Automatic discovery of data relationships

• US 20070179959A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Farmer, Donald, Sharma, Ashvini
• Application Number:
  US11/342,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179959A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/01 Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/96 Management of image or video recognition tasks

Abstract

A system that can facilitate automatic determination of relationships/patterns corresponding to data and appropriate mappings therewith is provided. One key concept is to employ idle time resources available when a computer is not being utilized to discover these relationships. In another aspect, the system can trigger relationship discovery in accordance with a predefined schedule. In other words, a user can specify when they would like the discovery to occur (e.g., time-based). The novel mapping components can employ different algorithms (e.g., heuristics, machine learning) to discover relationships between the sources and targets (e.g., destinations). When relationships and/or patterns are discovered, the system can notify a user to get confirmation that the mappings can be persisted. A tool or UI can be employed by a user to access and control flow of this information. As well, a repository (e.g., relationship repository) can be employed to store the information.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates data mapping between a source and a target, comprising:

a schedule component that generates a trigger; and

a mapping component that, upon receipt of the trigger, automatically discovers a plurality of data relationships between the source and the target.

2. The system of claim 1, the trigger is based upon an idle time determination.

3. The system of claim 1, the schedule component includes an idle-time detection component that identifies an idle time situation and generates the trigger based upon the discovery of the idle time situation.

4. The system of claim 1, the trigger is based at least upon a time-based program.

5. The system of claim 1, the schedule component predicts an idle time and schedules the trigger based at least in part upon the prediction.

6. The system of claim 1, the mapping component comprises an analyzer component that discovers data relationships between the source and the target based at least in part upon a pre-defined logic.

7. The system of claim 6, the mapping component further comprises a logic component that facilitates the pre-defined logic based at least in part upon one of a domain-based logic, a heuristic-based logic and a parameter-based logic.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a heuristic component that employs a statistical-based analysis to infer an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a heuristic component that employs a historical-based analysis to infer an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface that facilitates identification of the source and the target and verification of a subset of the plurality of the data relationships.

11. A computer-implemented method of automatically discovering data relationships, comprising:

initiating a mapping operation;

identifying an original data source that has a plurality of source data elements maintained therein;

identifying a target data source that has a plurality of target data elements maintained therein;

analyzing a subset of the plurality of source data elements with respect to the plurality of target data elements; and

discovering a plurality of data relationships based at least in part upon a result of the act of analyzing.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising detecting an idle time situation and initiating the mapping operation based at least in part upon the idle time situation.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising establishing a time-based program and initiating the mapping operation based at least in part upon the time-based program.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising inferring an idle time situation and initiating the mapping operation based at least in part upon the idle time situation.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, the act of discovering further comprises employing heuristics to infer a subset of the plurality of the data relationships.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising verifying a subset of the data relationships.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising mapping a subset of the plurality of source data elements to a plurality of target data elements based at least in part upon the verification.

18. A computer-executable system that facilitates data relationship discovery, comprising:

means for detecting an idle time related to a source and a target;

means for automatically determining a plurality of data relationships between the source and the target; and

means for mapping a subset of the plurality of data relationships between the source and the target.

19. The computer-executable system of claim 18, further comprising means for identifying the source and the target.

20. The computer-executable system of claim 19, further comprising means for verifying the subset of the plurality of data relationships.