Merging of products into a database

• US 20050065945A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Heusermann, Knut
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for merging data sets of a data base with data sets of a data base of a data management system. To allow merging without losing relevant data, it is proposed to determine one data set as a merging basis, match data from the data bases to identify matching data sets, create a list of matching data sets, determine data sets within the list as merging partners, and merging the merge partners with the merging basis into a single data set.

Claims

1. Method for merging data sets of a data base with data sets of a data base of a data management system with:

determining one data set as a merging basis;

matching data from the data bases to identify matching data sets;

creating a list of matching data sets;

determining data sets within the list as merging partners; and

merging the merging partners with the merging basis into a single data set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a data set is comprised of at least one data block comprising a defined set of product data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the merging basis is determined from the update status of the data sets.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a data set is determined as a merging basis in case it exists in the system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a data set is determined as a merging basis in case it has not been changed.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein a data set is determined as a merging basis in case it is new.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria for determining the merging basis is customized.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein merging rules determining the process to be carried out during merging the data sets into one data set are defined.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein merging tasks determining the status of the merging basis and the merging partner and/or their relation to each other are defined.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein merging rules are assigned to merging tasks.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the assignment of the merging rules to the merging tasks is customized.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining merging tasks determining the status of the merging basis and the merging partner and/or their relation to each other;

assigning merging rules to merging tasks; and

merging the merging partners with the merging basis according to the assignment of merging rules to merging tasks into a single data set.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the merging rules comprise cancelling the merging process.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the merging rules comprise ignoring the merging partner and continuing with the next merging partner from the list.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the merging rules comprise remaining the merging basis unchanged.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the merging rules comprise replacing a data block of the merging basis with a data block of the merging partner or adding a data block of the merging partner to the data set of the merging basis.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the merging rules comprise removing a data block from the merging basis.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein an update indicator of the merging basis is checked and wherein the merging of the data sets is cancelled in case the update indicator is set to delete.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein an update indicator of the merging partner is checked and wherein the merging of the data sets is cancelled in case the update indicator is set to delete.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein a compatibility of the merging partner with the merging basis is checked based on particular data within the data sets and wherein the merging of the data sets is cancelled in case the data sets are incompatible.

21. System for merging data sets of a data base with data sets of a data base of a data management system, the system comprising:

matching means for matching data from the data bases to identify matching data sets and for creating a list of matching data sets;

determination means for determining one data set as a merging basis; and

determining data sets within the list as merging partners; and

merging means for merging the merging partners with the merging basis into a single data set.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the determination means determine the merging basis from the update status of the data sets.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the determination means are adapted to be customized concerning the criteria for determining the merging basis.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the merging means comprise merging rules determining the process to be carried out during merging the data sets into one data set.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the merging means comprise merging tasks determining the status of the merging basis and the merging partner and/or their relation to each other.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the merging means are adapted to be customized concerning the assignment of merging rules to merging tasks.

27. The system of claim 21 with the merging means comprising merging rules determining the process to be carried out during merging the data sets into one data set, the merging means further comprising merging tasks determining the status of the merging basis and the merging partner and/or their relation to each other, the merging means being adapted to be customized concerning the assignment of merging rules to merging tasks, and the merging means enabling merging the merging partners with the merging basis according to the assignment of merging rules to the merging tasks into a single data set.

28. Computer program product for merging data sets of a data base with data sets of a data base of a data management system with a computer program comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to:

determine one data set as a merging basis;

match data from the data bases to identify matching data sets;

create a list of matching data sets;

determine data sets within the list as merging partners; and

merge the merging partners with the merging basis into a single data set.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to determine the merging basis from the update status of the data sets.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to determine a data set as a merging basis in case it exists in the system.

31. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to determine a data set as a merging basis in case it has not been changed.

32. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to determine a data set as a merging basis in case it is new.

33. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to customize the criteria for determining the merging basis.

34. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to define merging rules determining the process to be carried out during merging the data sets into one data set.

35. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to define merging tasks determining the status of the merging basis and the merging partner and/or their relation to each other.

36. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to assigning merging rules to merging tasks.

37. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to customize the assignment of the merging rules to the merging tasks.

38. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to define merging tasks determining the status of the merging basis and the merging partner and/or their relation to each other, assign merging rules to merging tasks, and merge the merging partners with the merging basis according to the assignment of merging rules to merging tasks into a single data set

39. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to cancel the merging process according to merging rules.

40. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to ignore the merging partner and continuing with the next merging partner from the list according to merging rules.

41. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to remain the merging basis unchanged according to merging rules.

42. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to replace a data block of the merging basis with a data block of the merging partner or add a data block of the merging partner to the data set of the merging basis according to merging rules.

43. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to remove a data block from the merging basis according to merging rules.

44. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to check an update indicator of the merging basis and to cancel the merging of the data sets in case the update indicator is set to delete.

45. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to check an update indicator of the merging partner and wherein to cancel the merging of the data sets in case the update indicator is set to delete.

46. The computer program product of claim 28, comprising instructions operable to cause a processor to check a compatibility of the merging partner with the merging basis based on particular data within the data sets and to cancel the merging of the data sets in case the data sets are incompatible.

47. Data structure comprised from merging data sets of a data base with data sets of a data base of a data management system, wherein the data structure comprises data of a merging basis being merged with data from merging partners chosen from a list of merging partners.