METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INDUCTIVE DATA TRANSFORMATION

• US 20080183766A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kurani, Navin V., Weston, David W.
• Application Number:
  US11/838,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases

Abstract

A method for updating data within a database is described. The method includes identifying data elements within the database that need to be updated, creating a data transformation matrix for analysis of changes to the data elements, creating a database update script including an update command for each group of changes, and running the database update script to update the database.

Claims

1. A method for updating data within a database, said method comprising:

identifying data elements within the database that need to be updated;

creating a data transformation matrix for analysis of proposed changes to the data elements;

creating a database update script including an update command for each group of proposed changes; and

running the database update script to update the database.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying data elements that need to be updated comprises identifying the nature of the needed data changes, identifying data types associated with the changes, and categorizing the needed data changes.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein creating a data transformation matrix for analysis of proposed changes comprises:

determining material changes to be made for each data change category; and

managing change audit records.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein creating a data transformation matrix for analysis of proposed changes comprises creating the data transformation matrix utilizing spreadsheet manipulations.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein creating a database update script comprises creating, directly from data within the spreadsheet, a structured query language data update command for each group of proposed changes.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein creating a structured query language data update command for each group of proposed changes comprises replicating the structured query language update command for each data element in the change group based on data in said transformation matrix.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein creating, directly from data within the spreadsheet, a structured query language data update command for each group of proposed changes comprises creating a cell value that, when calculated, results in a structured query language statement operable to make desired data element changes for a single row of the database.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein creating a structured query language data update command for each group of proposed changes comprises creating a corresponding structured query language undo data change command operable to undo the corresponding changes made to the database.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein creating a corresponding structured query language undo data change command comprises creating a structured query language undo data changes script by compiling the structured query language undo data change commands.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recording changes made to the database.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein recording changes made to the database comprises running a corresponding structured query language audit update command after running each structured query language data update command.

12. A computer system programmed to:

compile a matrix of proposed changes to data elements of a database;

create a database update script, directly from data within the database, including an update command for each group of proposed changes; and

run the database update script to update the data elements in the database.

13. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein to create a database update script said computer is programmed to create a structured query language data update command for each group of data elements to be updated within the database.

14. The computer system according to claim 13, further programmed to replicate the structured query language update command for each data element in the group of data elements to be updated within the database.

15. The computer system according to claim 13, further programmed to create a cell value for a database spreadsheet that, when calculated, results in a structured query language statement operable to update database data elements for a single row of the database.

16. The computer system according to claim 13, further programmed to create a corresponding structured query language undo data element change command operable to remove corresponding database data elements updates made to the database.

17. The computer system according to claim 12, further programmed to running a corresponding audit update command script after running each database update script.

18. A method for generating a script for updating data within a database, said method comprising:

manipulating elements within a spreadsheet associated with the database to create a data transformation matrix;

creating, directly from data within the spreadsheet, a structured query language (SQL) data update command for updating the data within the database; and

executing the SQL data update command.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein creating a SQL data update command comprises replicating the SQL update command for each data element in the database to be updated.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein creating a SQL data update command comprises creating a cell value for the spreadsheet that, when calculated, results in a SQL statement operable to update data elements within a single row of the database.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein creating a SQL data update command for updating the data within the database comprises creating a corresponding SQL undo data change command operable to undo the updates to the data within the database.