Generation of anonymized data records from productive application data

• US 20060059149A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UBS Ag
• Original Assignee: UBS Ag
• Inventors: Dunki, Peter, Frei, Christoph
• Application Number:
  US11/200,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059149A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries

Abstract

A mechanism is described for the computer-aided generation of anonymized data records for the development and testing of application programs that are intended for use in a productive network (12). A method according to the invention comprises the provision of at least one productive database (14) containing data records to be anonymized that contain static and non-static data elements, the non-static data elements being generated and/or processed by application programs in the productive environment (12) and the static data elements being essentially invariable in the productive environment (12). The method comprises, in addition, reading a plurality of productive data records out of the productive database (14) and generating anonymized data records by replacing at least some of the static data elements of a first productive data record with the corresponding static data elements of a second productive or historicized productive data record. The anonymized data records are then transferred to a development or test environment (27).

Claims

1. A method for the computer-aided generation of anonymized data records for developing and testing application programs that are intended for use in a productive environment, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one productive database containing productive data records to be anonymized that contain static and non-static data elements, the non-static data elements being at least one of generated and processed by application programs in the productive environment and the static data elements being substantially invariable in the productive environment;

reading a plurality of productive data records out of the productive database;

generating anonymized data records by replacing at least some of the static data elements of a first productive data record with the corresponding static data elements of a second productive or of a historicized productive data record;

transferring the anonymized data records to a development or test environment.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing static data elements that are drawn from outside the productive environment; and

generating anonymized data records by replacing at least some of the static data elements of the first or of a third productive data record with corresponding static data elements from outside the productive environment.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein less than approximately 25% of the anonymized data records are generated on the basis of the static data elements drawn from outside the productive environment.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of historicization of at least the static data elements of the productive data records for the purpose of generating historicized productive data records.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reading out the productive data records into flat files; and

processing the productive data records read out into the flat files to generate the anonymized data records.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the anonymized data records are loaded into the development or test environment in the form of flat files.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of loading the anonymized data records into a development and test database that has the same structure as the productive database.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-static data elements are numerical values.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the static data elements are identity-related data.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing selection criteria; and

selective reading of the productive data records or productive data elements that fulfil the selection criteria out of the productive database.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the productive data records are read out of the productive database without interruption in such a way that an instantaneous picture of the database content or a portion thereof is obtained.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of updating the anonymized data records on the basis of changes in the productive data records.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the static data elements and the non-static data elements of the productive data records are contained in separate productive databases, but are linked to one another.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of productive data records exists that have identical static data elements, but different non-static data elements.

15. A computer program product comprising program code means for performing the method according to claim 1 when the computer program product is executed on one or more computers.

16. The computer program according to claim 15, stored on a computer-readable data medium.

17. A computer system for generating anonymized data records for developing and testing application programs that are intended for use in a productive environment, comprising:

at least one productive database containing productive data records to be anonymized that contain static and non-static data elements, the non-static data elements being at least one of generated and processed by application programs in the productive environment and the static data elements being substantially invariable in the productive environment;

a computer for reading a plurality of productive data records out of the productive database and for generating anonymized data records by replacing at least some of the static data elements of a first productive data record with the corresponding static data elements of a second productive or historicized productive data record;

an interface for transferring the anonymized data records to a development or test environment.

18. The computer system according to claim 17, further comprising a historicization database containing historicized productive data records.