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Integrated two-way communications between database client users and administratorsRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Multicomputer Data Transferring, Remote Data AccessingIntegrated two-way communications between database client users and administrators description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070174417, Integrated two-way communications between database client users and administrators. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF INVENTION [0001] The present invention is in the field of data processing systems and, in particular, to systems, methods and media for integrated two-way communications between users of a database client and database administrators. BACKGROUND [0002] Computer systems such as personal computers (PCs), servers, workstations, and mainframes are well known in the art. Computer systems have attained widespread use for providing computing power to many segments of today's modem society. One important function for computer systems is to access, modify, and share information. To accomplish this, information is often stored in a database so that it may be shared among many computer systems. Databases typically have a database manager to facilitate access, manipulation, or storage of the information in the database by other computer systems. The database manager may typically execute on a database server while computer systems using the database may serve as database clients in a client-server relationship. Example database managers include International Business Machine Corporation's (IBM.RTM.'s) DB2.RTM. database management system, Microsoft Corporation's Microsoft(.RTM. SQL Server system, Oracle Corporation's Oracle.RTM. database management system, or Sybase, Inc.'s .RTM. database management system. Database servers and their clients may run on various operating system platforms and database clients (and their applications) communicate with the database server in order to obtain data from the server. [0003] A database administrator (DBA) may be responsible for managing the environmental aspects of a database such as recoverability, resource management, integrity, security, availability, performance, and development and testing support. Database server support commonly offers the ability for the database server to notify the DBA of events (such as table locks) for which the DBA has requested notification as well as sending return codes (such as error, warning or informational codes) to a connected application. Often, a DBA wishes to inform database client users of particular events, such as when the database needs to be taken down or recycled for maintenance, when the database has performance problems, or other occurrences. By informing database client users of the problem (as well as estimated timelines for completion or workarounds), the DBA may provide better service to database clients and reduce the frustration some database client users feel when the database becomes unavailable for reasons unknown to them. [0004] One solution to this problem is to use instant messaging (IM) systems to send messages from the DBA to database client users. This solution, however, suffers from a significant problem in that the DBA must know the IM identity of the database client users who are connected to the database in order to send them an IM message. In a typical large database, the DBA will not know which particular database client users are connected at any given time and therefore cannot effectively send them IM messages. Moreover, DBAs and database client users often change (such as for different shifts) and are often remote, increasing the difficulty of knowing which database client users are presently using the database. Such a solution may also rely on the availability of an IM server to forward the message, as well as both sender and receiver being logged on, further limiting the usefulness of IM. [0005] Another problem is that database client users do not have an effective and efficient mechanism to communicate with a DBA. As database client users often do not know the identity of DBAs, they cannot easily contact the DBAs via phone, e-mail, or IM message. Even if a database client user knows the identity of a DBA, they may not know whether the DBA is on-shift or working from an alternative location, making it more difficult to communicate with the DBA. There is, therefore, a need for an efficient and effective mechanism for providing two-way communication between database client users and administrators. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The problems identified above are in large part addressed by systems, methods and media for two-way communication between database client users and administrators. Embodiments may include a method for communicating between database client users and administrators. Embodiments may include receiving a message request to send to one or more recipients, the message request including message content and an indication of the one or more recipients to which a message will be sent. Embodiments may also include determining an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with each of the one or more recipients based on the message request and transmitting a message to each of the determined IP addresses, where the message includes the received message content. Embodiments may also include receiving a second message from one of the determined IP addresses. Further embodiments may include displaying the message in a display window. In some embodiments, the one or more recipients may be a DBA and an IP address of a database server is a determined IP address. In other embodiments, the one or more recipients may be one or more database client users and the determined IP addresses include the IP addresses for one or more database clients. An administrator using the disclosed methodology may accordingly transmit anonymous point-to-point messages to database clients for display to its database client users without having to know the identity, IM address, or other information about the database client users. Similarly, a database client user utilizing the disclosed methodology may transmit point-to-point messages to a database server for display to a DBA. [0007] Another embodiment provides a machine-accessible medium containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, to cause the system to perform a series of operations for communicating between database client users and administrators. The series of operations generally includes receiving a message request to send to one or more recipients, the message request including message content and an indication of the one or more recipients to which a message will be sent. Embodiments may also include a series of operations for determining an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with each of the one or more recipients based on the message request and transmitting a message to each of the determined IP addresses, where the message includes the received message content. Embodiments may also include a series of operations for receiving a second message from one of the determined IP addresses. Further embodiments may include a series of operations for displaying the message in a display window. In some embodiments, the one or more recipients may be a DBA and an IP address of a database server is a determined IP address. In other embodiments, the one or more recipients may be one or more database client users and the determined IP addresses include the IP addresses for one or more database clients. [0008] A further embodiment provides a database messaging system. The database messaging system may generally include a database client server having a database messaging module. The database messaging module may include a database administrator (DBA) interface module to receive a message request, where the message request includes message content and an indication of one or more database clients to which a message will be sent. The database messaging module may also include an address module to determine an IP address associated with each of the one or more database clients to which a message will be sent and a database messaging transmitter to transmit a message to each determined IP address, where the message may include the message content. Embodiments may also include a database listener to receive a message from a database client. Further embodiments may include one or more database clients in communication with the database server via a network, where each database client includes a client messaging module with a user interface module and an address module to determine an IP address associated with the IP server. The database client may further include a client transmitter to transmit a message to the IP address of the database server and a client listener for receiving a message from the database server and displaying it to a database client user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] Advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which, like references may indicate similar elements: [0010] FIG. 1 depicts an environment for a database two-way messaging system with a database server and one or more database clients according to one embodiment; [0011] FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of one embodiment of a computer system suitable for use as a component of the database two-way messaging system; [0012] FIG. 3 depicts a conceptual illustration of software components of a database server with a database messaging module according to one embodiment; [0013] FIG. 4 depicts a conceptual illustration of software components of a database client with a client messaging module according to one embodiment; [0014] FIG. 5 depicts an example of a flow chart for receiving a message request and transmitting a message to one or more database clients according to one embodiment; [0015] FIG. 6 depicts an example of a flow chart for receiving a message and providing the message to a DBA according to one embodiment; and [0016] FIG. 7 depicts an example of a flow chart for receiving a message from a database server, displaying the message to a database client user, and transmitting a message to a DBA according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [0017] The following is a detailed description of example embodiments of the invention depicted in the accompanying drawings. The example embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the invention. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. The descriptions below are designed to make such embodiments obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. [0018] Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for two-way communication between database client users and an administrator are disclosed. Embodiments may include receiving a message request to send to one or more recipients, the message request including message content and an indication of the one or more recipients to which a message will be sent. Embodiments may also include determining an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with each of the one or more recipients based on the message request and transmitting a message to each of the determined IP addresses, where the message includes the received message content. Embodiments may also include receiving a second message from one of the determined IP addresses. Further embodiments may include displaying the message in the display window. [0019] The system and methodology of the disclosed embodiments provides for an effective and efficient way of providing communication between a DBA and database client users. By determining the IP address for the database client to which a DBA desires to send a message, the DBA may advantageously send messages to users of the database client without knowing the identity of those database client users. The DBA may accordingly warn database client users of upcoming database interruptions or provide other information just to the database client users who are impacted by the information. In contrast to using an Instant Messaging (IM) system, a DBA using the disclosed methodology need not know the name, e-mail address, IM address, or other information about a database client user and instead the disclosed system may rely on the network address of the database client user's computer (the database client) to provide communication. Similarly, a database client user may also transmit messages to the IP address of the database server, which in turn may then display those to a local DBA or redirect them to a remote DBA. Similar to the DBA, a database client user may communicate with the DBA (including responding to DBA messages) using the disclosed methodology without having to know the DBA's identity, only the IP address of the database server associated with the DBA. The disclosed system also advantageously does not rely on IM or e-mail servers or other external computer systems to perform its task, increasing the robustness of the solution. Continue reading about Integrated two-way communications between database client users and administrators... Full patent description for Integrated two-way communications between database client users and administrators Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Integrated two-way communications between database client users and administrators patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. 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