Collaborative data cleansing

• US 20030225770A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rausch, Willi Alexander, Lang, Stefan Dieter
• Granted Patent: US 7,165,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/215 Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/962 Entity-attribute-value
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Collaborative data cleansing involves using two or more computer systems for merging two data objects by copying one or more attribute values associated with one a source object to a target data object and reassigning any instances that refer to the source object to the target object. The computer systems involved in the collaborative data cleansing exchange messages concerning the local status of the data cleansing cases.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for maintaining data, the method comprising:

at a first computer system, receiving a cleansing case associating a source instance of a data element having one or more associated attribute values with a target instance of a data element;

permitting a first user at the first computer system to process the cleansing case by permitting the first user to identify one or more attribute values associated with the source instance that are to be associated with the target instance, and associate the identified attribute values with the target instance; and

after the first user processes the cleansing case, permitting a second user at a second computer system to process the cleansing case by permitting the second user to identify one or more attribute values associated with the source instance that are to be associated with the target instance, and associate the identified attribute values with the target instance.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending to the second computer system a blocking message that identifies the cleansing case.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising sending to the second computer system a cleansing-result message that identifies the cleansing case to be unblocked, wherein permitting the second user to process the cleansing case comprises doing so only after receipt of the cleansing-result message that identifies the cleansing case.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein permitting the first user at the first computer system to process the cleansing case comprises permitting the first user at the first computer system to process the cleansing case by:

displaying the source instance associated with the cleansing case, and

displaying the target instance associated with the cleansing case.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user is the same user as the second user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving a cleansing case comprises receiving a source identification key for the source instance and a target identification key for the target instance, and

processing a cleansing case further comprises;

using the source identification key to access source data structure information identifying one or more data elements relating to the source instance and one or more attribute values associated with the source instance; and

using the target identification key to access target data structure information identifying one or more data elements relating to the target instance and one or more attribute values associated with the target instance.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the cleansing case further comprises displaying an indication as to whether the attribute value associated with the source instance is identical to a corresponding attribute value associated with the target instance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a source instance comprises one or more subcomponents, with each subcomponent having one or more associated attribute values, and

processing the cleansing case further comprises;

displaying a subcomponent of the source instance;

receiving an indication that the displayed subcomponent of the source instance is to be associated with the target instance; and

associating the identified subcomponent with the target instance.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

a target instance comprises one or more subcomponents, with each subcomponent having one or more associated attribute values, and

processing the cleansing case further comprises;

displaying at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the source instance and at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the target instance;

receiving an indication that identifies at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the source instance that is to be associated with the subcomponent of the target instance; and

associating the identified attribute values with the subcomponent of the target instance.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the cleansing case further comprises:

associating a target list with at least one source instance and at least one target instance;

displaying identifying information for each source instance and each target instance associated with the target list; and

receiving an indication that identifies a source instance and a target instance to be displayed.

11. A computer-readable medium or propagated signal having embodied thereon a computer program configured to maintain data, the medium comprising a code segment configured to:

at a first computer system, receive a cleansing case associating a source instance of a data element having one or more associated attribute values with a target instance of a data element;

permit a first user at the first computer system to process the cleansing case by permitting the first user to identify one or more attribute values associated with the source instance that are to be associated with the target instance and associate the identified attribute values with the target instance; and

after the first user processes the cleansing case, permit a second user at a second computer system to process the cleansing case by permitting the second user to identify one or more attribute values associated with the source instance that are to be associated with the target instance, and associate the identified attribute values with the target instance.

12. The medium of claim 11 further comprising a code segment configured to send to the second computer system a blocking message that identifies the cleansing case.

13. The medium of claim 12 further comprising a code segment configured to send to the second computer system a cleansing-result message that identifies the cleansing case to be unblocked, wherein the code segment permitting the second user to process the cleansing case is configured to do so only after receipt of the cleansing-result message that identifies the cleansing case.

14. The medium of claim 11 wherein the code segment configured to process the cleansing case is further configured to:

display the source instance associated with the cleansing case, and

display the target instance associated with the cleansing case.

15. The medium of claim 11 wherein the first user is the same user as the second user.

16. The medium of claim 11 wherein:

the code segment configured to receive the cleansing case is configured to receive a source identification key for the source instance and a target identification key for the target instance, and

the code segment configured to process the cleansing case is further configured to;

use the source identification key to access source data structure information identifying one or more data elements relating to the source instance and one or more attribute values associated with the source instance; and

use the target identification key to access target data structure information identifying one or more data elements relating to the target instance and one or more attribute values associated with the target instance.

17. The medium of claim 11 wherein the code segment configured to process the cleansing case is further configured to display an indication as to whether the attribute value associated with the source instance is identical to a corresponding attribute value associated with the target instance.

18. The medium of claim 11, wherein:

a source instance comprises one or more subcomponents, with each subcomponent having one or more associated attribute values, and

the code segment configured to process the cleansing case is further configured to;

display a subcomponent of the source instance;

receive an indication that the displayed subcomponent of the source instance is to be associated with the target instance; and

associate the identified subcomponent with the target instance.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein:

a target instance comprises one or more subcomponents, with each subcomponent having one or more associated attribute values, and

the code segment configured to process the cleansing case is further configured to;

display at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the source instance and at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the target instance;

receive an indication that identifies at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the source instance that is to be associated with the subcomponent of the target instance; and

associate the identified attribute values with the subcomponent of the target instance.

20. The medium of claim 11, wherein the code segment configured to process the cleansing case is further configured to:

associate a target list with at least one source instance and at least one target instance;

display identifying information for each source instance and each target instance associated with the target list; and

receive an indication that identifies a source instance and a target instance to be displayed.

21. A system for maintaining data, the system comprising a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to:

at a first computer system, receive a cleansing case associating a source instance of a data element having one or more associated attribute values with a target instance of a data element;

permit a first user at the first computer system to process the cleansing case by permitting the first user to identify one or more attribute values associated with the source instance that are to be associated with the target instance, and associate the identified attribute values with the target instance; and

after the first user processes the cleansing case, permit a second user at a second computer system to process the cleansing case by permitting the second user to identify one or more attribute values associated with the source instance that are to be associated with the target instance, and associate the identified attribute values with the target instance.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor is further configured to send to the second computer system a blocking message that identifies the cleansing case.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor is further configured to send to the second computer system a cleansing-result message that identifies the cleansing case to be unblocked, wherein permitting the second user to process the cleansing case comprises doing so only after receipt of the cleansing-result message that identifies the cleansing case.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor is further configured to process the cleansing case by:

displaying the source instance associated with the cleansing case, and

displaying the target instance associated with the cleansing case.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the first user is the same user as the second user.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein receiving a cleansing case comprises receiving a source identification key for the source instance and a target identification key for the target instance and the processor is further configured to process a cleansing by:

using the source identification key to access source data structure information identifying one or more data elements relating to the source instance and one or more attribute values associated with the source instance; and

using the target identification key to access target data structure information identifying one or more data elements relating to the target instance and one or more attribute values associated with the target instance.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein processor is further configured to process a cleansing case by displaying an indication as to whether the attribute value associated with the source instance is identical to a corresponding attribute value associated with the target instance.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein a source instance comprises one or more subcomponents, with each subcomponent having one or more associated attribute values, and the processor is further configured to process the cleansing case by:

displaying a subcomponent of the source instance;

receiving an indication that the displayed subcomponent of the source instance is to be associated with the target instance; and

associating the identified subcomponent with the target instance.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein a target instance comprises one or more subcomponents, with each subcomponent having one or more associated attribute values, and the processor is further configured to process the cleansing case by:

displaying at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the source instance and at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the target instance;

receiving an indication that identifies at least one attribute value associated with the subcomponent of the source instance that is to be associated with the subcomponent of the target instance; and

associating the identified attribute values with the subcomponent of the target instance.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

associate a target list with at least one source instance and at least one target instance;

display identifying information for each source instance and each target instance associated with the target list; and

receive an indication that identifies a source instance and a target instance to be displayed.