Extensible data transformations

• US 10,706,066 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2016
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ganjam, Kris, He, Yeye, Narasayya, Vivek Ravindranath, Chaudhuri, Surajit
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US15/295,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20180107724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems

Abstract

Methods, computer systems, computer-storage media, and graphical user interfaces are provided for facilitating data transformations, according to embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, a set of example values are received. A repository of transformation tools is searched to identify a new transformation tool as relevant to a data transformation associated with the received set of example values. The repository includes annotations associated with the new transformation tool. The new transformation tool is used to generate a transformation program that produces transformed output values. Additional annotations are generated for the new transformation tool based on the transformed output values.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, configure the computing system to facilitate transformation of a set of data values using a set of example values including one or more example input values that indicate a first format of the set of data values to be transformed and one or more example output values that indicate a second format into which to transform the set of data values, the computing system configured to;

receive the set of example values;

search a repository of transformation tools to identify a new transformation tool as relevant to a data transformation from the first format to the second format, the repository including annotations associated with the new transformation tool, wherein the new transformation tool comprises a newly added tool, a portion split from an existing tool, or a combination of existing tools;

use the new transformation tool to generate a transformation program that produces transformed output values by transforming the set of data values from the first format to the second format; and

generate additional annotations for the new transformation tool based on the transformed output values.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the additional annotations are stored in the repository in association with the new transformation tool.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the additional annotations are used to facilitate subsequent searches for relevant transformation tools.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the new transformation tool is provided by a user of a transformation service.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the set of example values is provided by a user of a transformation service.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the transformation tools comprise transformation functions, transformation tables, transformation operators, transformation services, or a combination thereof.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the transformation program is generated using the new transformation tool and a supplemental transformation tool.

8. The computing system of claim 1 further comprising executing the transformation program to generate the transformed output values.

9. The computing system of claim 8 further comprising providing the transformed output values to a user device that provided the set of example values.

10. A computer-implemented method for facilitating data transformations, the method comprising:

receiving a new transformation tool from an enterprise user of a transformation service prior to storing the new transformation tool in a repository;

generating annotations and storing the annotations in association with the new transformation tool in the repository, wherein one of the annotations includes a security level annotation;

receiving a set of example values;

determining that the security level associated with the new transformation tool permits the new transformation tool to be used to transform data associated with the set of example values; and

using the new transformation tool to transform data associated with the set of example values.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising using the annotations to search for the new transformation tool.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining that the new transformation tool is relevant to a data transformation associated with the received set of example values.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the new transformation tool comprises a transformation function or a transformation table.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the security level associated with the new transformation tool permits the new transformation tool to be used is based on an attribute of a user providing the set of example values.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the attribute of the user comprises an identification of the user, an identification of an entity associated with the user, or an identification of a security level associated with a user.

16. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for facilitating data transformations, the method comprising:

receiving a new transformation tool from a user of a transformation service, wherein the new transformation tool comprises a transformation tool prior to being identified as relevant to a first data transformation;

automatically generating annotations for the new transformation tool;

storing the annotations and the new transformation tool in a repository having a plurality of transformation tools;

receiving a set of example values associated with the first data transformation;

based on receiving the set of example values, search the repository to identify the new transformation tool as relevant to the first data transformation associated with the received set of example values;

use the new transformation tool to generate a transformation program that produces transformed output values; and

generate additional annotations for the new transformation tool based on the transformed output values.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the additional annotations are stored in the repository in association with the new transformation tool.

18. The media of claim 16, wherein the additional annotations are used to facilitate subsequent searches for relevant transformation tools.

19. The media of claim 16, wherein the automatically generated annotations comprise tool attributes.

20. The media of claim 16, wherein the new transformation tool comprises a transformation function, a transformation table, a transformation operator, or a combination thereof.