Method and system for deployment of content using proxy objects

A method and system can be used to control better compound objects. Compound objects can include composite and other objects that are managed by a content management system for network site(s). The method and system can be used to determine relationships between objects, determining which of those relationships are significant for a specific action, and determining physical dependencies between the objects. The method and system can be used to perform actions consistent with integrity constraints, and therefore, performs the actions in the correct order with a reduced likelihood of errors. The method and system are highly beneficial in that they can significantly enhance content management and can be implemented without having to write new or edit existing applications. Also, existing content data and applications may be used without any changes.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/434,936, entitled “Method and System for Modeling of System Content for Businesses” by Tulkoff et al., filed May 9, 2003, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,415,484 which is assigned to the current assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to methods and systems for content delivery and management, and more particularly, to methods and systems of managing content at a network site through complex records and compound objects and their relationships and dependencies. Even more particularly, based on the relationships and dependencies, embodiments disclosed herein can determine an order of actions consistent with integrity constraints and policy considerations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Content management at web sites is becoming increasingly complicated as more content is used at those web sites. Companies are finding that managing the content is proving to be a daunting task. Site builders are moving toward database-driven sites, where pages are generated on demand. Two products that may be used with database-driven content are Castor and TopLink®. TopLink is a registered trademark owned by Oracle international Corporation of Redwood City, Calif.

Castor, also referred to as The Castor Project which was started and originally developed by Keith Visco and Assaf Arkin of Intalio, Inc. is an open source data-binding framework for Java® to provide a path between Java objects, eXtensible Markup Language (“XML”) documents, and Structured Query Language (“SQL”) tables. Java® is a registered trademark owned by Sun Microsystems Inc. of Mountain View Calif. U.S.A. Castor can be used to produce java objects, given some underlying persistent substrate. A distinguishing architectural feature of Castor is that it has a pluggable, underlying architecture, so it can have different persistence frameworks. A mechanism is used for describing to the Castor framework what the persistence will be.

TopLink™ provides developers with the flexibility to map objects and Enterprise Java Beans (“EJBs”) to a relational database schema. Effectively, TopLink™ is as an object relational bridge. The basic idea is that an object-oriented model of data is provided, and then the object-oriented model gets transformed into a purely relational model. More specifically, TopLink™ can take the object-oriented model and map it onto relational tables.

A need exists for a new generation of content management software that is “backwards compatible.” That is, content management software that can be used without having to re-write existing applications or changing pre-existing data at a network site.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and system can be used to manage content using complex records and compound objects. The method and system can be used to determine relationships between objects, determine which of those relationships are significant for a specific action, and determine physical dependencies between the objects. The method and system can be used to perform actions consistent with integrity constraints, and therefore, performs the actions in the correct order with a reduced likelihood of errors. The method and system are highly beneficial in that they can significantly enhance content management and can be implemented without having to write new or edit existing applications. Also, existing content data may be used without any changes.

In one set of embodiments, the method of using content at a network site can comprise determining a relationship between an object and other data that is referenced by or references the object. The object and other data may be managed by a content manager software component. The method can also comprise determining an order in which an action is to be performed on the object and the other data based upon a physical dependency between the object and the other data. The method can further comprise performing an action on the object and other data in response to determining the order.

In another set of embodiments, a data processing system readable medium can have code embodied therein. The code can comprise an instruction for reading information for a content type and an instruction for generating a structured definition of the content type using the information.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A method and system can be used to manage content using complex records and compound objects. The method and system can be used to determine relationships between objects, determine which of those relationships are significant for a specific action, and determine physical dependencies between the objects. The method and system can be used to perform actions consistent with integrity constraints, and therefore, performs the actions in the correct order with a reduced likelihood of errors. The method and system are highly beneficial in that they can significantly enhance content management and can be implemented without having to write new or edit existing applications. Also, existing content data may be used without any changes.

A few terms are defined or clarified to aid in understanding the descriptions that follow. A network includes an interconnected set of server and client computers over a publicly available medium (e.g., the Internet) or over an internal (company-owned) system. A user at a client computer may gain access to the network using a network access provider. An Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) is a common type of network access provider.

The term “complex record” is intended to mean a single logical entity that may comprise more than one row in more than one table within a database.

The term “software component” is intended to mean at least a portion of a computer program (i.e., a software application). Examples include a content delivery software component, a content management software component, or the like. Different software components may reside in the same computer program or in different computer programs on the same computer or different computers.

Before discussing embodiments of the present invention, an exemplary hardware architecture for using embodiments of the present invention is described.FIG. 1illustrates an exemplary architecture and includes external network11that can be bi-directionally coupled to client computer120and content delivery system (“CDS”)140. CDS140can be bi-directionally coupled to database13. An internal network15can be bi-directionally coupled to CDS140, content management system (“CMS”)160, and actor computer180. CMS160can be bi-directionally coupled to databases17and19, each of which may contain data objects and metadata regarding those objects in tables within those databases. CDS140, CMS160, and databases13,17, and19may be part of a network site. Note thatFIG. 1is a simplification of a hardware configuration.

Within each of CDS140and CMS160, a plurality of computers (not shown) may be interconnected to each other over internal network15or a combination of internal and external networks. For simplification, a single system is shown for each of CDS140and CMS160. Other systems (e.g., page generator, application server, etc.) may be part of CDS140, CMS160, or additional systems that are bi-directionally coupled to the internal network15.

A plurality of other client computers120may be bi-directionally coupled to external network11, and a plurality of actor computers180may be coupled to internal network15. Actor computers180may include personal computers or workstations for individuals that use internal network15. These individuals may include content developers, editors, content reviewers, webmasters, information technology specialists, and the like. Many other alternative configurations are possible and known to skilled artisans.

Client computer120can include central processing unit (“CPU”)122, read-only memory (“ROM”)124, random access memory (“RAM”)126, hard drive (“HD”) or storage memory128, and input/output device(s) (“I/O”)129. I/O129can include a keyboard, monitor, printer, electronic pointing device (e.g., mouse, trackball, etc.), or the like. Client computer120can include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone, or nearly other device capable of communicating over a network. Actor computer180may be similar to client computer120and can comprise CPU182, ROM184, RAM186, HD188, and I/O189.

CDS140can include a server computer comprising CPU142, ROM144, RAM146, HD148, and I/O149, and CMS160can include a server computer comprising CPU162, ROM164, RAM166, HD168, and I/O169. CDS140or CMS160may have one or more of a content delivery software component, a page generator software component, the content management software component, an applications software component, and the like.

Each of the computers inFIG. 1may have more than one CPU, ROM, RAM, HD, I/O, or other hardware components. For simplicity, each computer is illustrated as having one of each of the hardware components, even if more than one is used. The content and its metadata, if any, may be located within any or all of CDS140, CMS160, and databases13,17, and19. During staging, a user at actor computer180may have access to proxy objects for the content. After staging, data objects may be copied into database13via CDS140, so that the data object may be accessed quicker by CDS140to respond to requests from client computer120. Another advantage is that this separation of content items and proxies allows CDS140to deliver one version of a content item (or collection of content items) while the “original” undergoes modification in CMS160.

Each of computers120,140,160, and180is an example of a data processing system. ROM124,144,164, and184; RAM126,146,166, and186; HD128,148,168, and188; and databases13,17, and19can include media that can be read by CPU122,142,162, or182. Therefore, each of these types of memories includes a data processing system readable medium. These memories may be internal or external to computers120,140,160, or180.

Portions of the methods described herein may be implemented in suitable software code that may reside within ROM124,144,164, or184, RAM126,146,166, or186, or HD128,148,168, or188. In addition to those types of memories, the instructions in an embodiment of the present invention may be contained on a data storage device with a different data processing system readable storage medium, such as a hard disk.FIG. 2illustrates a combination of software code elements204,206, and208that are embodied within a data processing system readable medium202, on HD168. Alternatively, the instructions may be stored as software code elements on a DASD array, magnetic tape, floppy diskette, optical storage device, or other appropriate data processing system readable medium or storage device.

In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the computer-executable instructions may be lines of compiled C++, Java, or other language code. Other architectures may be used. For example, the functions of any one of the computers may be performed by a different computer shown inFIG. 1. Additionally, a computer program or its software components with such code may be embodied in more than one data processing system readable medium in more than one computer.

In the hardware configuration above, the various software components (e.g., content delivery, page generator, content management, or the like) may reside on a single server computer or on any combination of separate server computers. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the software components may reside on the same server computer. For example, the content delivery software component and the page generator software component could reside on the same server computer.

Communications between any of the computers inFIG. 1can be accomplished using electronic, optical, radio-frequency, or other signals. For example, when a user is at client computer120, client computer120may convert the signals to a human understandable form when sending a communication to the user and may convert input from a human to appropriate electronic, optical, radio-frequency, or other signals to be used by client computer120, systems140or160, or actor computer180. Similarly, when an operator is at CMS160, its server computer may convert the signals to a human understandable form when sending a communication to the operator and may convert input from a human to appropriate electronic, optical, radio-frequency, or other signals to be used by computers120or180or systems140or160.

Before addressing the methodology, an exemplary organization of data is presented. Note that system metadata32on the CMS side is separated from customer content data34as shown inFIG. 3. This allows system metadata32, which CMS160uses, to be located in separate tables. The separation is illustrated inFIG. 3by the double lines. The separation makes it possible to introduce a new content management system into an environment with a pre-existing data model (and data) without requiring that the customer make any changes to that model.

FIG. 3also illustrates a complex record36. On the CMS side of the double line, object “Obj-14” can be manipulated, but the object is the proxy for all of the related content rows (in this example, the rows keyed by A-56 and B-42). When Obj-14is deployed to a stage, the two content rows can be deployed to that stage's content database. One of the purposes of content types is to provide a description that allows CMS160to understand the relationships among the content tables and rows. In this case, the content type (not shown) for the logical instance can inform CMS160that every row from Table A references a row from Table B via the foreign key reference in Table A's B-Ref column.

FIG. 4illustrates a concept referred to as compound objects. Obj-14and Obj-16are proxy objects that each include complex records. A descriptive mechanism (e.g., the content type) notes that the A-Ref column in table A contains foreign key values that identify other rows in table A. The difference from the complex record36inFIG. 3is that the identified rows are not considered part of the referencing object. Instead, they identify a primary row of another object. That information (illustrated by arrow42) can be used to infer a parallel relationship (illustrated by arrow44) between the two proxy objects (Obj-14and Obj16) on the metadata side of the double line.

Attention is now directed toFIGS. 5-6that include an exemplary process flow for using content at a network site. The method can comprise defining content types (block502inFIG. 5), reading XML data for the content instances and the content type (block522), instantiating proxy objects (block542), examining data to infer relationships (block602inFIG. 6), determining an order in which actions are to be performed upon based on physical dependencies (block604), and performing the action on the affected objects, records, and files based on physical dependency ordering (block606).

Note that not all of the activities described in the process flow diagram are required, that an element within a specific activity may not be required, and that further activities may be performed in addition to those illustrated. After reading this specification, skilled artisans will be capable of determining what activities can be used for their specific needs.

Before defining the content types, a user may need to understand the physical mapping of the database(s) that will be used. If the data already exists, a user may need to determine, in a reverse sense, what description that properly captures the relationships among the tables that already exist. Such information may be useful in defining the content types.

Attention is now directed to details of using content at a network site. The description will be given in conjunction with the process flow diagram inFIGS. 5-6.

Referring toFIG. 5, the method can comprise defining content types (block502). Content types may be thought of as “recipes” for subsequently instantiated objects from those content types. The content type is used to manage instances being created from that content type. The content types can be defined to include attributes and potentially other information. A user at actor computer180may use a graphical user interface or other interface for defining the content type. When the content type is saved, CMS160automatically serializes the input to create a structure definition of the content type that may be stored in database17or19. The structured definition may be in XML. Alternatively, the structured definitions may be generated in a different manner or expressed in a different language.

The content types should be defined in the proper order. More specifically, base or leaf content types should be defined before composite content types. The base or leaf content types do not refer to any other content type, whereas a composite content type refers to at least one other content type. Simply put, the base or leaf content type should exist for it to be referenced by a composite content type. The content types may include references to one or more content types. Information regarding the content types will be addressed later in this specification.

In one example, a content type of “article” can include a title, an author, an image, and text attributes. The title, image, and text may be at leaf nodes and not refer to any other objects. The author may come from an author table within database17or19and may also be a content type. Therefore, an article content type can be a composite content type because it refers to another content type, namely an author content type. The author content type should be created before the article content type to comply with referential integrity constraints.

The attributes may be used to locate referenced objects, files, and records. One of the attributes may reference a file. If so, the reference can be the file name for the file. For a record from a table in one of the databases17or19, the reference can include a reference to a database and the column with primary keys for the database table.

Part of defining content types may include annotating policy information. Predefined policies may be used for deployment, promotion, demotion, packaging, and potentially other purposes may be within the annotations. CMS160may include business rules for acting on records, files, and objects to ensure that referential integrity constraints are met. Using the relationship and policy information, CMS160may determine which, if any, references are relevant for a particular purpose, as will be explained below in more detail.

Depending on the policy, different sets of data objects may be significant or insignificant to a particular data object based on the action being considered. Deployment of a proxy object may affect one set of the other data objects (objects lower in the hierarchy or closer to the leaf nodes), whereas, demotion may effect a different set of other data objects (objects higher in the hierarchy or further from the leaf nodes). Therefore, depending on the action, some relationships may be important and others may not.

While this may sound simple, many objects may reference other objects. Therefore, deploying or demoting a data object may cause unintended complications that are undesired. For example, during deployment, the proxy object being deployed may refer to another data object that does not exist because it has previously been removed or never existed. Conversely, demoting a base or leaf node object may cause other consequences for compound objects that include the base or leaf node object.

All of the file, records, and objects within the current object may be thought of as nodes that constitute a graph and reference relationships are represented the arcs of the graph. The arcs may be thought of as being different colors for the different annotations for the various functions (e.g., deployment, demotion, etc.). CMS160can traverse the graph and return all the nodes that are encountered for a specific color of arcs. The order of execution for a set of nodes may be a function of the policy being used. Referential integrity constraints between the table for the peripheral row and the primary table of the referenced object may be examined. If there are integrity constraints that need to be enforced, CMS160takes that into account when doing the traversal. For deployment, the referenced object should precede the referring object in the ordering result that CMS160returns from the traversal.

In addition to logical relationships, physical dependencies may be important. If the order is followed, the integrity constraints in the database will not be violated. Referential integrity constraints in databases should be maintained and are most commonly typified by what are called foreign key-primary key constraints. For example, two different tables may be used. A referenced table has a primary key, and a referencing table has a foreign key with the value of the primary key in the referenced table. If rows are to be inserted into both tables, the referenced table gets its row before the referencing table gets its corresponding row. Performing the insertion in the reverse order violates the integrity restraints. In this manner, a user can describe the data, and CMS160will make sure that data gets shepherded properly from stage to stage. Such automation can allow almost any employee of a company to enter data and perform operations without having to address low-level programming concerns.

A similar concept may hold when objects are rendered or checked for validation depending upon the action to be taken. For example, Object 1 may reference Object 2, and Object 2 may reference Object 3. However, only one of those relationships is relevant to a deployment policy. Deployment of Object 1 may depend on Object 2. The fact that Object 1 references Object 3 may be irrelevant for the purposes of deployment. The policy controls which referenced objects should be operated on when performing a function, such as deployment.

The method may comprise reading XML data for the content instances and the content types (block522). Content types need to be registered with CMS160.FIGS. 7 and 8illustrates this operation. Source analyzer702can take content type XSD712and a content type (722,724, or726) as inputs. Content type XSD712can be used describing the content type. Source analyzer702can produce a content type that can be used by record engine704. Alternatively, a compiled version of the content type definition732may be input directly in to record engine704. Record engine704may take content instance752or754and its corresponding content type definition from source analyzer702or compiled version732to determine how content instances752and754are to be governed. The information may be output to content database742in accordance with the inputs to record engine704.FIG. 8has a similar representation for multiple content type XSD812and814having content types (822,824, and826) defined by those different schema files that govern content instances852and854.

The method can include instantiating proxy objects (block542). The proxy object can stand in for actual content. The proxy object may be used by an actor at actor computer180to access content within database17or19as managed by CMS160.

Continuing with the article content type, a content contributor at actor computer180may instantiate an article proxy object using the article content type. CMS160can use the article content type XML file that was previously generated to determine what information the article proxy object will have (attributes), how to manage the article proxy object and potentially other information.

A variation can occur where the object already exists. For example, the CMS object may already exist but the data within the object needs to be changed. Creating a proxy object can be bypassed because the CMS object already exists. As used hereinafter, “current object” will refer to the proxy object or CMS object that is being generated.

The method can further comprise examining the data from the current object to infer relationships to records, files, and other objects needed by the current object (block544inFIG. 5). CMS160can determine what other objects, records, and files (all of which are managed by CMS160) that the current object references to generate the relationship information in the form of a relationship table.FIG. 4illustrates how a relationship between proxy objects can be inferred as previously described. For a database record, the content type may note which column in the relationship table has a foreign key for the record in the database table. For a file, the column in the relationship table may have a file path name for locating the referenced file. Similarly, the column could include references to other objects. After the examination, the relationship table can include relationships between the current object and all records, files, and objects used when rendering the current object. The relationship table may be cached for quick access during subsequent times.

Inferring relationships causes a significant usability improvement for people who are writing applications against the virtual content management. Existing applications that create and modify data in the content database need little or no modification. They can continue to work with the content tables just as they did before. If changes to the data are made, the application (or potentially another source) needs only tell CMS160which objects changed. CMS160can recompute all of the reference relationships it needs to. This can free the application from needing to know exactly what relations might be involved, which in turn means that the application programmer does not need to know all of those references (or modify the program if new reference definitions are introduced).

Referring to the article embodiment, CMS160can use the article content type and article proxy object to determine the relationship between the article proxy object and its constituent data objects (title, author, image, and text). The title, image, and text may be data objects that do not refer to any other objects, and therefore, are at leaf node positions. The author may be an object that references a record within database17or19. The record within the database may be a leaf node, with the author object being a parent node to the record, and the article proxy object being the parent node to the title, author, image, and text data.

The method can also comprise determining an order in which actions are to be taken based upon on physical dependencies (block604). The determination may be made by analyzing the annotated policy information previously described. Actions should be performed in an order so that a validation checking software component should not encounter an invalid situation (e.g., a reference to a record that does not yet exist). The physical dependency determination helps to ensure that the information of lower-level data (referenced data) exists before the testing and validation of a higher-level object (referencing object) begins.

The method can still further include performing the action on the affected objects, records, and files based on the physical dependency ordering (block606). The physical dependency ordering can be used to a reduced likelihood of generating errors for non-existent information or violating validation checks.

Embodiments described herein allow a new solution for content management to be used that is “backwards compatible.” In other words, the content management solution can be implemented without having to write new applications or having to edit existing applications. Also, the content management solution does not require any existing content data to be changed. Therefore, the solution may be integrated into an existing network site is more of a seamless fashion compared to conventional content management system.

Embodiments may allow for better control and management of content at a network site. All objects, records, and files that comprise another object may be examined for inconsistencies between referenced data or other consequences before action is taken.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims.