Abstract: A method is provided in a versioned database management system for allowing parts to be versioned according to different variant hierarchies, and for maintaining correct configurations of versions of parts as those parts are drawn down, changed, and promoted. Each version of a part is associated with a variant domain. Each variant domain is represented by a single variant hierarchy whose levels can be used to reference versions of parts in that variant domain and controls how versions of parts in that variant domain are drawn down, changed, and promoted. Variant domain default groups are provided so that tools may add new parts without specifying the variant domains to which the parts are to belong. In order to control which versions of parts and from which version domains are visible, variant maps are defined by the user installation. When a change is made for one configuration, it is simultaneously made in any other configuration identified by a variant map which includes the same variant ID.

Abstract: A versioned-data management system is provided with a method for detecting independent changes to a part when an attempt is made to promote a variant of the part. For each variant of a part, there is maintained two identifiers and a flag. The first identifier is the identifier of the last change to that variant. The second identifier is the last-change identifier of the variant which was the source of the drawdown. When the variant is successfully promoted, and there was not previously a variant at the level to which it is promoted, its drawdown-from identifier value is not changed. When the variant is successfully promoted, and there was previously a variant at the level to which it is promoted, the drawdown-from identifier is set to the drawdown-from identifier value of the variant which was previously at the level to which the promote is made.

Abstract: A versioned data management system is provided with a method for resolving sources and targets of relationships. For each entity instance, a lifetime ID is recorded. When the add interface is used to add an entity, a value is assigned to the lifetime ID, which value has never been used before for an instance of the entity type. When the update interface is used to update an entity, the lifetime ID is maintained unchanged. If the update results in a new version, the new version is given the same lifetime ID value as that for the version that was the basis for the update. If the delete interface is then used to delete the entity, and the add interface is later used to add an instance with the same part key, that instance will have a different lifetime ID. For each relationship instance, lifetime IDs are recorded for the relationship, its source, and its target.

Abstract: A method is provided in a versioned database management system for allowing parts to be versioned according to different variant hierarchies, and for maintaining correct configurations of versions of parts as those parts are drawn down, changed, and promoted. Each version of a part is associated with a variant domain. Each variant domain is represented by a single variant hierarchy whose levels can be used to reference versions of parts in that variant domain and controls how versions of parts in that variant domain are drawn down, changed, and promoted. Variant domain default groups are provided so that tools may add new parts without specifying the variant domains to which the parts are to belong. In order to control which versions of parts and from which version domains are visible, variant maps are defined by the user installation. When a change is made for one configuration, it is simultaneously made in any other configuration identified by a variant map which includes the same variant ID.