Master Data Management System for Centrally Managing Core Reference Data Associated with an Enterprise

• US 20080052311A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: JDA Software Group Incorporated (RedPrairie Holding Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rangadass, Vasudev
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/944 Business related
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system is provided for centrally managing core enterprise reference data associated with an enterprise. A centralized master repository contains the core enterprise reference data. An internal services framework coupled to the centralized master repository provides internal services for managing the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository, one or more of the internal services having direct access to the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository for management purposes. An infrastructure services layer coupled to the centralized master repository includes: (1) a back side data access layer that (a) provides bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows, and (b) provides the external operational systems with indirect access, for operational purposes, to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository; and (2) a front side data access layer that (a) transfers control data from the external operational systems to the system to control operations of the system, and (b) provides the external operational systems with direct access to certain of the internal services that directly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for centrally managing core enterprise reference data associated with an enterprise, comprising:

a centralized master repository containing the core enterprise reference data;

an internal services framework coupled to the centralized master repository and providing internal services for managing the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository, one or more of the internal services having direct access to the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository for management purposes;

an infrastructure services layer coupled to the centralized master repository and comprising;

a back side data access layer operable to;

provide bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows; and

provide the external operational systems with indirect access, for operational purposes, to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository; and

a front side data access layer operable to;

transfer control data from the external operational systems to the system to control operations of the system; and

provide the external operational systems with direct access to certain of the internal services that directly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository; and

a database associated with the centralized master repository for storing the core enterprise reference data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates modification of an external operational system without modifying the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates integration of an external operational system when the external operational system is introduced, modified, or replaced.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates integration of another enterprise into the enterprise.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the core enterprise reference data stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute associated with a point in n-dimensional entity space.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the centralized master repository comprises multiple master repositories residing at multiple physical locations, the centralized master repository appearing to internal services and external operational systems as a single master repository at a single physical location.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a database containing at least some of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository, any core enterprise reference data that is not physically contained in the database appearing to internal services and external operational systems as if it was physically contained in the database.

8. A method for centrally managing core enterprise reference data associated with an enterprise, comprising:

providing a centralized master repository containing the core enterprise reference data;

providing an internal services framework that is coupled to the centralized master repository and provides internal services for managing the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository, one or more of the internal services having direct access to the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository for management purposes;

providing an infrastructure services layer that is coupled to the centralized master repository and comprises;

a back side data access layer operable to;

provide bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows; and

provide the external operational systems with indirect access, for operational purposes, to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository; and

a front side data access layer operable to;

transfer control data from the external operational systems to the system to control operations of the system; and

provide the external operational systems with direct access to certain of the internal services that directly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository; and

a database associated with the centralized master repository for storing the core enterprise reference data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates modification of an external operational system without modifying the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates integration of an external operational system when the external operational system is introduced, modified, or replaced.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates integration of another enterprise into the enterprise.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the core enterprise reference data stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute associated with a point in n-dimensional entity space.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the centralized master repository comprises multiple master repositories residing at multiple physical locations, the centralized master repository appearing to internal services and external operational systems as a single master repository at a single physical location.

14. The method of claim 8, comprising providing a database containing at least some of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository, any core enterprise reference data that is not physically contained in the database appearing to internal services and external operational systems as if it was physically contained in the database.

15. Software for centrally managing core enterprise reference data associated with an enterprise, the software being embodied in one or more computer-readable media and when executed using one or more computer systems operable to:

interact with a centralized master repository containing the core enterprise reference data;

provide an internal services framework that is coupled to the centralized master repository and provides internal services for managing the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository, one or more of the, internal services having direct access to the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository for management purposes;

provide an infrastructure services layer that is coupled to the centralized master repository and comprises;

a back side data access layer operable to;

provide bulk data transfers of core enterprise reference data between the centralized master repository and one or more external operational systems according to one or more enterprise-level business workflows; and

provide the external operational systems with indirect access, for operational purposes, to associated external operation services within the system that indirectly access the core enterprise reference data stored in the centralized master repository; and

a front side data access layer operable to;

transfer control data from the external operational systems to the system to control operations of the system; and

provide the external operational systems with direct access to certain of the internal services that directly access the core enterprise reference data within the centralized core repository; and

a database associated with the centralized master repository for storing the core enterprise reference data.

16. The software of claim 15, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates modification of an external operational system without modifying the core enterprise reference data within the centralized master repository.

17. The software of claim 15, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates integration of an external operational system when the external operational system is introduced, modified, or replaced.

18. The software of claim 15, wherein providing centralized storage and management of the core enterprise reference data in the centralized master repository facilitates integration of another enterprise into the enterprise.

19. The software of claim 15, wherein the centralized master repository incorporates a multi-dimensional database construct in which all the core enterprise reference data stored within the centralized master repository is represented as an attribute associated with a point in n-dimensional entity space.

20. The software of claim 15, wherein the centralized master repository comprises multiple master repositories residing at multiple physical locations, the centralized master repository appearing to internal services and external operational systems as a single master repository at a single physical location.