BE1005873A6 - APPARATUS FOR STORING AND CONSULTING DATA. - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus (1) comprises a server (2) which stores a data file in a memory (31) and offers a very short response time to access requests transmitted over a network (6). The memory (31) is locked and effective rigid links are established between the memory blocks of an index circuit (30) and the memory (31). The memory (31) is initialized from disk drives (35) associated with a management processor (4) and a service processor (35) is initialized by reference to a service definition file transmitted by a memory (34 ) to a memory (28) of the server (2). The management processor (4) allows updating of the database data as well as the updating of the way in which the data is read in a deferred manner in the server (2), the latter ensuring response times extremely short by routing requests to memories (30, 31)

Description

Data storage and viewing device

This invention relates to the interactivity of a device in the dialogue with the user.

Many efforts have been invested to date in the design of data processing equipment including data processing networks. Network systems are e.g. described in the descriptions of European patents EP-A2-0163577 (DEC) and EP-B1-0374134 (DEC). The description of US Pat. No. 4,104,717 discloses an automatic system for consulting telephone information. This system undoubtedly offers quick access to data. However, the system is relatively complex and uses an audio tape player, an automatic answering machine, a tape recorder and other miscellaneous items. The invention aims to offer an apparatus whose manufacture is relatively inexpensive and which offers the user a very short response time. Indeed, one of the objectives of the invention is that the response time is almost instantaneous from the point of view of the user. Another objective is that the device can be easily integrated into the equipment of an existing data processing network and requires from the user only a minimum of additional hardware and software for its implementation.

According to the invention, the latter provides a storage and consultation device comprising a network access terminal, a server and a management processor where the management processor comprises means for controlling storage of databases on a connected storage device; and means for controlling the transmission to the server of each database stored on the storage device connected to the management processor, the database being transmitted in the form of a delimited text file.

the server comprising in order to operate in its mode of initialization of the means of reception of the data file and of transcription in a memory? memory locking means; means for accessing the data file and for recognizing and identifying each of the index fields of the data file and generating for each index field a block of memory addresses in the locked memory; means for executing repeated cycles of access to the data file in order to sort the addresses of each block of index memory in ascending order to establish an effective wired link between the block of index memory and the associated fields the data file in the locked memory; and means for broadcasting a signal over the network indicating that the server is initialized to receive requests for data access, the data access terminal comprises means for transmitting to the server a request signal d data access, the access request signal representing at least part of the value of a field in the data file; and for operation in server mode, the server comprising: means for reading the data access request signal and searching in the memory block concerned reading fields from the data files until the identification of the record request? means for transmitting the identified recording on the network to the data access terminal; and means for broadcasting on the network a signal indicating, at the end of the data access request cycle, that the server mode is abandoned and unlocking the memory.

Preferably, the server stores a service definition file during the server mode, the service definition file comprising data relating to the transmission of responses to requests including screen display formats.

In one configuration, the service definition file is stored in the management processor and is transmitted to the server during the initialization mode, the management processor having means for updating the service file.

In another embodiment, the server has a memory containing contextual data from the server for each user connected to the network, and the server also has means of reference to said memory before the transmission of a response to a request. in order to check if the security conditions are observed.

Ideally, the server has means of binary search on the indexes of the memory block to ensure rapid access to the data.

The invention will be more clearly understood thanks to the description below of certain configurations thereof, given exclusively by way of example and with reference to the attached plans in which

Fig. l is a schematic representation, in broad outline, of a storage and consultation device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detailed diagram of the apparatus; and

Fig. 3 schematizes the way of access to the data by the apparatus.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a data processing apparatus 1 of the invention is illustrated. The apparatus 1 comprises a server 2, which stores data files 3 and which operates jointly with a management processor 4. The apparatus 1 comprises a client or data access terminal 5 connected to the server 2 via a local network 6. In short, the apparatus 1 operates during initialization by the server 2 seeking information, including a service definition file 7, in the management processor 4. In its active mode, the server 2 receives from the terminal 5 of the data access requests, searches for the data and transmits them via the network 6 to the terminal 5 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. l. The network 6 can serve a large number of access terminals 5, but for clarity only one is shown.

Fig. 2 shows the apparatus 1 in more detail. The access terminal 5 is connected to the network using a pilot stage 20. Another pilot 21, having control blocks and buffer circuits connects the network 6 to the server 2.

The server 2 is equipped with a main processor 25 connected to the pilot circuits API 21. The main processor 25 is connected to a table of pointers 26 of contextual user service which works jointly with the main processor 25 to search for the data of the service of each network subscriber 6 stored in a memory 27. This data consists of password data and general access control data specific to each individual user. The server 2 further comprises a service control memory 28, which dialogues with an equivalent service control memory 34 in the management processor 4. The server 2 also has a series of buffers 29 connected to various memories , and the service control memory 28 is also connected to an index memory 30 which works in conjunction with a data file memory 31.

Finally, the management processor 4 comprises the above-mentioned service control memory 34 which is managed by the main processor 36, the latter also being connected to a series of disk drives 35 which contain the databases. Each database is associated with a single data file 3 as shown in FIG. 1.

All the elements of apparatus 1 have been designed to perform the functions necessary to respond with an extremely short response time to “the access request transmitted by a data access terminal. The best way to explain these terminals is to explain the operation of switchgear 1.

The apparatus 1 is initialized by the commissioning of the management processor 4 which continuously controls the storage of databases on the disks 35. The configuration considered comprises three databases. The processor 36 manages, together with the control memory 34 of the server, the successive transmission of each database in delimited ASCII format to the large capacity memory 31 of the server 2. In the configuration considered, the memory 31 has a capacity of 30 megabytes and can therefore easily contain three databases. The structure of each file can, for example, use the TAB sign (Tabulation) as the field delimiter and RETURN to delimit the records. It is important that they are in ASCII format. As soon as the server processor 25 detects the correct writing of the data file in the memory 31, it immediately locks the memory 31 by preventing writing instructions from being sent to it.

The service control memory 34 of the management processor 4 contains a service definition file associated with the databases. Each service definition file contains - screen format control signals; - index field numbers of the fields in the database fixing their location on the screens of the data access terminals 5; address information, including the system path, of the files in the memory 31 of the server 2.

When the management processor 36 is activated, it orders the transmission of the service definition file from memory 34 to the memory 28 of the server 2. The server processor then copies the definition file from the server to the memory 28 and accesses the data file contained in memory 31. It initially identifies each index field and generates for each field an index memory block in memory 30.

As shown in the diagram in Fig. 3, each block of memory has the form of a wide column of four bytes, this being the width necessary for the storage of an address of the memory 31. The processor 25 continuously executes cycles of access to the memory in order to sort the addresses of the memory block in the sorting order given for the values of the fields. The index field number "a" can, for example, contain surnames and the sort order will be alphabetical. The sorting is performed according to the values of secondary index fields and, in this example, the field index "two" refers to the first names and the sorting of the first memory block is carried out taking into account the second memory block so that the fields containing identical names will be sorted according to the first names. The final result of these operations is effectively a rigid coded link between memories 30 and 31. In this example, memory 31 consists of three memory blocks 40, 41 and 42 associated respectively with index fields 1, 2 and 3. Memory 31 contains the file data which, in the present example, consists of a series of delimited records, each record containing three fields F1, F2 and F3. The memory block 40 of the memory 30 is associated with all the fields F1, the block from memory 41 being associated with all the fields F2 and the memory block 42 being associated with all the fields F3. The rigid or wired coded links 45 are illustrated for a few examples. These links can be considered to be rigid coded or wired since the file in memory 31 is locked and the entries in memory blocks 40, 41 and 42 are addresses leading directly to the corresponding fields of memory 31. This operation is repeated for each of the three databases resulting in three files and associated memory blocks in memories 30 and 31.

When the initialization is complete, the server 2 transmits a signal on the network 6 indicating its availability. This signal switches a marker in each of the terminals 5.

When the user requests data, he or she introduces part of the requested data into his terminal 5, eg a surname, which is transmitted to the server 2. The processor 25 initially addresses the contextual service memory 27 to extract the user data access information. The processor 25 then performs a binary search in the memory associated with the field for which data has been entered in the request. The binary search begins by comparing the value of the field associated with the median address of the memory block concerned and depending on whether the result is larger or smaller reads the value associated with the median address of the upper or lower half of the block of memory and so on. This method has proven to be extremely efficient and quick in finding data. Depending on the amount of information transmitted in the data access request message, the values of the records are read from memory 31 and transmitted via the driver 21 and the network to the access terminal 5. The volume of data transmitted depends on the security level initially read in memory 27.

It turned out that the rigid links between the memories 30 and 31, the general operation of the apparatus 1, using the service definition file, and the circuit 27 ensure an extremely short access time from the point of view of the user. Indeed, it has been found that a comparison requires only a dozen research cycles. An almost instantaneous response from the point of view of the user is thus obtained since he or she does not realize the extremely short time taken to search for information. Access requests are processed in this way during the entire life of the device 1.

At the end of the access time to a specific datum, the server 2 transmits a signal indicating the end to the management processor 36 and sends a write authorization signal allowing access to the memory 31.

This allows writing by overwriting the existing data and breaking the rigid links between the memories 30 and 31. While the server 2 was operating in its data access mode, the processor could have received instructions for updating the the database recorded on the disk 35. Thus, on the next initiation cycle, different data files will be transmitted to the memory 31 and the operation is repeated using the updated database.

It has been found that the operation of the server 2 together with the management processor 4 is extremely efficient from the point of view of the speed of access to the data requested. Data integrity is also ensured by the fact that all the updates are made via the management processor 4 without interrupting the operation of the server 2. The updated database is then used as the basis for the transmission of a data file to the next duty cycle.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can therefore vary both in terms of construction and in terms of details.

Claims (5)

1. Storage and consultation device comprising a network access terminal, a server and a management processor where: the management processor comprises: means for controlling database storage on a storage device connected thereto? and means for controlling the transmission to the server of each database stored on the storage device connected to the management processor, the database being transmitted in the form of a delimited text file. the server comprising, in order to operate in its initialization mode: means for receiving the data file and transcribing it into a memory? memory locking means; means for accessing the data file and for recognizing and identifying each of the index fields of the data file and generating for each index field a block of memory addresses in the locked memory; means for executing repeated cycles of access to the data file in order to sort the addresses of each block of index memory in ascending order to establish an effective wired link between the block of index memory and the associated fields the data file in the locked memory; and means for broadcasting a signal over the network indicating that the server is initialized to receive requests for data access, the data access terminal comprises means for transmitting to the server a request signal d data access, the access request signal representing at least part of the value of a field in the data file; and for operation in server mode, the server comprising: means for reading the data access request signal and searching in the memory block concerned reading fields from the data files until the identification of the record request; means for transmitting the identified recording on the network to the data access terminal; and means for broadcasting on the network a signal indicating, at the end of the data access request cycle, that the server mode is abandoned and unlocking the memory. 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server stores a service definition file during server mode, the service definition file comprising data relating to the transmission of response to requests including formats of display on the screen. 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the service definition file is stored in the management processor and is transmitted to the server during the initialization mode, the management processor having means for updating the service file. 4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the server has a memory containing contextual data from the server for each user connected to the network, and the server also has means of reference to said memory before the transmission of a response to a request in order to verify whether the security conditions are observed. 5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the server has binary search means on the indexes of the memory block to ensure rapid access to the data.