Patent ID: 7107283

Claim:
A computer implemented method for distributed relational job queue management in a document processing system comprising the steps of: creating at least one relational parent queue data table, for storing a plurality of parent queue records, each record comprising a parent queue record identifier data table that is configured for storing a parent queue record identifier that is unique at least within the relational parent queue data table; creating at least one relational child queue data table, which at least one relational child queue table data is associated with the at least one relational parent queue data table and wherein the at least one relational child queue data table inherits a selected portion of the plurality of storage characteristics of the at least one relational parent queue data table, for storing a plurality of child queue records, each record comprising: a child queue record identifier data table that is configured for storing a child queue record identifier that is unique at least within the relational child queue data table, and a parent queue record identifier data table; and creating a job request data table for storing a plurality of job request records, each record comprising a job request record identifier data table that is configured for storing a job request record identifier that is unique at least within the job request data table; receiving document processing data representative of a selected document processing operation, which selected document processing operation includes at least one of job deletion, job priority assignment, job pause, job resume and job clone; creating, in accordance with received document processing data and for each received job request, a record in the job request data table and a related record in at least one of the relational parent queue data table and the relational child queue data table; and receiving, from an associated administrator, queue management instructions relative to the at least one relational child queue table, the queue management instructions including at least one instruction from the set of assigning queue priority, moving of jobs between parent and child queues, job deletion, job suspension and job prioritization, wherein the relational parent queue data table and the relational child queue data table are a relational database table.