Re: Can Oracle IFS do this ???

<fnillerfnaller_at_hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1132188974.399908.262220_at_o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> 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 ??
>

A "virtual filesystem" exists on Windows, it's called DFS (distributed filesystem). Maybe you could use this.

Matthias Received on Sun Nov 20 2005 - 15:13:19 CST