Dynamic Accessible Reporting Tool (DART)

• US 20080091709A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morgan Stanley Services Group Inc. (Morgan Stanley)
• Original Assignee: Morgan Stanley
• Inventors: Unnithan, Sunil, Goel, Amit, Balda, Matthew, Das, Shubhendu, Gorvits, Jeff, Chang, Chengping
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A flexible metadata driven and workflow based report generation system is disclosed. The system comprises a Flexible Reporting GUI with four components that allow the user direct control in the creation of a report within a single application: a Data Generator for retrieving data, a Report Designer with a built-in report designer application, a Report Deployment element for deploying the report and an Report Run element for interactively running the report. The Flexible Reporting GUI allows a user to run a report with updated data stores, and to define the various parameters that affect the content of the generated report with great flexibility. Through the system of the invention, the user can be directly involved in all the report generation steps, through a user friendly interface, and a simplified environment. Moreover, the system in the invention provides improved solutions for updated data retrieval from protected data sources.

Claims

1. A method for running a data report comprising:

(i) initiating a graphical user interface comprising four components, wherein said components comprise a data generator component, a report designer component, a report deployment component and a report run component;

(ii) retrieving data from a first database by selecting said data through said data generator component, wherein said first database is securely protected by data services, wherein access to said first database data is only allowed through said data services;

(iii) designing said report by selecting report parameters through said report designer component; and

(iv) running said report through said report run component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(v) extracting report metadata from the designed report through said report deployment component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said data generator component retrieves the data selected from said first database through reporting architecture and said data services.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the retrieving step further comprises sending a data request to said first database, wherein said data request corresponds to a plurality of data records within said first database, and wherein each data record within each of said plurality of data records corresponding to the same data request has a unique key corresponding to said data request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the retrieving step further comprises retrieving said plurality of data records and storing the retrieved plurality of data records in a second database comprising staging tables, wherein said staging tables are configured to be shared by a plurality of users.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said designing step further comprises loading a web based report designer application, said report designer application establishing a semantic layer on said second database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said plurality of data records correspond to a plurality of data categories in said first database, and wherein said plurality of data records corresponding to said plurality of data categories are stored within a corresponding plurality of records and a corresponding plurality of tables within said second database.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said corresponding plurality of records having the same unique key within each of said corresponding plurality of tables within said second database are linked in a single record, and wherein said single record is stored in a separate table within said second database.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the extracting step further comprises storing said report metadata in a report metadata database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the running step comprises a run method selected from the group consisting of:

an ad hoc run method and a batch run method.

11. A data storage medium comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

(i) generate a user interface comprising;

a data generator component for data retrieval from a first database, wherein said database is securely protected by data services, wherein access to said first database data is only allowed through said data services;

a data report designer component for selecting report parameters;

a report deployment component for extracting report metadata; and

a report run component for running said data report;

(ii) retrieve data from said first database by selecting said data through said data generator component;

(iii) design a report through said designer component; and

(iv) run said report through said report run component.

12. The data storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

(v) extract report metadata through said report deployment component.

13. The data storage medium of claim 11, wherein said data generator component retrieves the data selected from said first database through reporting architecture and said data services.

14. The data storage medium of claim 13, wherein said data are retrieved by sending a data request to said first database, wherein said data request corresponds to a plurality of data records within said first database, and wherein each of said plurality of data records corresponding to the same data request has a unique key corresponding to said data request.

15. The data storage medium of claim 14, wherein said plurality of data records are retrieved and stored in a second database comprising staging tables, wherein said staging tables are configured to be shared by a plurality of users.

16. The data storage medium of claim 15, wherein said designer component loads a web based report designer application, said report designer application establishing a semantic layer on said second database.

17. The data storage medium of claim 16, wherein said plurality of data records correspond to a plurality of data categories in said first database, and wherein said plurality of data records corresponding to said plurality of data categories are stored within a corresponding plurality of records and a corresponding plurality of tables within said second database.

18. The data storage medium of claim 17, wherein said corresponding plurality of data records having the same unique key within each of said corresponding plurality of tables within said second database are linked in a single record, and wherein said single record is stored in a separate table within said second database.

19. The data storage medium of claim 12, wherein the extraction of report metadata further comprises storing said report metadata in a report metadata database.

20. The data storage medium of claim 11, wherein the said report is run with a run method selected from the group consisting of:

an ad hoc run method and a batch run method.

21. A system for running a data report from data stored in a database comprising:

(i) a first database, wherein said first database is securely protected by data services, wherein access to said first database data is only allowed through said data services;

(ii) a graphical user interface comprising;

a data generator component for a data retrieval from said first database;

a data report designer component for selecting report parameters;

a report deployment component for extracting said report parameters; and

a report run component for running said data report;

(iii) reporting architecture;

(iv) a second database, wherein said database comprises staging tables; and

(iv) a report metadata database.