METHOD FOR DATABASE CONSOLIDATION AND DATABASE SEPARATION

• US 20090037488A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eprentise LLC, Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Helene Abrams
• Inventors: Abrams, Helene
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

Methods for consolidating databases while maintaining data integrity are disclosed. A source database and target database are compared, and consolidated, and the consolidated databases are used. In other examples, a database is split to support divested entities.

Claims

1. A method for consolidating at least one source database and one target database, the method comprising:

identifying a source database, the source database including source metadata, source data values, source business processes, and source business rules;

identifying a target database, the target database including target metadata, target data values, target business processes, and target business rules;

identifying the source metadata to be included in the consolidated database;

identifying the target metadata to be included in the consolidated database;

comparing the source metadata and the target metadata;

resolving any conflicts between at least one source metadata and the target metadata based on the comparison;

defining a destination metadata of a destination consolidated database based on the at least one source metadata, the target metadata, and the resolved conflicts between the source metadata and the target metadata;

identifying the source data values of at least one source to be included in the destination consolidated database;

identifying the target data values to be included in the destination consolidated database;

comparing the source data values and the target data values;

resolving any conflicts between the source data values and the target data values;

defining a destination data values of the destination consolidated database based on the source data values, the target data values and the resolved conflicts between the source data values and the target data values;

identifying the source business processes and source business rules of at least one source;

identifying the target business processes and target business rules;

comparing the source business processes and source business rules and the target business processes and target business rules;

resolving any conflicts between the source business processes and source business rules and the target business processes and target business rules based on the comparison;

defining destination business processes and destination business rules of the destination consolidated database based on the source business processes, source business rules, target business processes, and target business rules, and the resolved conflicts between the source business processes and source business rules and the target business processes and target business rules; and

consolidating the at least one source database and target database into a destination consolidated database based on the destination metadata, destination data values, and destination business processes and destination business rules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata objects to be included in the consolidated destination database are automatically compared using a series of rules to compare database objects.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata objects to be included in the consolidated destination database are automatically created or changed using a series of metadata rules to create database objects.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein consolidating the at least one source database and target database into a destination consolidated database comprises applying at least one rule selected from the group consisting of entities in a given layer never reference entities in a lower level, and all references from an entity are on the same or higher levels.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining the sequence of consolidating data and wherein consolidating data initiates with at least one of the group consisting of seed data, codes data, configuration data, master data, and transaction data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein when the source data value is exactly identical to the target data value, the method further comprises:

mapping the data values of the at least one source database to the data values of the target database, and wherein when the source data values and the target data values are not identical, the method further comprises defining the data values to be included in the consolidated destination database.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

standardizing non-identical data values that have the same contextual meaning or are synonyms wherein standardizing comprises eliminating punctuation or capitalization and standardizing abbreviations, codes, and nomenclature for data values.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing at least one data value to another data value to identify candidate duplicate data values wherein a duplicate data value represents the same real-world entity and a set of two or more data records that represent a single real-world entity is called a duplicate set

identifying candidate duplicate data values by a series of duplicate criteria or user-defined rules,

merging duplicate records; and

populating the resolved duplicate data records into the consolidated destination database

9. The method of claim 1 conflicts are resolved using at least one rule using Boolean logic.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at least one user input, and wherein at least one candidate duplicate conflict is resolved responsive to the user input.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving the user input comprises:

presenting the conflict to at least one user;

requesting conflict resolution based on the presenting; and

receiving a conflict resolution input from the user.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

populating the consolidated destination database with the data values from the at least one source database and the target database with resolved duplicates, consistent data value formats, and unique data values.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the database objects that enforce at least one of a business process and a business rule in the at least one source database;

identifying the database objects that enforce at least one of a business process and a business rule in the at least one source database in the target database;

determining which at least one of the business process and business rule creates, reads, updates, and deletes each database object in the at least one source database and the target database.

14. The method of claim 13 whereby business processes or business rules that create, read, update, or delete (CRUD) each database object are considered similar business processes or rules.

15. The method of claim 13 whereby at least one of the group consisting of business processes or business rules that have the same input and output data and work flows, business processes or business rules that have the predecessor, successor, and parent processes, business processes or business rules that have the same control constructs business processes or business rules that have the same triggering controls, business processes or business rules that have the same conditional controls, business processes or business rules that have the same sequencing controls, business processes or business rules that have the same concurrence controls, business processes or business rules that have the same repetition controls, business processes or business rules that have the same pausing controls, business processes or business rules that have the same resuming controls, and business processes or business rules that have the same exiting controls are considered similar business processes or rules.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein two business processes are equivalent if the business process or business rule share the same context and are defined by at least one of the group consisting of business process or rule type, similar roles in the CRUD matrix, input and output data and work flows, predecessor, successor, and parent processes, and control constructs.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the target database is associated with at least one of the group consisting of an acquired company and an acquiring company, and wherein the source database is associated with at least one of the group consisting of an acquired company and an acquiring company.

18. A method for consolidating at least a first database and a second database in a destination database, the method comprising:

comparing at least one data instance in the first database and the second database wherein the first database is associated with an acquired company, and wherein the second database is associated with an acquiring company;

determining at least one characteristic of the destination database;

forming a first temporary database based on the first database;

forming a second temporary database based on the second database;

changing configuration data for each of the first temporary database and second temporary database;

resolving configuration duplicates in each of the first temporary database and second temporary database;

standardizing data within each of the first temporary database and second temporary database;

resolving duplicates within each of the first temporary database and second temporary database;

consolidating the first temporary database and second temporary database based on the resolved duplicates into the destination database.

19. A method for assimilating an acquired company, the method comprising:

acquiring at least one company, wherein the acquired company maintains at least one first database, the first database including first metadata, first data values, and first business processes; and

the acquiring company maintains at least one second database, the second database including second metadata, second data values, and second business processes;

identifying the first metadata, second metadata, first data value, second data value, first business processes, and second business processes;

comparing the first metadata and second metadata;

resolving any conflicts between the first metadata and second metadata based on the comparison;

determining a destination metadata based on the firstsource metadata, second metadata and resolved conflicts between the first metadata and second metadata;

comparing the first data and second data values;

determining at least one duplicate data candidate based on the comparison;

determining whether the duplicate data candidate is a nonduplicate data or a duplicate data;

determining a destination data values based on the first data values, second data values, determined duplicate data, and determined nonduplicate data;

comparing the first business process and second business process;

resolving any conflicts between the first business process and second business process based on the comparison;

determining a destination business process based on the first business process, second business process and resolved conflicts between the first business process and second business process;

consolidating the first database and second database into a destination database based on the destination metadata, destination data values, and destination business processes; and

assimilating the acquired company based on the consolidated destination database.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first database includes first customer data, first supplier data, and first inventory data, and wherein the second database includes second customer data, second supplier data, and second inventory data, and wherein consolidating the first database and second database comprises creating the destination database and populating the destination database with nonduplicate data based on a comparison of first customer data with second customer data, a comparison of first supplier data with second supplier data, and a comparison of first inventory data with second inventory data.

21. A method for dividing at least one source database into at least one destination database, the method comprising:

identifying a source database associated with a parent business entity, the source database including source data values;

identifying a destination database associated with a divested business entity, the destination database including destination data values;

identifying the data values of at least one source to be included in the destination database

identifying the business rules of at least one source that will be the criteria for filtering out the data values for the at least one destination database;

dividing the at least one source database into the at least one destination database based on the identified business rules.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising populating the at least one destination database starting with seed data, codes data, configuration data, master data, and transaction data.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein at least one criteria is determined based one of a user input and Boolean logic.

24. A method for divesting at least a part of a business entity, the business entity maintaining at least one source database:

identifying a source entity and a divested entity;

identifying divested data values associated only with the divested entity;

identifying source data values associated only with the source entity;

establishing a divested entity database;

populating the divested entity database with the divested data;

establishing a source entity database; and

populating the source entity database with the source data.