METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SEARCHING DATA BASED ON ENTITIES RELATED TO THE DATA

• US 20090222433A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Mattox, John R., Faus, Norman Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,268,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification

Abstract

Systems and methods classify, organize, and retrieve data from a variety of applications based on entities associated with the data. A data classification module is configured to retrieve stored information from a repository. The data classification module is configured to receive a request to retrieve the stored information. The data classification module is configured to search the repository based on the request. Based on the search, the data classification module is configured to retrieved stored information from the repository The data classification module is configured provide the retrieved information to a requester of the information. For example, the data classification module can be configured to provide the retrieved information in a series of interactive cascading menus.

Claims

1. A method of providing information, the method comprising:

receiving a request for information stored in a repository, the request comprising at least one of an identity of an entity, a person associated with the entity, and data associated with the entity;

searching the repository based on the request, wherein the repository stores information in a hierarchical data structure related to stored entities, the hierarchical data structure comprising records containing stored identities of the entities, stored persons related to the stored entities, and stored data related to the stored entities;

retrieving a first record from the repository that matches the request and second records that are associated with the first record; and

providing stored information from the first record and the second records in an interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the information from the first record and the second records, comprises:

generating a first interface including the stored information from the first record; and

generating second interfaces including the stored information from the second records, wherein the second interfaces are linked to the first interface.

3. The method of claim 2, farther comprising:

providing the second interfaces based on interactions with the first interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first interface and the second interfaces comprise menus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein records containing stored data related to the stored entities comprises a link to the stored data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is generated by an action associated with the at least one of the identity of the entity, the person associated with the entity, and the data associated with the entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the repository based on the request, comprises:

determining the first record that matches the at least one of an identity of an entity, a person associated with the entity, and data associated with the entity.

8. An apparatus for providing information, the apparatus comprising:

an application interface configured to couple with a plurality of applications and configured to receive a request for information stored in a repository, the request comprising at least one of an identity of an entity, a person associated with the entity, and data associated with the entity;

a searchable repository configured to store information in a hierarchical data structure related to stored entities, the hierarchical data structure comprising records containing stored identities of the entities, stored persons related to the stored entities, and stored data related to the stored entities;

a search engine configured to couple to the repository and configured to search the repository based on the request; and

a translation engine configured to couple with the application interface, the search engine, and the searchable repository, wherein the translation engine is configured to retrieve a first record from the repository that matches the request and second records that are associated with the first record and wherein the application interface is configured to provide stored information from the first record and the second records in an interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the application interface is further configured to generate a first interface including the stored information from the first record, and to generate second interfaces including the stored information from the second records, wherein the second interfaces are linked to the first interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the application interface is further configured to provide the second interfaces based on interactions with the first interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the application interface is further configured to generate menus.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the repository is further configured to store records containing a link to the stored data.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the search engine is further configured to determine the first record that matches the at least one of an identity of an entity, a person associated with the entity, and data associated with the entity.

14. A system for classifying data, the system comprising:

a server configured to store and execute a plurality of applications for a plurality of users, wherein each user is configured to be assigned a respective application space to execute the plurality of applications and each application of the plurality;

a searchable repository configured to be accessible to the plurality of users and configured to store information in a hierarchical data structure related to stored entities, the hierarchical data structure comprising records containing stored identities of the entities, stored persons related to the stored entities, and stored data related to the stored entities; and

an data classification module configured to execute in the application space and to couple with the plurality of applications and the searchable repository, wherein the data classification module is configured to receive a request for information stored in a repository, the request comprising at least one of an identity of an entity, a person associated with the entity, and data associated with the entity, to search the repository based on the request, to retrieve a first record from the repository that matches the request and second records that are associated with the first record, to provide stored information from the first record and the second records in an interface.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data classification module is further configured to generate a first interface including the stored information from the first record, and to generate second interfaces including the stored information from the second records, wherein the second interfaces are linked to the first interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data classification module is further configured to provide the second interfaces based on interactions with the first interface.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data classification module is further configured to to generate menus.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the repository is further configured to store records containing a link to the stored data.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the data classification module is further configured to determine the first record that matches the at least one of an identity of an entity, a person associated with the entity, and data associated with the entity.