Method of generating data servers for heterogeneous data sources

• US 20050149552A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Jing, Lam, Nicole Ai Ling, Lennon, Alison Joan, Chan, Sammy
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A query system (1600) is formed by a wizard (1605) operating to form a data server (1610) arranged to serve data from a data source (1615) to a client application (1630), each of the wizard, the client application, the data server and the data source being linked by a communications network (1650). The data source has native data types and data arranged in a data structure. The wizard operates to firstly identify the data source over the network. The wizard further provides an application program for traversing and examining at least one of the data structure and data of the identified data source. The application program is operable to generate a representative schema (1614) comprising mapping data for converting the native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model. The wizard further operates to create a server application (1612) adapted to use the representative schema to convert the data from the native data types to the predetermined data types and to serve the data to the client application according to the common data model over the network. The representative schema and the server application thereby form the data server generated by the wizard. Once formed, the data server may receive and respond to queries from the client application, which may have no knowledge of the native data types, but which are directed to the data source.

Claims

1. A method of forming a data server for serving data from a data source to a client application, said data source comprising native data types and data arranged in a data structure, said method comprising providing an application program executable to perform the steps of:

(a) identifying said data source;

(b) traversing and examining at least one of the data structures and data of said identified data source, said application program being operable to generate a representative schema comprising mapping data for converting said native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model; and

(c) creating a server application adapted to use said representative schema to convert said data from said native data types to said predetermined data types and to serve said data to said client application according to said common data model;

said representative schema and said server application thereby forming said data server.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said data source is selected from the group consisting of a relational data source and a hierarchical data source.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said data source comprises a database.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said application program provides the additional step of:

(d) deploying said created server application to enable access to data from said data source over a network.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the created data server application is deployed to enable access to data from said data source over a network.

6. A method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of accessing said deployed data server using a URI.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said data source is one of:

(a) a relational database;

(b) an ODBC data source;

(c) an hierarchical directory of files;

(d) a Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook mailbox;

(e) a delimited text file;

(f) a native XML database; and

(g) a Lotus Notes database.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said representative schema uses a hierarchical data model.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein said representative schema is represented using XML Schema.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein a predefined schema is adapted to be used as said representative schema, said predefined schema is supplied to said application program when forming a data server.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein said representative schema comprises XML Schema, said query comprise an XQuery, and said result comprises an XML result.

11. A method of serving data between a data source and a client application interconnected by a network, said data source comprising native data types and data arranged in a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a data server for serving data from a data source to a client application over a network, said forming comprising;

(aa) identifying said data source on said network;

(ab) providing an application program for traversing and examining at least one of the data structure and data of said identified data source, said application program being operable to generate a representative schema comprising mapping data for converting said native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model; and

(ac) creating a server application adapted to use said representative schema to convert said data from said native data types to said predetermined data types and to serve said data to said client application according to said common data model over said network, said representative schema and said server application thereby forming said data server;

(b) parsing, according to said server application, a query received over said network from said client application according to said common data model;

(c) mapping said parsed query, using said server application, to form a data request in said native data type of said data source;

(d) using said data request to retrieve response data in said native data types from said data source in response to said received query;

(e) converting said response data according to said server application to form a response to said query according to said common data model; and

(f) returning said response to said client application over said network.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein a predefined schema is adapted to be used as said representative schema, said predefined schema is supplied to said application program when forming a data server.

14. A method of forming a data server for serving views of data from a data source to a client application over a network, said data source comprising native data types and data arranged in a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) identifying said data source on said network;

(ii) traversing and examining at least one of the data structure and data of said identified data source, to generate a representative schema comprising mapping data for converting said native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model, said mapping data being operable to preserve relationships between the data in data source and to provide a plurality of possible views of the data in said data source; and

(iii) creating a server application adapted to use said representative schema to convert said data from said native data types to said predetermined data types and to serve said data to said client application according to said common data model over said network;

said representative schema and said server application thereby forming said data server.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein one of said plurality of possible views of said data source can be retrieved from said data mapper using a query.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said data source is selected from the group consisting of a relational data source and a hierarchical data source.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein said data source comprises a database.

18. A method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of deploying said data server on said network.

19. A method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of accessing said deployed data server using a URI.

20. A method according to claim 14 wherein said data source is one of:

(a) a relational database; and

(b) an ODBC data source; and

said method comprises providing an application program for performing at least step (ii).

21. A method according to claim 14 wherein said representative schema uses a hierarchical data model.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein said data model is XML Schema.

23. A method of serving data between a data source and a client application interconnected by a network, said data source comprising native data types and data arranged in a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a data server for serving views of data from a data source to a client application over a network, said forming comprising;

(aa) identifying said data source on said network;

(ab) traversing and examining at least one of the data structure and data of said identified data source to generate a representative schema comprising mapping data for converting said native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model, said mapping data being operable to preserve relationships between the data in data source and to provide a plurality of selectable views of the data in said data source; and

(ac) creating a server application adapted to use said representative schema to convert said data from said native data types to said predetermined data types and to serve said data to said client application according to said common data model over said network, said representative schema and said server application thereby forming said data server;

(b) parsing, according to said server application, a query for a view received over said network from said client application according to said common data model;

(c) mapping said parsed query, using said server application, to form a data request in said native data type of said data source;

(d) using said data request to retrieve response data in said native data types from said data source in response to said received query;

(e) converting said response data according to said server application to form a response to said query according to said common data model, said response including a view of said data; and

(f) returning said response to said client application over said network to permit viewing of said data.

24. A method according to claim 23 where in said representative schema comprises XML Schema, said query comprise an XQuery, and said result comprises an XML result.

25. A method according to claim 23 wherein step (a) comprises providing an application program for at least performing step (ab).

26. A computer readable medium having a computer program recorded thereon and executable to make a computer form a data server for serving data between a data source and a client application interconnected by a network, said program comprising:

code for identifying said data source;

code for traversing and examining at least one of the data structures and data of said identified data source, said application program being operable to generate a representative schema comprising mapping data for converting said native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model; and

code for creating a server application adapted to use said representative schema to convert said data from said native data types to said predetermined data types and to serve said data to said client application according to said common data model;

said representative schema and said server application thereby forming said data server.

27. A computer program executable to make a computer form a data server for serving data between a data source and a client application, said program comprising:

code for identifying said data source;

code for traversing and examining at least one of the data structures and data of said identified data source, and being operable to generate a representative schema comprising mapping data for converting said native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model; and

code for creating a server application adapted to use said representative schema to convert said data from said native data types to said predetermined data types and to serve said data to said client application according to said common data model;

wherein said representative schema and said server application thereby form said data server.

28. A computer program according to claim 27 wherein said program is deliverable to a first computer and executable upon said first computer to form said data server upon a second computer, both said computers forming part of a network.

29. A computer program according to claim 28 wherein said client application is resident and operable from a third computer and said data source is founded upon one of a fourth or said second computer.

30. A computer readable medium having a computer application program recorded thereon, said application program being deliverable by said medium to a computer and executable by said computer to form a data server for serving data between a data source and a client application, said program comprising:

code for identifying said data source;

code for traversing and examining at least one of the data structures and data of said identified data source, and being operable to generate a representative schema comprising mapping data for converting said native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model; and

code for creating a server application adapted to use said representative schema to convert said data from said native data types to said predetermined data types and to serve said data to said client application according to said common data model;

wherein said representative schema and said server application thereby form said data server.

31. Computer apparatus adapted to form a data server for serving data between a data source and a client application, said apparatus comprising:

means for identifying said data source;

means for traversing and examining at least one of the data structures and data of said identified data source, and being operable to generate a representative schema comprising mapping data for converting said native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model; and

means for creating a server application adapted to use said representative schema to convert said data from said native data types to said predetermined data types and to serve said data to said client application according to said common data model;

wherein said representative schema and said server application thereby form said data server.