Data model change management

• US 10,198,459 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation), Microsoft Technology Limited, LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Zhen, Mak, Chiu Chun Bobby, Deng, Xiaomin, Huynh, Yet Luong, Zhou, Chunxing
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santos, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US14/549,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20160019244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 7079991, 707999102, 707803, 707999101, 707E17125, 707769, 707802, 707809, 707806, 707791, 707695, 707601, 707999203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/212 with details for data modelling support

Abstract

A version manager that manages multiple versions of a logical data model. Each version of the logical data model exposes a data storage system using a corresponding semantic mapping set that for multiple logical data model entities, maps at least the logical data model entity to at least a corresponding physical data model entity of the data storage system. The logical data model itself may consistent of multiple constituent logical data models, each used for a different vertical to expose the same underlying storage system. The version manager corresponds each of one or more data consumers of the data storage system with a version of the logical data model. Accordingly, when requests come in from a particular data consumer, the corresponding version of the logical data model is used.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising a plurality of logical data models configured to expose a data storage system, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

the data storage system;

a plurality of logical data model versions, wherein each of the plurality of logical data model versions includes at least a corresponding semantic mapping set that correlates a corresponding plurality of data entities in the logical data model version to at least a corresponding set of data entities in a corresponding physical data model version of the data storage system; and

a version manager that associates each of the plurality of logical data model versions to a different set of one or more identified consumers, such that the data storage system is exposed to a plurality of identified consumers through different logical data model versions, wherein the version manager is further configured to perform the following in response to detecting a change to the physical data model of the data storage system;

create a new version of the physical data model;

create a new logical data model version corresponding to the new version of the physical data model;

assign an identified set of one or more identified consumers to the new logical data model version; and

expose the data storage system to the identified set of one or more identified consumers according to the new logical data model version,

the plurality of logical data model versions including (i) a first logical data model version that is associated with a first set of one or more identified consumers and that corresponds to a first physical data model version, and (ii) a second logical data model version that is associated with a second set of one or more identified consumers and that corresponds to a second physical data model version, the version manager concurrently exposing the first and second logical data model versions to the first and second sets of one or more identified consumers.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of logical data models comprises a logical data model comprising a plurality of constituent logical data models, each constituent logical data model configured to expose the data storage system using a different constituent semantic mapping.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

a logical data modelling notation component configured to use a corresponding modelling notation when communicating with a constituent logical data model.

4. The system in accordance with claim 2, each constituent logical data model used by a different vertical.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of versions of the logical data model maps a plurality of logical data model entities to the corresponding entity in the physical data model.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of versions of the logic data model maps the logical data model entity to a plurality of entities on in the physical data model.

7. A method for responding to queries, the method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of logical data model versions, wherein each of the plurality of logical data model versions includes at least a corresponding semantic mapping set that correlates a corresponding plurality of data entities in the logical data model version to at least a corresponding set of data entities in a corresponding physical data model version of the data storage system; and

associating each of the plurality of logical data model versions to a different set of one or more identified consumers, such that the data storage system is exposed to a plurality of identified consumers through different logical data model versions, wherein the version manager is further configured to perform the following in response to detecting a change to the physical data model of the data storage system;

creating a new version of the physical data model;

creating a new logical data model version corresponding to the new version of the physical data model;

assigning an identified set of one or more identified consumers to the new logical data model version; and

exposing the data storage system to the set of one or more identified consumers according to the new logical data model version,

the plurality of logical data model versions including (i) a first logical data model version that is associated with a first set of one or more identified consumers and that corresponds to a first physical data model version, and (ii) a second logical data model version that is associated with a second set of one or more identified consumers and that corresponds to a second physical data model version, the version manager concurrently exposing the first and second logical data model versions to the first and second sets of one or more identified consumers.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

creating a new version of the logical data model to add to the plurality of versions of the logical data model at least under some circumstances when a schema of the data storage system changes.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of logical data models comprises a logical data model comprising a plurality of constituent logical data models, each constituent logical data model configured to expose the data storage system using a different constituent semantic mapping.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

using a corresponding modelling notation when communicating with a constituent logical data model.

11. The method in accordance with claim 9, each constituent logical data model used by a different vertical.

12. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of versions of the logical data model maps a plurality of logical data model entities to the corresponding entity in the physical data model.

13. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of versions of the logical data model maps the logical data model entity to a plurality of entities on in the physical data model.