Object-relational database management system and method for deleting class instance for the same

1. A method of deleting a class instance using an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS), the method comprising:

(a) when a query to delete a class instance is input from a database access application program, obtaining a first mutual exclusive lock for a class of the instance to be deleted and a second mutual exclusive lock for a child class of the class;

(b) checking a relationship between the class and the child class, wherein the relationship comprises a vertical relationship where at least one child class inherits from the class to be deleted and a horizontal relationship where the child class has a 1:1, or 1:N relationship to object identifiers stored in the class to be deleted;

(c) deleting a reverse pointer indicating the instance to be deleted if it is determined in step (b) that the relationship is a horizontal relationship of 1:1;

(d) deleting the instance from the reverse pointer indicating the instance if it is determined in step (b) that the relationship is a horizontal relationship of 1:N; and

(e) deleting the instance of the class after steps (c) and (d) are properly performed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises:

(a-1) requesting the first mutual exclusive lock for the class of the instance to be deleted; and

(a-2) obtaining the second mutual exclusive lock for the child class while searching for other child classes when the first mutual exclusive lock for the class of the instance to be deleted is obtained.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reverse pointer is included in the child class of the class to be deleted.

4. A method of deleting a class instance using an ORDBMS, the method comprising:

(a) checking a type of attribute, included in a class to be deleted, when a query of deleting an instance is input from a database access application program, wherein the type of attribute comprises a vertical relationship where at least one child class inherits from the class to be deleted and a horizontal relationship that a child class has a 1:1, or 1:N relationship to object identifiers stored in the class to be deleted;

(b) obtaining a first mutual exclusive lock for the class to be deleted and a second mutual exclusive lock for a child class of the class, and allocating a reverse pointer, which indicates an instance to be deleted, with a NULL value if it is determined in step (a) that the type of attribute is 1:1;

(c) deleting the instance from a reverse pointer set indicating the instance to be deleted if it is determined in step (a) that the type of the attribute is 1:N; and

(d) deleting the instance of the class to be deleted after steps (b) and (c) are successfully performed.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein if an object-identifier (OID) pointer of the class instance to be deleted is α and OID pointers of child class instances referred to by the pointer α are β, step (b) comprises:

(b-1) requesting a mutual exclusive lock for the class to be deleted and a child class of the class;

(b-2) checking the type of reverse pointer from the OID pointer α to the OID pointers β if the mutual exclusive lock is obtained for these classes;

(b-3) allocating the related reverse pointer with a NULL value if it is determined in step (b-2) that the type of reverse pointer is 1:1; and

(b-4) deleting the OID pointer α from a related pointer set if it is determined in step (b-2) that the type of reverse pointer is 1:N.

6. The method of claim 4 or 5 , wherein if an object-identifier (OID) pointer of the class instance to be deleted is α and OID pointers of child class instances referred to by the pointer α are β, step (c) comprises:

(c-1) checking whether the OID pointer β includes reverse pointers of several classes;

(c-2) requesting the mutual exclusive lock for the OID pointer α and repeatedly performing steps (b-2) through (b-4) by the total number of the OID pointers β, when it is determined in step (c-1) that the OID pointers β include reverse pointers of a class; and

(c-3) sorting out reverse pointers indicating the class instance to be deleted and deleting the OID pointer α from a related pointer set, when it is determined in step (c-1) that the OID pointers β include reverse pointers of several classes.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein step (a) further comprises:

(a-1) requesting the mutual exclusive lock for a related class when a query of deleting a class instance is input from the database access application program;

(a-2) searching for a child class of the class when the mutual exclusive lock is obtained for the class; and

(a-3) obtaining the mutual exclusive lock for all the child classes searched for in step (a-2).

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the child class has a vertical relationship or a horizontal relationship with the class to be deleted, the vertical relationship refers to a case where the child class inherits from the class in the vertical direction and the horizontal relationship includes cases where the child class has a 1:1, 1:N, or M:N relationship to OIDs stored in the class to be deleted.

9. A computer-readable recording medium for recording a program that can execute a method of any one of claims 1 through 2 or 3 through 8 in a computer.

10. An object-relational database management system (“ORDBMS”) comprising:

a database in which a relationship between classes is stored with object identifier (“OID”) pointer set, wherein the relationship between classes comprises a vertical relationship where at least one child class inherits from a certain class and a horizontal relationship that the child class has a 1:1, 1:N, or M:N relationship to the OID; and

an ORDBMS server for deleting an instance between classes of the database and OID pointers of other classes related to the instance when deleting the instance.