Abstract: A distributed storage system provides a method and apparatus for storing, retrieving, and sharing data items across multiple physical storage devices that may not always be connected with one another. The present invention comprises one or more ‘partitions’ on distinct storage devices, with each partition comprising of a group of associated data files. Partitions can be of various types, and the partitions of the various clients may, at various times, be merged into a consolidation file or a file resident within another partition. The system resolves conflicts between two or more clients to determine which updates, if any, should be stored in a library partition. The flexible, self-referential table of the present invention may store any type of data, both structured and unstructured, and provides an interface to other application programs. The table of the present invention comprises a plurality of rows and columns.

Abstract: The information management and database system of the present invention comprises a flexible, self-referential table that stores data. The table of the present invention may store any type of data, both structured and unstructured, and provides an interface to other application programs. The table of the present invention comprises a plurality of rows and columns. Each row has an object identification number (OID) and each column also has an OID. A row corresponds to a record and a column corresponds to a field such that the intersection of a row and a column comprises a cell that may contain data for a particular record related to a particular field, a cell may also point to another record. To enhance searching and to provide for synchronization between columns, columns are entered as rows in the table and the record corresponding to a column contains various information about the column. The table includes an index structure for extended queries.