Method and system for data transformation in a heterogeneous computer system
First Claim
1. A data transformation system for use in a heterogeneous computer system, said data transformation system comprising:
- at least one client adapted to initiate a request for transformation of data in a first data format to data in a second data format;
a plurality of peer transformation servers, each of said transformation servers including a plurality of data converters and a representation of available data transformations between a plurality of input data formats associated with at least some of said transformation servers and a plurality of output data formats associated with at least some of said transformation servers, said representation including a plurality of unidirectional edges, with each one of said edges extending from one of said input and output data formats to another of said input and output data formats, said transformation servers collectively including at least one of said data converters for each of said edges, at least one of said transformation servers adapted to receive said request for transformation of data and select at least one intermediate data transformation from said first data format to at least one intermediate data format and a final data transformation from said intermediate data format to said second data format, with each of said intermediate and final data transformations being associated with a corresponding one of said edges, said at least one of said transformation servers adapted to initiate a plurality of said data converters corresponding to said selected intermediate and final data transformations, in order to obtain said data in the second data format, and dispose said data in the second data format; and
a communication network adapted to provide communication among said transformation servers and said client.
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Abstract
A data transformation system includes clients, which initiate requests for transformation of data between first and second data formats. The system also includes peer transformation servers having data converters and graphs of available transformations between input and output data formats of such servers. The graph includes unidirectional edges, which extend between corresponding pairs of the formats. The servers collectively include one or more converters for each of the edges. The servers receive the requests and select plural intermediate transformations from the first format to plural intermediate formats, and a final transformation from an intermediate format to the second format. Each of the intermediate and final transformations is associated with a corresponding one of the edges. The servers initiate the converters corresponding to the selected transformations, in order to obtain and dispose the data in the second format. A communication network provides communication among the client and servers.
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Citations
86 Claims
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1. A data transformation system for use in a heterogeneous computer system, said data transformation system comprising:
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at least one client adapted to initiate a request for transformation of data in a first data format to data in a second data format;
a plurality of peer transformation servers, each of said transformation servers including a plurality of data converters and a representation of available data transformations between a plurality of input data formats associated with at least some of said transformation servers and a plurality of output data formats associated with at least some of said transformation servers, said representation including a plurality of unidirectional edges, with each one of said edges extending from one of said input and output data formats to another of said input and output data formats, said transformation servers collectively including at least one of said data converters for each of said edges, at least one of said transformation servers adapted to receive said request for transformation of data and select at least one intermediate data transformation from said first data format to at least one intermediate data format and a final data transformation from said intermediate data format to said second data format, with each of said intermediate and final data transformations being associated with a corresponding one of said edges, said at least one of said transformation servers adapted to initiate a plurality of said data converters corresponding to said selected intermediate and final data transformations, in order to obtain said data in the second data format, and dispose said data in the second data format; and
a communication network adapted to provide communication among said transformation servers and said client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A data transformation system for use in a heterogeneous computer system, said data transformation system comprising:
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at least one client adapted to initiate a request for transformation of data in a first data format to data in a second data format;
a plurality of peer transformation servers, each of said peer transformation servers comprising;
means for receiving said request, a plurality of data converter means for converting data in a data format to data in another data format, means for representing data transformations between a plurality of input data formats associated with at least some of said peer transformation servers and a plurality of output data formats associated with at least some of said peer transformation servers, said means for representing including a plurality of unidirectional edges, with each one of said edges extending from one of said input and output data formats to another of said input and output data formats, said peer transformation servers collectively including at least one of said data converter means for each of said edges, means responsive to said received request for selecting at least one intermediate data transformation from said first data format to at least one intermediate data format and a final data transformation from said intermediate data format to said second data format, with each of said intermediate and final data transformations being associated with a corresponding one of said edges, means for initiating a plurality of said data converter means corresponding to said selected intermediate and final data transformations, in order to obtain said data in the second data format, and means for disposing said data in the second data format; and
means for providing communication among said peer transformation servers and said client. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for transforming data in a heterogeneous computer system, said method comprising the steps of:
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initiating a request for transformation of data in a first data format to data in a second data format;
communicating said request over a communication network;
receiving said request in one of a plurality of peer transformation servers;
including with each of said peer transformation servers a plurality of data converters and a representation of data transformations between a plurality of input data formats associated with at least some of said peer transformation servers and a plurality of output data formats associated with at least some of said peer transformation servers;
including with said representation a plurality of unidirectional edges, with each one of said edges extending from one of said input and output data formats to another of said input and output data formats;
providing at least one of said data converters for each of said edges;
selecting at least one intermediate data transformation from said first data format to at least one intermediate data format;
selecting a final data transformation from said intermediate data format to said second data format;
initiating a plurality of said data converters corresponding to said selected intermediate and final data transformations, in order to obtain said data in the second data format; and
disposing said data in the second data format. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method for representing data transformation capabilities and selecting a data transformation for a heterogeneous computer system including data in a plurality of different data formats, said method comprising the steps of:
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forming a graph to represent a plurality of data transformations between a plurality of input data formats and a plurality of output data formats;
including with said graph a plurality of unidirectional edges, with each one of said edges representing a capacity to transform from one of said input and output data formats to another of said input and output data formats;
associating with some of said unidirectional edges at least one edgelet each of which represents a data converter for a corresponding one of said some of said unidirectional edges;
associating with at least one of said unidirectional edges a plurality of edgelets each of which represents a data converter for a corresponding one of said at least one of said unidirectional edges; and
selecting at least one of said data converters. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85)
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86. A data transformation server for use in a heterogeneous computer system, said data transformation server comprising:
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means for receiving a request for transformation of data in a first data format to data in a second data format;
a plurality of data converters, each of which transforms data from one data format to another data format;
means for storing a graph to represent a plurality of data transformations between a plurality of input data formats and a plurality of output data formats, said graph including a plurality of unidirectional edges, with each one of said edges representing a capacity to transform from one of said input and output data formats to another of said input and output data formats, some of said unidirectional edges including at least one edgelet each of which represents one of said data converters for a corresponding one of said some of said unidirectional edges, at least one of said unidirectional edges including a plurality of edgelets each of which represents one of said data converters for a corresponding one of said at least one of said unidirectional edges;
means for initiating at least one of said data converters, in order to obtain said data in the second data format; and
means for disposing said data in the second data format.
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Specification