Can Oracle IFS do this ???

Hi

We have an Oracle database (enterprise edition) installed in our IT department. It's just running as a back-end storage system and the IT department do nothing else than making sure that it's backed up. So we hold no in-depth knowledge about the capabilities of the database. Please keep that in mind if replying to this question.

What I am searching for is a system that can eliminate the physical file system and then store files in a more convenient way. The reason for this should be to keep links between files synchronized automatically. Let me explain by an example - after all that's easier to understand :-)

First I create an Excel file called AAA.XLS. This file is stored in
"C:\"

Then I create another Excel file called BBB.XLS. This file is also stored in "C:\"
In BBB.XLS I create some data in a cell. This data is copied to AAA.XLS as a link / chain.
I close both files and start my test.
In BBB.XLS I change the data in the linked cell. I then open AAA.XLS and is asked if I want to update the link. If I answer yes, the data in AAA.XLS is changed to whatever I typed into BBB.XLS. Now this is just as it should be so no problems so far. Next I close both files, and I manually move the file BBB.XLS to the location "C:\temp".
I try to open AAA.XLS and - again - I'm asked if I want to update the link. If I answer yes - the problems start. Of cause the link from AAA.XLS to BBB.XLS can't be updated because I've moved the file BBB.XLS. So now the link is broken.

This is not strange at all. But it does cause some problems in the IT department. The reason being that we want to setup a new structure on our file server, and it turns out, that we have a LOT of users making links between different locations (directories and drives). So we are going to "clean" up this mess once and for all, but we also want to make sure that this problem is not going to bother us again in the future.

One solution to that could be a "virtual" file system. What I mean is - some sort of storage that will present a "file system" to the user, but behind the scenes it will store the files in a database. Taking the example above in the "virtual" file system it will do something like this:

File AAA.XLS is created and the user selects to store it in "C:\". Behind the scene the database creates a record that consists of 3 fields. Field 1 will store the physical file. Field 2 will store the string "C:\". Field 3 will store a RecordID. In this example we will set the RecordID to "ID-1".
Next file BBB.XLS is created and the user selects to store it in
"C:\. Behind the scene the database stores a record with - field 1
being the physical file, filed 2 being the string "C:\", and field 3 being a RecordID. In this example we will set the RecordID to
"ID-2".

Next the user selects to link data from a cell in BBB.XLS to a cell in AAA.XLS. But - instead of creating a link based on the file system, it will create a link between "ID-2" and "ID-1".

If this is possible, then the user can move the file to any location he / she prefers, without breaking the link. This is possible because
"moving" the file is simply an update of Field 2 where as the
physical link exists in the RecordID.

But is this possible with Oracle IFS ?? Received on Wed Nov 16 2005 - 18:56:14 CST