Managing data consistency

• US 20040122927A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Inventors: Muehl, Gordon, Irle, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for managing data consistency within a network of computer systems. The method includes, in a network, storing tables of level indicators and associated ownership entities in network systems, generating a data item in a first network system, associating the data item with one of the level indicators, and storing the level indicator with the generated data item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a network, storing tables of level indicators and associated ownership entities in network systems;

generating a data item in a first network system;

associating the data item with one of the level indicators; and

storing the level indicator with the generated data item.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each network system is a unique ownership entity.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in a second network system, requesting the generated data item from the first network system;

receiving the data item and associated level indicator from the first network system;

searching a lookup table stored in the second network system for the level indicator; and

determining the ownership entity of the data items in response to the search.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the level indicators are metadata.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the metadata are tags.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the metadata are flags.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the level indicators represent more than one network system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the level indicators represent a hierarchy.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the data item with a second one of the level indicators.

10. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) data structure comprising:

a data item; and

metadata containing a level indicator.

11. The data structure of claim 10 wherein the metadata is a tag.

12. The data structure of claim 11 wherein the meta data is a flag.

13. The data structure of claim 10 wherein the metadata further contains a second level indicator.

14. The data structure of claim 10 wherein the level indicator maps to an ownership entity residing in a network of ERP systems.

15. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for maintaining data ownership, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

in a network, store tables of level indicators and associated ownership entities in network systems;

generate a data item in a first network system;

associate the data item with one of the level indicators; and

store the level indicator with the generated data item.

16. The product of claim 15 further comprising instructions to:

in a second network system, request the generated data item from the first network system;

receive the data item and associated level indicator from the first network system;

search a lookup table stored in the second network system for the level indicator; and

determine the ownership entity of the data items in response to the search.

17. The product of claim 15 wherein the level indicators are metadata.

18. The product of claim 17 wherein the metadata are tags.

19. The product of claim 17 wherein the metadata are flags.

20. The product of claim 15 wherein the level indicators represent more than one network system.

21. The product of claim 15 wherein the level indicators represent a hierarchy.

22. The product of claim 15 wherein associating the data item with a second one of the level indicators.