Customizable data translation method and system

• US 20050131970A1
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Salazar, Fernando, Sorrows, Bryan B., Rathinagopal, Sankaranarayanan
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

The method and system of the present invention provides a customizable and configurable data translation tool that transforms data from one learning format to another. The invention further provides a flexible handling of data sources by extracting source data, such as user and course data in an e-learning model, and transforming the data into a form that is compatible with a Learning Management System (LMS). The invention provides flexible data targets by transforming the data into a form that not only preserves all relevant information from the source for loading into the target LMS but also produces industry standard files including metadata that can be used to modify the course or produce a new course by using a course authoring tool. Course structure and progress data can be transferred to the new LMS by re-loading the content on the LMS and linking that content with the previous course and progress data. The present invention also generates new unique identifiers, and utilizes the capabilities of the user migration to link progress data, instructor information, and progress with previous identifiers.

Claims

1. A method of transforming source data from a source database to a target database in a data management system, the method comprising:

converting the source data to a format compatible with the target database, the converted source data containing object identification information;

matching object identifiers with corresponding object identification information contained in the converted source data if there is an existing directory containing object identifiers related to the object identification information contained in the converted source data; and

loading the converted source data into the target database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data management system is a learning management system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the source data contains user and course information related to the learning management system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising updating the source database to include the object identifiers contained in the existing directory if a match is found.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the object identification information and the object identifiers relate to names of users of the learning management system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising manually selecting a match of object identifiers and corresponding object identification information if no match or if more than one potential match is found.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein if no match is found, further creating a file containing the object identifiers having a format similar to the converted source data.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein manually selecting a match of object identifiers and corresponding object identification information if more than one potential match is found further includes creating a file containing the potential matches and re-generating the matching process.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which when executed performs a method of transforming source data from a source database to a target database in a data management system the method comprising:

converting the source data to a format compatible with the target database, the converted source data containing object identification information;

matching object identifiers with corresponding object identification information contained in the converted source data if there is an existing directory containing object identifiers related to the object identification information contained in the converted source data; and

loading the converted source data into the target database.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the data management system is a learning management system.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the source data contains user and course information related to the learning management system.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method performed by the stored computer program when executed further includes updating the source database to include the object identifiers contained in the existing directory if a match is found.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the object identification information and the object identifiers relate to names of users of the learning management system.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method performed by the stored computer program when executed further includes manually selecting a match of object identifiers and corresponding object identification information if no match or if more than one potential match is found.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein if no match is found, further creating a file containing the object identifiers having a format similar to the converted source data.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein manually selecting a match of object identifiers and corresponding object identification information if more than one potential match is found further includes creating a file containing the potential matches and re-generating the matching process.

17. A data transformation tool for transforming source data from a source database to a target database in a data management system, the tool comprising:

a data transformation utility adapted to convert the source data to a format compatible with the target database, the converted source data containing object identification information;

a data matching utility adapted to determine if there is an existing directory containing object identifiers related to the object identification information contained in the converted source data and to match the object identifiers with corresponding object identification information contained in the converted source data; and

a data loading utility adapted to load the converted source data into the target database.

18. The data transformation tool of claim 17, wherein the data management system is a learning management system.

19. The data transformation tool of claim 18, wherein the source data contains user and course information related to the learning management system.

20. The data transformation tool of claim 19, wherein the data matching utility is further adapted to update the source database to include the object identifiers contained in the existing directory if a match is found.

21. The data transformation tool of claim 20, wherein the object identification information and the object identifiers relate to names of users of the learning management system.

22. The data transformation tool of claim 21, further comprising user intervention to manually select a match of object identifiers and corresponding object identification information if no match or if more than one potential match is found.

23. The data transformation tool of claim 22 further comprising a file containing the object identifiers having a format similar to the converted source data.

24. The data transformation tool of claim 22, further comprising a file containing the potential matches if more than one potential match is found.