International Business Machines Corporation

Adarsh Gupta

Edith H Stern

Barry Edward Willner

Neil A Katz

Naga A Ayachitula

Michael Stephen Schwartz

JoAnn Piersa Brereton

Khalid A Asad

Manjit Singh Kohli

Michael A Brown

J Matthew Sebastian

An abstraction layer () is provided for facilitating accessing a database () containing database records each including a plurality of fields stored in one or more tables (). The abstraction layer () includes a control table () containing control records corresponding to database fields. Each control record contains metadata associated with the corresponding database field. The abstraction layer () also includes at least one additional table () containing additional metadata. Each database field is selectively associated with one or more selected portions of the additional metadata through metadata contained in the control record corresponding to the database field. A user database application () accesses the database () using metadata obtained from the abstraction layer ().

Data abstraction layer for a database

A database migration system and method that provides continuous transaction service during migration. The invention allows minimal transaction service down time during database migration. The active database is copied to a target and updated at least one time. In one preferred embodiment, updating occurs over decreasing time intervals. When the time intervals become sufficiently short, transition to the target server is implemented by queuing transaction requests from the source server and then executing them on the target server.

Database migration

Users and security aware applications are able to request operations on and manipulate role based digital certificates (and their corresponding private keys) distributed among multiple key rings through the use of a Key Ring Organizer (KRO). In a typical use of the KRO, the computer network is coupled to a secure server and at least one end-user terminal; a Registration Authority; and an organization server hosting secure applications. The end-user terminal includes a general purpose Web browser with a KRO plug-in module and a KRO managing a set of key rings, where each key ring may contain multiple keys. The KRO components include the KRO, a set of KRO catalogs (typically one), a built-in key ring, and multiple external key rings. A key ring can be of any type, including a smart card, key disk, or remote file. A catalog (typically a file) contains a set of entries in which each entry contains a set of attributes and a reference to a key record stored in a key ring. Public key data is stored in a catalog during key generation and later verified against the certificate to be stored in a key ring in order to maintain the integrity of the association between references in a catalog and the key pairs to which they refer. A built-in key ring is contained within each catalog and is managed by end-users like any other key ring; however, outside the KRO environment, a built-in key ring is not accessed independently from the catalog which contains it. This mechanism greatly increases mobility. In a typical client-server session the KRO is accessed by a secure server application using Key Ring Organizer Language (KROL) messages sent to the KRO plug-in over a secure protocol (e.g., SSL) to generate, store and select role based keys for use in signing documents or authenticating end-users. The KRO provides a mechanism whereby signature requests are always authorized by the owner of the signing private key. The KRO also allows digital key parameters to be configured by the end-user so that authentication request must be authorized by the user as well.

Key ring organizer for an electronic business using public key infrastructure

Growing community of inventors

Potomac, MD, United States of America

Adarsh Gupta