Matching database fields in an electronic design automation environment

• US 20030220920A1
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mentor Graphics Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Mentor Graphics Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Lake, Daniel S., Hogan, William Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/440,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220920A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for matching database entries in an electronic design automation environment is disclosed. The disclosed technology may be applied, for instance, to import data (e.g., attributes or rules) from an EDA design database to an altered version of the EDA design database or to import data from a master database to an EDA design database. In one aspect, a match made between a first database entry and a second database entry is verified by comparing the second database entry to multiple entries of the first database, thereby helping to ensure that the first database entry is the best match for the second database entry. The matching may be performed using a similarity-based matching method. In another aspect, multiple criteria are used to determine whether a match exists between database entries and whether certain data should be imported between the databases.

Claims

1. A method of matching database entries in an electronic design automation (EDA) environment, comprising:

comparing a selected entry of a first database to multiple entries of a second database;

matching the selected entry of the first database to one of the multiple entries of the second database; and

verifying the matching by comparing the matching entry of the second database with multiple entries of the first database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying includes determining whether the matching entry of the second database matches with the selected entry of the first database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying is performed before comparing and matching a next entry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching includes determining whether data in one or more fields of the selected entry in the first database is identical to data in the one or more corresponding fields of the matching entry in the second database, and wherein the one or more fields are non-primary-key fields.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying includes determining whether data in one or more fields of the matching entry in the second database is identical to data in the one or more corresponding fields of the selected entry in the first database, and wherein the one or more fields are non-primary-key fields.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching includes determining whether a portion of data from a field of the selected entry of the first database is present in the corresponding field of the matching entry of the second database and whether a remainder of data from the field of the selected entry is not present in the corresponding field of any entry of the second database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying includes determining whether a portion of data from a field of the matching entry of the second database is present in the corresponding field of the selected entry of the first database and whether a remainder of data from the field of the matching entry is not present in the corresponding field of any entry of the first database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising importing data from selected fields of the selected entry of the first database to corresponding selected fields of the matching entry of the second database.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected fields contain data concerning attributes or rules of an EDA design, and wherein the first database is an EDA design database and the second database is an altered version of the EDA design database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying includes determining whether the matching entry of the second database has a disqualifying criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising importing data from selected fields of the matching entry of the second database to corresponding selected fields of the selected entry of the first database.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected fields contain data concerning attributes or rules of an EDA design, and wherein the first database is an EDA design database and the second database is a master database of known rules or attributes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected entry is one of multiple entries of the master database that matches with the selected entry.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the selected entry, matching the selected entry, and verifying the matching is performed by a combination of at least one client and at least one server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring an electronic file containing data related to the first database from the at least one client to the at least one server.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring an electronic file corresponding to an updated database from the at least one server to the at least one client.

17. A client computer displaying or using a database compiled by a server computer according to the method of claim 1, the client and server computers communicating via a network.

18. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer system to perform the method of claim 1.

19. A method of matching database entries in an electronic design automation (EDA) environment, comprising:

matching a selected entry of a first database with a matching entry of a second database if data in one or more fields of the selected entry is identical to data in corresponding fields of the matching entry, the one or more fields being non-primary-key fields.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising verifying the matching by comparing the matching entry of the second database with multiple entries of the first database and determining whether the matching entry of the second database matches the selected entry according to a predetermined criteria.

21. A method of matching database entries in an electronic design automation (EDA) environment, comprising:

matching a selected entry of a first database with a matching entry of a second database if a field of the selected entry has a portion of data present in the corresponding field of the matching entry and a remaining portion not present in the corresponding field of any entry of the second database.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising verifying the matching by comparing the matching entry of the second database with multiple entries of the first database and determining whether the matching entry of the second database matches the selected entry according to a predetermined criteria.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the predetermined criteria includes determining if data in one or more fields of the matching entry of the second database is identical to data in corresponding fields of the selected entry of the first database, the one or more fields being non-primary-key fields.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the predetermined criteria includes determining if a field in the matching entry of the second database has a portion of data present in the corresponding field of the selected entry of the first database and a remaining portion of data not present in the corresponding field of any entry of the first database.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the first database is an EDA design database and the second database is an altered version of the EDA design database, the method further comprising importing attribute or rules from the selected entry to the matching entry.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the first database is an EDA design database and the second database is a master database of known rules or attributes, the method further comprising importing attribute data or rules from the matching entry to the selected entry.

27. A method of transferring data between a first database and a second database in an electronic design automation (EDA) environment, comprising:

comparing a first database entry to multiple second database entries;

matching the first database entry to a matching second database entry by;

(a) determining whether data in a first field of the first database entry satisfies a first criteria when compared to a corresponding first field of multiple second database entries; and

(b) if the data does not satisfy the first criteria, determining whether data in a second field of the first database entry satisfies a second criteria when compared to a corresponding second field of multiple second database entries; and

importing a first set of data when the first criteria is satisfied and a second set of data when the second criteria is satisfied.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising verifying the matching if the second criteria is satisfied by determining whether data in the corresponding first field and second field of the second database entry satisfy the first criteria and the second criteria when compared to data in the first field and second field of multiple first database entries.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first field and the second field are non-primary key fields, and wherein:

the first criteria includes determining if data in the first field of the first database entry is identical to data in the corresponding first field of the second database entry; and

the second criteria includes determining if the second field of the first database entry has a portion of data present in the corresponding second field of the second database entry and a remaining portion not present in the corresponding second field of any entry of the second database.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the first field and the second field are the same field.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the first database is an EDA design database, and the second database is an altered version of the EDA design database.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the first database is an EDA design database, and the second database is a master database of known attributes and/or rules.

33. A method of analyzing databases in an electronic design automation (EDA) environment, comprising:

individually matching an entry of an EDA design database to multiple entries of a master database containing known attributes and/or rules.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the matching is performed once per entry of the original design database.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising transferring attributes and/or rules from the master database to the entries of the EDA design database.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the matching is performed in real time during a design process.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the matching comprises:

comparing data in one or more selected fields of a selected entry of the EDA design database with data in corresponding fields of the entries of the master database;

determining whether an entry of the master database matches the selected entry according to a first predetermined criteria; and

if an entry of the master database matches the selected entry, verifying the match by determining whether the matching entry of the master database has a disqualifying criteria when compared to the selected entry.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the predetermined criteria includes matching additional fields of the selected entry to corresponding additional fields of the entries of the master database if more than one entry of the master database matches the selected entry.

39. An electronic design automation (EDA) tool for matching databases, comprising a computer programmed to compare a selected entry of a first database to multiple entries of a second database, to match the selected entry of the first database to one of the multiple entries of the second database, and to verify the match by comparing the matching entry of the second database with multiple entries of the first database.

40. An electronic design automation (EDA) tool for matching databases, comprising a computer programmed to individually match an entry of an EDA design database to multiple entries of a master database containing known attributes and/or rules.

41. An electronic design automation (EDA) tool for matching databases, comprising:

means for selecting an entry from a first database; and

means for matching the selected entry from the first database with a matching entry of a second database if a field of the selected entry has a portion of data present in the corresponding field of the matching entry and a remaining portion not present in the corresponding field of any entry of the second database.