PROMOTION AND DEMOTION TECHNIQUES TO FACILITATE FILE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT BETWEEN OBJECT SYSTEMS

THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO A SYSTEM AND METHODOLOGY TO FACILITATE INTEROPERABILITY AND COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN DISPARATE DATA SYSTEMS, IN ONE ASPECT, A FILE TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM IS PROVIDED HAVING AT LEAST ONE FILE ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OR MORE UNSTRUCTURED PROPERTIES. A FILE PROPERTY HANDLER MANIPULATES THE UNSTRUCTURED PROPERTIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH ONE OR MORE STRUCTURED PROPERTIES ASSOCIATED WITH A STRUCTURED OBJECT STORE ENVIRONMENT. IF AN UNSTRUCTURED FILE IS TO BE OPERATED IN THE CONTEXT OF A STRUCTURED OBJECT STORE ENVIRONMENT, A PROMOTION OPERATION IS PERFORMED TO UPDATE UNSTRUCTURED PROPERTIES IN THE FILE WITH STRUCTURED PROPERTIES SUITABLE FOR OPERATION IN THE STRUCTURED OBJECT STORE ENVIRONMENT. IF A PROMOTED ITEM WERE TO BE MANIPULATED IN THE STRUCTURED OBJECT STORE ENVIRONMENT, A DEMOTION OPERATION OR REVERSE TRANSFORMATION IS PERFORMED TO UPDATE PROPERTIES IN THE FILE.