US 7,599,947 B1
Method and system for converting hierarchical database schemas into relational database schemas
Douglas Marshall Tolbert, Newport Beach, Calif. (US); Subramaniam Ramamurthi, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (US); Vikki Mei-Whey Lai, Orange, Calif. (US); Jennifer Erin Kays, Mission Viejo, Calif. (US); Kung Yi Lin, Irvine, Calif. (US); Randy Alan Steuckrath, Laguna Niguel, Calif. (US); and Minh-Nguyet Tran, Cypress, Calif. (US)
Assigned to Unisys Corporation, Blue Bell, Pa. (US)
Filed on Apr. 26, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/796,014.
Int. Cl. G06F 7/00 (2006.01); G06F 17/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 707—100  [707/104.1] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. In a network of computers where a Metastore database holds all the schemas of a Data Management System (DMS) database and wherein a Server operates from a Hierarchical database schema to enable a PC to develop a Relational schema which correlates to said original Hierarchical schema, a method for producing a Relational schema for a database in said PC comprising the steps of:
(a) utilizing a Description File which lays out all aspects of a database to load Database Management schema into said Metastore, wherein said utilization includes the steps of:
(a1) opening said Description File;
(a2) obtaining database features including Dataset, Set/Access, Database Defaults and Global Options from said Description File;
(a3) depending on the feature type, processing the following processes:
(i) For Dataset:
(ia) Gathering dataset information including name, type from the Description File and loading into said Metastore database;
(ib) For data items belonging to the Dataset, gathering information including name, type, size from said Description File and storing them into said Metastore database, such that a relationship between the Dataset and associated Data Items is maintained in said Metastore database;
(ii) For Set/Access:
(iia) Gathering Set/Access information including name, type, duplicate option from said Description File and loading them into said Metastore database;
(iib) For Keys of the Set/Access, gathering information including name, Ascending/Descending option from said Description File and loading them into said Metastore database, so that the relationship between the Set/Access and associated Key items is maintained in said Metastore database;
(iii) For Database Defaults and Global Options:
(iiia) Gathering database defaults and global options including disk, buffer, statistic and audit specifications from said Description File and loading them into said Metastore database;
(b) generating an XMI schema from said Metastore;
(c) using a Graphical User Interface to apply an XSLT style sheet to an XMI file to generate a Relational XMI file with Relational schema; and
(d) viewing and editing said Relational XMI file using open tools, said Relational schema being usable to develop a Relational database.