Method and apparatus for version management of a data entity

• US 20090083056A1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amadeus (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Amadeus (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Inventors: Gole, Remy, Daniello, Rudy, Ruscica, Brigitte, Chabod, Alexandre, Huard, Lenaic
• Granted Patent: US 7,870,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/347
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/219 Managing data history or versioning querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products

Abstract

A system for identifying a parameter in a version of a data entity created at a specific time, wherein at a first time the version is an active version and at a second time the version is a previous version, the system comprising: a database for storing the plurality of versions of the data entity as they are created; a cache for storing the first active version of the data entity; wherein when a new version of the data entity is created by updating at least one parameter of the data entity, a new active version replaces the first active version stored in a cache and the first active version becomes a previous version stored in the cache; and wherein the new active version includes a list of the or each previous version of the data entity with an associated time at which the version was an active version, such that by identifying the version of the data entity which was active at the specific time the parameter is determined.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a parameter in a version of a data entity created at a specific time, wherein at a first time the version is an active version and at a second time the version is a previous version, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a first version of a data entity;

storing the first version of the data entity in a memory location, such that the first version is the active version at this time;

updating at least one parameter associated with the data entity in order to create a second version of the data entity;

storing the second version of the data entity in a memory location, such that the second version is now the active version and the first version is now a previous version, the second version including a sorted list of the or each previous version of the data entity with an associated time at which the version was an active version;

identifying the version of the data entity which was active at the specific time;

determining the parameter at said specific time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating each version of the data entity such that each version includes the same common key.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising searching for a set of versions of the data entity by searching for the common key.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating further versions of the data entity from time to time, such that the newest version of the data entity is the active version.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a timestamp for each version of the data entity as it is created.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying the active version at the specific time using the timestamp.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising basing the timestamp upon a time reference, such as GMT.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing traceability of the or each version of the data entity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the data entity as a set of data associated to a product or a service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the parameter as one of the group containing a price, a tax, the destination, a location, the special offer or any other parameter relating to a product or service.

11. A system for identifying a parameter in a version of a data entity created at a specific time, wherein at a first time the version is an active version and at a second time the version is a previous version, the system comprising:

a database for storing the plurality of versions of the data entity as they are created;

a cache for storing the first active version of the data entity;

wherein when a new version of the data entity is created by updating at least one parameter of the data entity, a new active version replaces the first active version stored in a cache and the first active version becomes a previous version stored in the cache; and

wherein the new active version includes a list of the or each previous version of the data entity with an associated time at which the version was an active version, such that by identifying the version of the data entity which was active at the specific time the parameter is determined.