METHODS AND TRANSFORMATIONS FOR TRANSFORMING METADATA MODEL

• US 20070130180A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Transformations are provided for transforming a metadata model that contains model objects. The metadata model has a multiple layers including a lower layer containing one or more lower abstraction model objects having a lower abstraction level and a higher layer containing one or more higher abstraction model objects having a higher abstraction level. The transformations transform the model objects from the lower layer to the higher layer.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising a metadata model transformer for transforming a metadata model, the transformer comprising:

a lower-to-higher transformation having;

means for obtaining information from a model object in a lower layer of a metadata model having the lower layer containing one or more model objects having a lower degree of abstraction and a higher layer containing one or more model objects having a higher degree of abstraction;

means for abstracting the information by adding business rules for representing a business concept; and

means for creating a model object in the higher layer corresponding to the model object in the lower layer based on the information abstracted by the means for abstracting, whereby the model object in the higher layer provides a representation of the business concept,

wherein the metadata model is stored in a storage device.

2. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a lower layer transformation having;

means for obtaining information from a model object in the lower layer;

means for modifying the obtained information; and

means for transforming the model object in the lower layer based on the modified information.

3. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a lower layer transformation having;

means for obtaining information from a model object in the lower layer;

means for determining a specific feature included in the obtained information; and

means for creating a new model object in the lower layer based on the specific feature.

4. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a lower layer transformation having;

means for obtaining relationship information between multiple model objects in the lower layer; and

means for creating a new model object in the lower layer based on the relationship information.

5. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a higher layer transformation having;

means for obtaining information from a model object in the higher layer;

means for modifying the obtained information; and

means for transforming the model object in the higher layer based on the modified information.

6. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a higher layer transformation having;

means for obtaining information of a model object in the higher layer;

means for determining a specific feature included in the obtained information; and

means for creating a new model object in the higher layer based on the specific feature.

7. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a higher layer transformation having;

means for obtaining relationship information between multiple model objects in the higher layer; and

means for creating a new model object in the higher layer based on the relationship information.

8. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a higher layer transformation having;

means for selecting a subset of the model objects in the higher layer; and

means for creating a new model object in the higher layer based on the selected subset of the model objects in the higher layer.

9. A method for transforming in a computer system a metadata model for containing model objects, the method comprising steps of:

obtaining information from a model object in a lower layer of a metadata model having multiple layers including the lower layer containing one or more model objects having a lower degree of abstraction and a higher layer containing one or more model objects having a higher degree of abstraction;

abstracting the information by adding business rules for representing a business concept;

creating a model object in the higher layer corresponding to the model object in the lower layer based on the information abstracted, whereby the model object in the higher layer provides a representation of the business concept; and

storing the metadata model having the lower layer and the higher layer in a storage device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining information from a model object in the lower layer;

modifying the obtained information; and

transforming the model object in the lower layer based on the modified information.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining information from a model object in the lower layer;

determining a specific feature included in the obtained information; and

creating a new model object in the lower layer based on the specific feature.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining relationship information between multiple model objects in the lower layer; and

creating a new model object in the lower layer based on the relationship information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining information from a model object in the higher layer;

modifying the obtained information; and

transforming the model object in the higher layer based on the modified information.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining information of a model object in the higher layer;

determining a specific feature included in the obtained information; and

creating a new model object in the higher layer based on the specific feature.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

obtaining relationship information between multiple model objects in the higher layer; and

creating a new model object in the higher layer based on the relationship information.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a subset of the model objects in the higher layer; and

creating a new model object in the higher layer based on the selected subset of the model objects in the higher layer.

17. A computer readable memory for storing code which identifying instructions for transforming in a computer system a metadata model for containing model objects, the instructions comprising:

obtaining information from a model object in a lower layer of a metadata model having multiple layers including the lower layer containing one or more model objects having a lower degree of abstraction and a higher layer containing one or more model objects having a higher degree of abstraction;

abstracting the information by adding business rules for representing a business concept;

creating a model object in the higher layer corresponding to the model object in the lower layer based on the information abstracted, whereby the model object in the higher layer provides a representation of the business concept; and

storing the metadata model having the lower layer and the higher layer in a storage device.