System and method for providing a single application program interface

Abstract

An application program interface at a local processor enables transparent access to both a local database and a remote database. The remote database includes (i) a remote DBMS which segregates data into distinct remote datatype categories and (ii) remote data functions which define functions that are executable by the remote DBMS with respect to categories of remote datatypes. The local processor includes a memory which stores (i) a local DBMS that includes local datatypes which segregate locally stored data into local datatypes; (ii) local functions which define actions that are executable by the local DBMS with respect to defined categories of the local datatypes, and (iii) tables which store a mapping between local datatypes and remote datatypes, and local functions and remote functions. The mapping between at least one local datatype and at least one remote datatype indicates that the remote datatype is to be transformed into a local defined datatype that is different than the remote datatype. A local processor employs the table to convert a received instance of the at least one remote datatype to a mapped local datatype and subjects data comprising the instance of the remote datatype to a local function which is not executable for the remote datatype. The application program interface further enables specification of a function to be carried out at the remote database with respect to data stored thereat, which function is not readily performable by the local processor.