System and method for heterogeneous data source integration

• US 20030028533A1
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rogue Wave Software Incorporated (Perforce Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Quovadx, Inc.
• Inventors: Crismon, Kenneth R., Bata, Anthony P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,684,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system and method for enabling data exchanges between various data processing systems, including disparate systems, is described. In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention can include a message bus disposed between a set of data source recognizers and a set of content recognizers. In this embodiment, the data source recognizers are configured (1) to monitor for incoming/received data originating from an associated data provider such as a trading partner; (2) to extract the received data from a data handler, such as a web server; and (3) post the received data to the message bus. Once the data has been posted to the message bus, the individual content recognizers inspect the data and, if appropriate, pull the data from the message bus for subsequent processing.

Claims

1. A method for exchanging data between disparate data providers, the method comprising:

receiving, at a data source recognizer, a data item having a plurality of characteristics, wherein the data item is originated by a particular data provider;

recognizing the data item as originating from the particular data provider;

posting at least a portion of the data item to a message bus, wherein the posted at least a portion of the data item includes the plurality of characteristics;

providing the at least a portion of the data item to a plurality of content recognizers;

inspecting, at the plurality of content recognizers, the at least a portion of the data item for a particular one of the plurality of characteristics;

determining whether the particular one of the plurality of characteristics is included in the at least a portion of the data item;

responsive to determining that the particular one of the plurality of characteristics is included in the at least a portion of the data item, pulling the at least a portion of the data item from the message bus; and

initiating a transaction process using the at least a portion of the data item;

wherein the transaction process is configurable to manipulate data associated with disparate data providers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a data handler for a document originating from the particular content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a communications channel for a document originating from at least the particular content provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communication channel comprises a HTTP-based channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of data systems associated with the received data item, wherein each of the plurality of data systems is associated with a corresponding data structure; and

joining the data structures for each of the identified plurality of data systems.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data structures are contained in different physical structures.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

mapping the join of the data structures with the received data item.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing data from the received data item to at least a first of the plurality of data systems according to the mapping.

9. A system for exchanging data between disparate data processors, the system comprising:

a plurality of data source recognizers;

a plurality of content recognizers; and

a message bus disposed intermediate the plurality of data source recognizers and the plurality of content recognizers.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a first of the plurality of data source recognizers is configured to monitor for data received from a first data provider.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first of the plurality of content recognizers is configurable in a visual environment.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a parser;

wherein the parser is configured to parse a data item received at a first of the plurality of data source recognizers and configured to post the parsed data item to the message bus.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a transaction processor coupled with the message bus;

wherein the transaction processor is configured to process a data item removed from the message bus by a first of the plurality of content recognizers.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein a first content recognizer is configured to join a first data structure and a second data structure, wherein the first data structure is associated with a first data provider and the second data structure is associated with a second data provider.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first data provider and the second data provider are associated with disparate systems.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of data source recognizers comprise data source recognizers selected from the group of:

database data source recognizers, packaged system data source recognizers, API data source recognizers, EDI data source recognizers, web service data source recognizers, communication protocol data source recognizers, and trading partner data source recognizers.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of content recognizers comprise data source recognizers selected from the group of:

purchase order recognizers, purchase order acknowledgement recognizers, price check recognizers, inventory check recognizers, and order status recognizers.

18. A method for exchanging data between disparate data providers, the method comprising:

receiving, at a data source recognizer, a data item having a plurality of characteristics, wherein the data item is originated by a particular data provider;

recognizing the data item as originating from the particular data provider;

posting at least a portion of the data item to a message bus, wherein the posted at least a portion of the data item includes the plurality of characteristics;

providing the at least a portion of the data item to a plurality of content recognizers;

inspecting, at the plurality of content recognizers, the at least a portion of the data item for a particular one of the plurality of characteristics;

determining whether the particular one of the plurality of characteristics is included in the at least a portion of the data item;

responsive to determining that the particular one of the plurality of characteristics is included in the at least a portion of the data item, pulling the at least a portion of the data item from the message bus; and

initiating a transaction process using the at least a portion of the data item;

wherein the transaction process is configurable to manipulate data associated with disparate data providers.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

monitoring a data handler for a document originating from the particular content provider.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of data systems associated with the received data item, wherein each of the plurality of data systems is associated with a corresponding data structure; and

joining the data structures for each of the identified plurality of data systems.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data systems are disparate.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

mapping the join of the data structures with the received data item.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing data from the received data item to at least a first of the plurality of data systems according to the mapping.

24. A system for exchanging data between disparate data providers, the method comprising:

means for receiving a data item having a plurality of characteristics, wherein the data item is originated by a particular data provider;

means for recognizing the data item as originating from the particular data provider;

means for posting at least a portion of the data item to a message bus;

means for providing the at least a portion of the data item to a plurality of content recognizers;

means for inspecting the at least a portion of the data item for a particular one of the plurality of characteristics;

means for determining whether the particular one of the plurality of characteristics is included in the at least a portion of the data item;

responsive to determining that the particular one of the plurality of characteristics is included in the at least a portion of the data item, means for pulling the at least a portion of the data item from the message bus; and

initiating a transaction process using the at least a portion of the data item.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of data systems associated with the received data item, wherein each of the plurality of data systems is associated with a corresponding data structure; and

means for joining the data structures for each of the identified plurality of data systems.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for mapping the join of the data structures with the received data item.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

means for providing data from the received data item to at least a first of the plurality of data systems according to the mapping.