Heterogeneous normalization of data characteristics

• US 20040168158A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Jensen, Nathan Blaine, Simpson, Michel Shane, Peterson, William D., Carter, Stephen R., Isaacson, Scott Alan, Street, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods, systems, and data structures are provided for normalizing data characteristics between applications. A first application is associated with a first data characteristic, and a second application is associated with a second data characteristic. A most-restrictive or common data characteristic is determined from the first and second data characteristics. The most restrictive or common data characteristic is enforced on access attempts to the first or second applications.

Claims

1. A method to normalize data characteristics between applications, comprising:

identifying a first application having first data characteristic and a second application having second data characteristic;

determining from the first data characteristic and the second data characteristic a most restrictive data characteristic; and

issuing a policy for accessing the first and second applications, wherein the policy enforces the most restrictive data characteristic for both the first and second applications.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining that a most restrictive data characteristic is in conflict with at least one of the first and second data characteristic.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising sending a notification that the first and second data characteristics need manual adjustment before the policy can be issued for interfacing the first and second applications.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in determining, the first and second data characteristics are automatically determined.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein in identifying, the first and second data characteristics are at least one of attributes of disparate database tables, and policies or rules associated with the first and second applications.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein in issuing the policy, the policy is represented as a meta schema that is enforced across both the first and second applications.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein in issuing the policy, the policy is a set of rules for enforcing password validation across both the first and second applications.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein in issuing the policy, the first and second applications are disparate applications.

9. A method to normalize data characteristics between applications, comprising:

receiving a first data characteristic and a second data characteristic associated with a first application and a second application, respectively;

selecting a common data characteristic for the first and second data characteristics; and

determining if the common data characteristic can be enforced against both the first and second applications, and, if so, enforcing the common data characteristic when the first and second applications are accessed.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein in receiving, the first and second data characteristics are policies or rules applied by the first and second applications.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein in receiving, at least one of the first and second data characteristics is received from a tool used by an administrator of the first and second applications.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein in receiving, the first and second applications are network administered and accessible over a network.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein in selecting, the common data characteristic is defined by an administrator.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein in selecting, the common data characteristic is automatically defined by evaluating meta data associated with the first and second data characteristics.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein in determining, if the common data characteristic cannot be enforced against both the first and second applications, then sending a notification for modification to at least one of the first and second data characteristics.

16. A system to normalize data characteristics between applications, comprising:

a network;

a first application having a first data characteristic

a second application having a second data characteristic;

a normalization application that selects one of the first and second data characteristics as a common data characteristic; and

a schema application that enforces a schema representing the common data characteristic for both the first and second applications over the network.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein if the normalization application cannot select the common data characteristic an alert is sent to an administrator for manual intervention.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the first and second data characteristics are field characteristics for a database.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the first and second data characteristics are rules enforced on passwords that are required to access the first and second applications.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising a tool accessible to an administrator for providing at least one of the first and second data characteristics.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the administrator uses the tool to override the common data characteristic selected by the normalization application.

22. A meta schema for normalizing data characteristics between application, the meta schema resides in a computer readable medium and comprises:

a first identification for a first application;

a second identification for a second application;

rules data that defines a common data characteristic for access to the first and second application; and

wherein the meta schema is invoked when access is attempted to the first or second application and the rules data is applied before access is granted.

23. The meta schema of claim 22 wherein the rules data is automatically generated by a normalization application after evaluating a first data characteristic of the first application and a second data characteristic of the second application.

24. The meta schema of claim 22 wherein an administrator manually defines the rules data.

25. The meta schema of claim 22 wherein first application and the second application are distributed over a network and the meta schema is used to enforce the meta schema when network access attempts are made to the first or second application.

26. The meta schema of claim 22 wherein the common data characteristic is used to enforce at least one of common data types, common data values, common data ranges, common data lengths, and common data character sets between the first and second applications.