SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACCESSING DATA IN DISPARATE INFORMATION SOURCES
First Claim
1. A system for accessing data in an information source, said system, comprising:
- an information source having storage spaces, each said storage space configured to store types of data defined by physical metadata elements;
a metadata repository configured to store two sets of metadata elements, wherein a first set of said metadata elements comprises said physical metadata elements of said information source, and wherein said second set of metadata elements comprises logical metadata elements, each of which correspond to at least one physical metadata element of said first set; and
a MetaMatrix server coupled to said metadata repository and to said information source, wherein said MetaMatrix server is configured to receive a query request for a logical metadata element from a user via an application programming interface, and to retrieve from said information source the data defined by the corresponding physical metadata element.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a system (10) for generating and maintaining virtual and physical metadata layers in a MetaBase metadata repository (110b) in order to simplify and optimize the retrieval of data from a plurality of disparate information sources (130a-130c). The system stores in a physical metadata layer of a MetaBase metadata repository a plurality of physical metadata elements, wherein each one of the physical metadata elements corresponds to the metadata elements in the plurality of information sources. Logical metadata elements are stored in the virtual metadata layer and are linked to the physical metadata elements in order to maintain the relationships therebetween. By maintaining the relationships between the physical metadata elements, users can initiate a data query request for data corresponding to a logical metadata element, and the system is configurated to retrieve the desired data from the relevant information sources, even in the event that relevant information sources maintain the data in fields having different data field names, that the information sources employ incompatible data formats, and that the relevant information sources employ different query languages.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for accessing data in an information source, said system, comprising:
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an information source having storage spaces, each said storage space configured to store types of data defined by physical metadata elements; a metadata repository configured to store two sets of metadata elements, wherein a first set of said metadata elements comprises said physical metadata elements of said information source, and wherein said second set of metadata elements comprises logical metadata elements, each of which correspond to at least one physical metadata element of said first set; and a MetaMatrix server coupled to said metadata repository and to said information source, wherein said MetaMatrix server is configured to receive a query request for a logical metadata element from a user via an application programming interface, and to retrieve from said information source the data defined by the corresponding physical metadata element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for accessing data in an information source, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing, in storage spaces defined by an information source, types of data defined by physical metadata elements; storing, in a metadata repository, two sets of metadata elements, wherein a first set of said metadata elements comprises said physical metadata elements of said information source, and wherein said second set of metadata elements comprises logical metadata elements, each of which correspond to at least one physical metadata element of said first set; and receiving, at a MetaMatrix server coupled to said metadata repository and to said information source, a query request for a logical metadata element form a user via an application programming interface; and retrieving from said information source the data defined by the corresponding physical metadata element. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for accessing data in an information source, said method comprising the steps of:
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a user providing, to a MetaMatrix server via a client application programming interface, a query request; parsing said query request provided by said user so as to generate a global query object; converting said global query object into a plurality of information source-specific query requests; retrieving, with said information source-specific query requests, data from a plurality of disparate information sources; generating a set of information source-specific results; converting said set of information source-specific results into a global result object; delivering said global result object to said user.
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Specification