1. A data storage system, comprising:
an active data store comprising stored data;
a rules engine adapted to apply at least one rule to modify data of the stored data in the active data store,
a unified container layer adapted to transmit and receive data using a data communication mechanism and further adapted to publish a message to a broker located external to the data storage system by transmitting the message across the data communications mechanism to the broker,
said message being derived from the data of the stored data in the active data store that had been modified by the rules engine,
said message being received from the active data store by the unified container layer,
said unified container layer adapted to validate both externally-generated data and data of the active data store generated by the rules engine,
a first list of subscribers being stored in a data store of the broker,
each subscriber listed on the first list of subscribers subscribing to a topic associated with the message and adapted to receive the message published from the broker,
said unified container layer being listed on the first list of subscribers,
said unified container layer adapted to receive the message published from the broker due to the unified container layer being listed on the first list of subscribers,
said unified container layer adapted to process the published message received from the broker and to transmit the processed published message to the active data store;
said unified container layer comprising a sender and a receiver such that the sender and the receiver are adapted to communicate using the data communication mechanism;
said unified container layer further comprising a validator and a filter, wherein the unified container layer is adapted to process the published message received from the broker by having the published message validated by the validator and by having the validated published message filtered by the filter;
said data communication mechanism further adapted to receive data from application inputs and user inputs such that no direct access to the active data store is permitted for said inputs;
said data communication mechanism comprising a publish and subscribe data communication mechanism;
said data communication mechanism adapted to participate in data communication with said broker, using said publish and subscribe mechanism, in which said broker acts as a bus by: (1) receiving published messages by means of transmissions across said data communication mechanism, and (2) making said published messages available to subscribers by transmission of said published messages across said data communication mechanism, wherein said subscribers comprise an application or system that has registered as a first subscriber with said broker, wherein said first subscriber is on said first list of subscribers;
said broker adapted to examine subscription data in its data store and determine that said data storage system has subscribed to the topic associated with the message, as has a second data storage system;
said broker adapted to transmit the message to said subscribers, including to said data storage system, to said second data storage system, and to other subscribers, said other subscribers including applications and databases.
2. The data storage system of claim 1,
wherein the stored data comprises a first entity and a second entity connected to each other by a relationship,
wherein the first entity comprises a first attribute having a first plurality of values,
wherein the second entity comprises a second attribute having a second plurality of values,
wherein the relationship comprises a third attribute having a third plurality of values, and
wherein the rules engine is adapted to apply the at least one rule to at least one attribute of the first attribute, the second attribute, and the third attribute to generate the message.
3. The data storage system of claim 2, wherein the rules engine is adapted to apply the at least one rule to the third attribute to generate the message.
4. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the unified container layer is further adapted to process the published message received from the broker by compressing or decompressing the published message.
5. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the unified container layer is further adapted to process the published message received from the broker by encrypting or decrypting the published message.
6. A method for operating a data storage system that includes a unified container layer, an active data store comprising stored data, and a rules engine, said method comprising:
applying by the rules engine at least one rule to modify data of the stored data in the active data store;
receiving, by the unified container layer from the active data store, a message derived from the data of the stored data in the active data store that had been modified by the rules engine, said unified container layer adapted to transmit and receive data using a data communication mechanism;
publishing, by the unified container layer, the message to a broker located external to the data storage system by transmitting the message across the data communications mechanism to the broker, wherein a first list of subscribers is stored in a data store of the broker, each subscriber listed on the first list of subscribers subscribing to a topic associated with the message and adapted to receive the message published from the broker, said unified container layer being listed on the first list of subscribers, said unified container layer adapted to validate both externally-generated data and data of the active data store generated by the rules engine;
receiving, by the unified container layer, the message published from the broker due to the unified container layer being listed on the first list of subscribers; and
processing, by the unified container layer, the published message received from the broker and transmitting the processed published message to the active data store;
said unified container layer comprising a sender and a receiver such that the sender and the receiver are adapted to communicate using the data communication mechanism;
said unified container layer further comprising a validator and a filter, wherein the unified container layer is adapted to process the published message received from the broker by having the published message validated by the validator and by having the validated published message filtered by the filter;
said data communication mechanism further adapted to receive data from application inputs and user inputs such that no direct access to the active data store is permitted for said inputs;
said data communication mechanism comprising a publish and subscribe data communication mechanism;
said data communication mechanism adapted to participate in data communication with said broker, using said publish and subscribe mechanism, in which said broker acts as a bus by: (1) receiving published messages by means of transmissions across said data communication mechanism, and (2) making said published messages available to subscribers by transmission of said published messages across said data communication mechanism, wherein said subscribers comprise an application or system that has registered as a first subscriber with said broker, wherein said first subscriber is on said first list of subscribers;
said broker adapted to examine subscription data in its data store and determine that said data storage system has subscribed to the topic associated with the message, as has a second data storage system;
said broker adapted to transmit the message to said subscribers, including to said data storage system, to said second data storage system, and to other subscribers, said other subscribers including applications and databases.
7. The method of claim 6,
wherein the stored data comprises a first entity and a second entity connected to each other by a relationship,
wherein the first entity comprises a first attribute having a first plurality of values,
wherein the second entity comprises a second attribute having a second plurality of values,
wherein the relationship comprises a third attribute having a third plurality of values, and
wherein the method further comprises applying, by the rules engine, the at least one rule to at least one attribute of the first attribute, the second attribute, and the third attribute to generate the message.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises applying, by the rules engine, the at least one rule to the third attribute to generate the message.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein said processing further comprises compressing or decompressing, by the unified container layer, the published message received from the broker.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein said processing further comprises encrypting or decrypting, by the unified container layer, the published message received from the broker.
11. A computer program product, comprising computer program instructions tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, said instructions when loaded into a computer system and executed cause said computer system to operate a data storage system by performing a method, said data storage system including a unified container layer, an active data store comprising stored data, and a rules engine, said method comprising:
applying by the rules engine at least one rule to modify data of the stored data in the active data store;
receiving, by the unified container layer from the active data store, a message derived from the data of the stored data in the active data store that had been modified by the rules engine, said unified container layer adapted to transmit and receive data using a data communication mechanism;
publishing, by the unified container layer, the message to a broker located external to the data storage system by transmitting the message across the data communications mechanism to the broker, wherein a first list of subscribers is stored in a data store of the broker, each subscriber listed on the first list of subscribers subscribing to a topic associated with the message and adapted to receive the message published from the broker, said unified container layer being listed on the first list of subscribers, said unified container layer adapted to validate both externally-generated data and data of the active data store generated by the rules engine;
receiving, by the unified container layer, the message published from the broker due to the unified container layer being listed on the first list of subscribers; and
processing, by the unified container layer, the published message received from the broker and transmitting the processed published message to the active data store;
said unified container layer comprising a sender and a receiver such that the sender and the receiver are adapted to communicate using the data communication mechanism;
said unified container layer further comprising a validator and a filter, wherein the unified container layer is adapted to process the published message received from the broker by having the published message validated by the validator and by having the validated published message filtered by the filter;
said data communication mechanism further adapted to receive data from application inputs and user inputs such that no direct access to the active data store is permitted for said inputs;
said data communication mechanism comprising a publish and subscribe data communication mechanism;
said data communication mechanism adapted to participate in data communication with said broker, using said publish and subscribe mechanism, in which said broker acts as a bus by: (1) receiving published messages by means of transmissions across said data communication mechanism, and (2) making said published messages available to subscribers by transmission of said published messages across said data communication mechanism, wherein said subscribers comprise an application or system that has registered as a first subscriber with said broker, wherein said first subscriber is on said first list of subscribers;
said broker adapted to examine subscription data in its data store and determine that said data storage system has subscribed to the topic associated with the message, as has a second data storage system;
said broker adapted to transmit the message to said subscribers, including to said data storage system, to said second data storage system, and to other subscribers, said other subscribers including applications and databases.
12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises applying, by the rules engine, the at least one rule to the third attribute to generate the message.
13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said processing further comprises compressing or decompressing, by the unified container layer, the published message received from the broker.
14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said processing further comprises encrypting or decrypting, by the unified container layer, the published message received from the broker.
15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said method further comprises:
receiving, by the unified container layer, an external message from outside the data storage system, wherein a second list of subscribers who subscribe to a topic associated with the external message is stored in the data store of the broker;
publishing, by the unified container layer, the external message to the broker;
receiving, by the unified container layer, the published external message from the broker;
processing, by the unified container layer, the published external message received from the broker by having the published external message validated by the validator and by having the validated published external message filtered by the filter; and
transmitting, by the unified container layer, the processed published external message to the subscribers on the second list of subscribers.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method of providing an auto-rebuild feature in a digital device comprising the steps of:
initializing the digital device including a first memory device and a second memory device;
reading the first memory device to determine if the first memory device includes a first boot sequence;
if the first boot sequence is present, booting the digital device using the first boot sequence on the first memory device;
if the boot sequence is not present, reading a second boot sequence from the second memory device;
booting the digital device using the second boot sequence wherein said process of booting includes the steps of reformatting the first memory device, reading software from said second memory device and storing said software on said first memory device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first memory device is a hard disk drive.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said second memory device is a flash memory device.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said software is operating system software.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said operating system software includes process-based security protocols.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of checking, before booting the digital device using the first boot sequence, for a manual rebuild condition, such that if the manual rebuild condition is present, reading a second boot sequence from the second memory device and booting the digital device using the second boot sequence.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital device is a computer.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said digital device is a special purpose computer.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said special purpose computer is an Internet appliance.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein said digital device is a web server.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein said digital device is an email server.
12. A digital device including an auto-rebuild feature comprising:
a processor;
a first memory device connected to said processor;
a first boot sequence stored on said first memory device;
a second memory device connected to said processor;
a second boot sequence stored on said second memory device;
wherein when said processor is initialized, the processor reads the first boot sequence stored on said first memory device such that if the reading of the first boot sequence fails, the processor reads the second boot sequence stored on said second memory device and executes said second boot sequence, wherein said second boot sequence causes said processor to reformat said first memory device and stores software on said reformatted first memory device.
13. The digital device of claim 12, wherein said software stored on said reformatted first memory device includes a new first boot sequence.
14. The digital device of claim 12, wherein said software stored on said reformatted first memory device includes operating system software.
15. The digital device of claim 12, wherein said software stored on said reformatted first memory device includes process-based security protocols.
16. The digital device of claim 12, wherein said digital device is a computer.
17. The digital device of claim 16, wherein said computer is a special purpose computer.
18. The digital device of claim 16, wherein said computer is a web server.
19. The digital device of claim 16, wherein said computer is an email server.
20. The digital device of claim 12, wherein said second memory device is a flash memory device.