Single system for managing multi-platform data retrieval

• US 20040148270A1
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Douvikas, James G., McKay, Christopher W.T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method of interacting with one or more data sources storing information and a system for performing the method thereof. The method receives a user request to interact with data source information, e.g. retrieve or update user contact information in a data source, identifies one or more data sources to interact with based on the user request, interacts with one or more of the identified data sources and receives a result of interacting with the identified data sources. Responsive to the user request, the method transmits the interaction result to the user. A system for interacting with a data source according to the above-described method includes: a memory storing (1) a data structure and (2) a sequence of executable instructions; and a processor for executing the instructions. The data structure stores information including user contact information and data source information. The sequence of executable instructions include a data retrieval application including the above-described method.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with one or more data sources storing information, the method comprising:

(A) receiving a user request to interact with data source information;

(B) identifying one or more data sources to interact with based on the user request, wherein the identifying includes selecting from configured meta search data;

(C) interacting with one or more of the identified data sources;

(D) receiving a result of interacting with one or more of the identified data sources; and

(E) transmitting the interaction result to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user request to interact is from the group consisting of searching for information and updating information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information is one or more user contact information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the interacting step (C) includes a get, a put, and a query operation performed on one or more of the identified data sources.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

mapping a portion of a user request to one or more data source query fragments using the configured meta search data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the interacting step (C) includes creating, maintaining, and removing one or more connections to the one or more identified data sources.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more connections are configured for a specific data source.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more connections are configured for a specific protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the protocol includes JAVA database connectivitiy and JAVA naming, directory interface, and hypertext transfer protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(F) authenticating users.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(G) merging the result received from one or more identified data sources into a single result set.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interaction result transmitted to the user is the single result set.

13. A system for interacting with one or more data sources, wherein the system interacts with one or more of the data sources responsive to a user request, the system comprising:

a memory storing;

a data structure for storing information, wherein the information includes user contact information and data source information;

a sequence of executable instructions comprising a data retrieval application for interacting with one or more data sources responsive to the user request based on information stored in the data structure; and

a processor for executing the sequence of executable instructions.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the data source information includes configuration information including a data source record, one or more data source fields records related to the data source record, and an external name record related to the data source record.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the configuration information further includes a data group mapping record related to a data source field record.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration information further includes a card field record related to a data group mapping record.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the data retrieval application comprises:

a connection pool including one or more configured connections for connecting to a data source;

a data retrieval engine for receiving and responding to the user request by generating an interaction based on the user request and the data source information; and

a data source loader for driving a connection from the connection pool to interact with the data source responsive to the interaction generated by the data retrieval engine.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the data source loader generates a query applied to the data source by combining data source query fragments and the interaction generated by the data retrieval engine.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the data retrieval application performs a get, a put, and a query on the one or more data sources.