said record in said data update message into said located record of said database.

Claim 51

The system of claim 42, wherein said node, prior to writing said contents of said record, first determines whether said table containing said record exists in said database based on said table identifier, and discards said contents of said record if said node determines that said table containing said record does not exist in said database; and wherein said node performs said locating and said writing if said node determines that said table containing said record does exist in said database.

Claim 52

The system of claim 43, wherein said node second determines whether more data exists in said data update message, extracts another header from said data update message if said node determines that more data exists in said data update message, each header further including a table mark indicating whether said record associated with said header is from a different table than a record associated with the previous header in said data update message; said node third determines whether said record associated with said another header is from a different table than a record associated with said previous header based on said table mark; said node repeats said locating and said writing if (1) said node determines that said record associated with said another header is not from a different table than a record associated with said previous header and (2) said node determined that said table containing said record associated with said previous header exists in said database; said node repeats said discarding if (1) said node determines that said record associated with said another header is not from a different table than a record associated with said previous header and (2) said node determined that said table containing said record associated with said previous header does not exist in said database; and said node returns to said first determining if said node determines that said record associated with said another header is from a different table than a record associated with said previous header.