Method and system for managing partitioned data resources

1. A method for managing associations for a plurality of data objects, the plurality of data objects being categorized by data type, the method comprising:

receiving a first request for a first data object from a client, said request including a first data object identifier, wherein said first data object is categorized as being a first data type;

identifying a first location for the first data object identifier;

accessing first fragmented association information corresponding with said first location, wherein the first fragmented association information includes association information related to data objects stored in the first location;

identifying, in the first fragmented association information, a data object associated with the first data object based on the first data object identifier; and

returning information related to the data object or objects associated with the first data object to the client.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a second request for a second data object from a client, said second request including a second data object identifier, wherein said first data object and second data object are categorized as being the first type data;

identifying a second location for the second data object identifier;

accessing second fragmented association information corresponding with said second location, wherein the second fragmented association information includes association information related to data objects stored in said second location;

identifying, in the second fragmented association information, a data object associated with the second data object based on the second data object identifier; and

returning information related to the data object associated with the second data object to the client.

3. The method recited in claim 2 , wherein the first fragmented association information and the second fragmented association information are stored externally with respect to the first location and the second location.

4. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein said first request for a first data object further includes a requested data type, and wherein the identifying in the first fragmented association information a data object associated with said first data object based on the first data object identifier further comprises:

traversing the first fragmented association information based on the requested data type and the first data object identifier.

5. The method recited in claim 4 , wherein the first data object identifier is a unique primary key (PK) and identifying a first location for the first data object identifier further comprises:

accessing a plurality of PK-location maps held in a satellite cache, wherein said satellite cache and an association service are in a local domain; and

looking up a location identifier for the first location in the plurality of PK-location subdivision maps from the satellite cache based on the unique PK for the first data object.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

said looking up the location subdivision identifier returns a null set of location subdivision identifiers and said identifying a first location for the first data object identifier further comprises:

accessing a plurality of PK-location subdivision maps held in an enterprise repository, wherein said enterprise repository is external to the local domain; and

looking up the location subdivision identifier for the location subdivision holding the data object in the plurality of PK-location subdivision maps in the enterprise repository based on the unique PK for the first data object.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said looking up the location subdivision identifier in the enterprise repository using the plurality of PK-location subdivision maps returns a null set of location subdivision identifiers identifying a location subdivision holding the first data object, the method further comprising:

requesting an identity of the location subdivision holding the first data object from a steward, wherein said steward issues a query to each location subdivision for the identity of the location subdivision holding the first data object; and

returning the identity of the location subdivision holding the first data object to the association service.

8. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium for implementing a method for managing associations among a plurality of data objects, said plurality of data objects being categorized by data type, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for receiving a request for a data object associated first data object from a client, said request including a first data object identifier, wherein said first data object is categorized as being a first data type;

instructions for identifying a first location for the first data object identifier;

instructions for accessing first fragmented association information corresponding with said first location, wherein the first fragmented association information includes association information related to data objects stored in said first location;

instructions for finding, in the first fragmented association information, a data object associated with said first data object based on the first data object identifier; and

instructions for returning information related to the data object or objects associated with said first data object to the client.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising:

instructions for receiving a second request for a data object associated second data object from the client, said second request includes a second data object identifier, wherein said first data object and said second data object are categorized as being the first data type;

instructions for identifying a second location for the second data object identifier;

instructions for accessing second fragmented association information corresponding with said second location, wherein the second fragmented association information includes association information related to data objects stored in said second location;

instructions for finding in the second fragmented association information a data object associated with said second data object based on the second data object identifier; and

instructions for returning information related to the data object associated with said second data object to the client.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the first fragmented association information and the second fragmented association information are stored externally with respect to the first location and the second location.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising;

instructions for implementing an association service for executing the instructions for receiving the request for a data object associated first data object from a client.

12. The computer program of claim 11 , wherein the first data object identifier is a unique primary key (PK) and the instructions for identifying a first location for the first data object identifier further comprise:

instructions for implementing a satellite cache service for holding a plurality of PK-location subdivision maps, wherein said satellite cache service and said association service are implemented in a local domain;

instructions for accessing the plurality of PK-location subdivision maps held by the satellite cache service; and

instructions for looking up a location subdivision identifier for the first location in the plurality of PK-location subdivision maps from the satellite cache service based on the unique PK for the first data object.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the instructions for identifying a first location for the first data object identifier further comprise:

instructions for implementing an enterprise repository service for holding and accessing a plurality of PK-location subdivision maps, wherein executing instructions for implementing said enterprise repository is performed externally to the local domain; and

instructions for looking up the location subdivision identifier for the location subdivision holding the data object in the plurality of PK-location subdivision maps in the enterprise repository service based on the unique PK for the first data object.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for looking up the location subdivision identifier in the enterprise further comprise:

instructions for finding a steward service in response to executing the instructions for looking up the location subdivision identifier in the enterprise repository and returning a null set of location subdivision identifiers identifying a location subdivision holding the first data object;

instructions for requesting the identity of the location subdivision holding the first data object from the steward service, wherein said steward service issues a query to each location subdivision for the identity of the location subdivision holding the first data object; and

instructions for returning the identity of the location subdivision holding the first data object to the association service.