OPERATIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDERS

• US 20100049698A1
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ecker, Bernd, Klensch, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In a computer program product, system and method for retrieving operational data, a front-end unit generates a query for operational data. In an embodiment, in response to the generation of the query, an operational information provider is sent to a back-end unit to retrieve real-time operational data from the back-end unit using a retrieval method specified in the operational information provider. The retrieved operational data, including the real-time operational data is received by the front-end unit from the back-end unit.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving operational data, the method comprising:

at a front-end unit, generating a query for retrieving requested operational data, including real-time operational data, the query identifying the requested operational data to be retrieved;

responsive to said generating, sending an operational information provider from the front-end unit to the back-end unit, wherein the operational information provider retrieves from the back-end unit the requested real-time operational data via a retrieval method included in the operational information provider, and wherein the real-time operational data is identified by a data description included in the operational information provider; and

receiving at the front-end unit from the back-end unit the requested operational data, including the real-time operational data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the back-end unit, retrieving the requested operational data from at least one of a plurality of data sources, including a database and an external information provider, and formatting the retrieved operational data based on a format specified in the query; and

at the front-end unit, generating a report using the formatted operational data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational information provider is part of a service module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational information provider is a Web Service Description Language (WSDL) document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the back-end unit is configured to execute a business operation and the operational data is a product of the business operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational data contains metadata identifying the operational data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the back-end unit executes web services comprising:

a consumer service to import the operational data from an external information provider, generate a report using the operational data,

a storage service to access and manage operational data stored in a database and to archive dormant data;

an analysis service to analyze and mine stored operational data; and

a presentation service to format and present operational data to the front-end unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the front-end unit communicates with the back-end unit over the Internet.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method comprising:

at a front-end unit, generating a query for retrieving requested operational data, including real-time operational data, the query identifying the requested operational data to be retrieved;

responsive to said generating, sending an operational information provider from the front-end unit to the back-end unit, wherein the operational information provider retrieves from the back-end unit the requested real-time operational data via a retrieval method included in the operational information provider, and wherein the real-time operational data is identified by a data description included in the operational information provider; and

receiving at the front-end unit from the back-end unit the requested operational data, including the real-time operational data.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

at the back-end unit, retrieving the requested operational data from at least one of a plurality of data sources, including a database and an external information provider, and formatting the retrieved operational data based on a format specified in the query; and

at the front-end unit, generating a report using the formatted operational data.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operational information provider is part of a service module.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operational information provider is a Web Service Description Language (WSDL) document.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the back-end unit is configured to execute a business operation and the operational data is a product of the business operation.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operational data contains metadata identifying the operational data.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the back-end unit executes web services comprising:

a consumer service to import the operational data from an external information provider, generate a report using the operational data;

a storage service to access and manage operational data stored in a database and to archive dormant data;

an analysis service to analyze and mine stored operational data; and

a presentation service to format and present operational data to the front-end unit.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the front-end unit communicates with the back-end unit over the Internet.

17. A system for retrieving operational data, the system comprising:

a front-end unit, comprising a first processor, a first memory, and a first network interface, to generate a query to retrieve requested operational data, including real-time operational data, the query identifying the requested operational data to be retrieved; and

a back-end unit, comprising a second processor, a second memory, and a second network interface, to retrieve the requested operational data from at least one of a plurality of data sources, including a database and an external information provider,

wherein the front-end unit sends an operational information provider to the back-end unit to retrieve real-time operational data, wherein the operational information provider retrieves from the back-end unit the requested real-time operational data via a retrieval method included in the operational information provider, and wherein the real-time operational data is identified by a data description included in the operational information provider, and

wherein the front-end unit receives the requested operational data, including the real-time operational data, from the back-end unit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the second processor of the back-end unit executes web services comprising:

a consumer service to import the operational data from an external information provider, generate a report using the operational data;

a storage service to access and manage operational data stored in a database and to archive dormant data;

an analysis service to analyze and mine stored operational data; and

a presentation service to format and present operational data to the front-end unit.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein in response to receiving the operational data from the back-end unit, the first processor of the front-end unit generates a report using the operational data.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the operational information provider is part of a service module.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the operational information provider is a Web Service Description Language (WSDL) document.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the second processor of the back-end unit executes a business operation and the operational data is a product of the business operation.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the operational data contains metadata identifying the operational data.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the front-end unit is remote from the back-end unit.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the front-end unit communicates with the back-end unit over the Internet via the first network interface and the second network interface.