Database application federation
View Patent ↗A database federation mechanism permits one or more applications external to the database to be registered. Applications so registered may be automatically invoked in response to database queries—where such invocation utilizes data from specific database entries.
1. A system for assisting a user with configuration management, comprising:
a configuration management database system having a plurality of configuration items; and
an external application that is external to the configuration management database system, wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause at least one processor to associate an invocation string with a first configuration item and the external application based on a plurality of objects, the at least one processor being a hardware device, the plurality of objects including,
an interface object for interfacing with the external application, the interface object including information indicating a manner in which the external application is to be launched and indicating the invocation string providing information for launching the external application;
an application object for identifying the external application;
first relationship objects for linking configuration items with interface objects including a first relationship object for identifying the interface object associated with the first configuration item; and
second relationship objects for linking application objects to the interface objects including a second relationship object for identifying the interface object associated with the application object corresponding to the external application,
wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause the at least one processor to obtain information from the first configuration item based on the plurality of objects,
wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause the at least one processor to insert the information from the first configuration item into the invocation string to create an application execution command based on the interface object,
wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause the at least one processor to cause the external application to execute independently of the configuration management database system based on the application execution command.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information indicating a manner in which the external application is to be launched includes information indicating whether return data of the external application is interactive or information indicating whether the external application is executed as a stand-alone application.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first configuration item is associated with a plurality of interface objects, and the application object is associated with the plurality of interface objects.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause the at least one processor to associate a foreign key with the first configuration item and the external application.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause the at least one processor to insert the foreign key into the invocation string.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause the at least one processor to receive information from the external application.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause the at least one processor to modify information associated with the configuration item based on the received information.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the configuration management database system is configured to cause the at least one processor to update information associated with a second configuration item stored in the configuration management database system based on the received information.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that when executed by at least one hardware processor are configured to:
store a plurality of configuration items in a configuration management database system;
associate an invocation string with a first configuration item and an external application based on a plurality of objects, wherein the external application is external to the configuration management database system, the plurality of objects including,
an interface object for interfacing with the external application, the interface object including information indicating a manner in which the external application is to be launched and indicating the invocation string providing information for launching the external application;
an application object for identifying the external application;
first relationship objects for linking configuration items with interface objects including a first relationship object for identifying the interface object associated with the first configuration item; and
second relationship objects for linking application objects to the interface objects including a second relationship object for identifying the interface object associated with the application object corresponding to the external application;
obtain information from the first configuration item based on the plurality of objects;
insert the information from the first configuration item into the invocation string to create an application execution command based on the interface object; and
cause the external application to execute independently of the configuration management database system based on the application execution command.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the information indicating a manner in which the external application is to be launched includes information indicating whether return data of the external application is interactive or information indicating whether the external application is executed as a stand-alone application.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first configuration item includes an entry included by the configuration management database system.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to associate a foreign key with the first configuration item and the external application.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the executable instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to substitute the foreign key into the invocation string prior to using the invocation string to cause the external application to be executed independently of the configuration management database.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to receive information from the external application.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to modify information associated with the first configuration item based on the received information.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to update information associated with a second configuration item stored in the configuration management database based on the received information.
17. A method for configuration management, the method being performed by at least one processor, the at least one processor being a hardware device, the method comprising:
associating an invocation string with a first configuration item and an external application based on a plurality of objects, wherein the first configuration item is included by a configuration management database, and wherein the external application is external to the configuration management database, the plurality of objects including
an interface object for interfacing with the external application, the interface object including information indicating a manner in which the external application is to be launched and indicating the invocation string providing information for launching the external application;
an application object for identifying the external application;
first relationship objects for linking configuration items with interface objects including a first relationship object for identifying the interface object associated with the first configuration item; and
second relationship objects for linking application objects to the interface objects including a second relationship object for identifying the interface object associated with the application object;
obtaining information from the first configuration item based on the plurality of objects;
inserting the information from the first configuration item into the invocation string to create an application execution command based on the interface object; and
causing the external application to execute independently of the configuration management database based on the application execution command.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the information indicating a manner in which the external application is to be launched includes information indicating whether return data of the external application is interactive or information indicating whether the external application is executed as a stand-alone application.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising associating a foreign key with the first configuration item and the external application.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising substituting the foreign key into the invocation string prior to using the invocation string to cause the external application to be executed.
21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising receiving, by the configuration management database, information from the external application.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising modifying information associated with the first configuration item based on the received information.
23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising updating information associated with a second configuration item stored in the configuration management database based on the received information.
24. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining if the external application is associated with a class of configuration items included by the configuration management database, and
comparing one or more values associated with the first configuration item with a specified filter pattern; and
wherein causing the external application to automatically execute includes:
causing the external application to automatically execute only if the act of comparing identifies a match between the one or more values associated with the first configuration item and the specified filter pattern.