METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR METADATA DRIVEN PROCESSING OF FEDERATED DATA

• US 20130138681A1
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Addleman, Mark J., Abrams, Howard A., Cohen, Jay M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,460,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases

Abstract

A method includes identifying a first set of metadata associated with a database and retrieving the first set of metadata from one or more first memory locations. The method also includes identifying, based on the first set of metadata, a second set of metadata associated with the database and retrieving the second set of metadata from one or more second memory locations. The method further includes combining the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata into a set of combined metadata.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

retrieving metadata associated with a database from one or more first data sources;

evaluating the retrieved metadata to determine whether to retrieve additional metadata associated with the database from one or more second data sources;

retrieving additional metadata from the one or more second data sources until it is determined, based on the retrieved metadata, that no additional metadata requires retrieval; and

combining the retrieved metadata into a set of combined metadata.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is a federated database capable of integrating multiple data sources.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

specifying, using a database command, one or more relationships among data stored on the multiple data sources, wherein the database command comprises one or more variables; and

providing one or more values for the one or more the variables when the database command is executed.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a database query; and

determining a response to the database query based on the combined metadata.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining a response to the database query based on the combined metadata comprises:

analyzing the combined metadata to identify data sources to query for responding to the database query;

generating one or more subqueries associated with the identified data sources; and

transmitting the one or more subqueries to the identified data sources.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating one or more subqueries associated with the identified data sources comprises using a template language to transform the database query into a new query composed of one or more subqueries.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a response to the database query based on the combined metadata further comprises:

receiving data responsive to the one or more subqueries from the identified data sources;

combining the data responsive to the one or more subqueries into a set of combined data; and

responding to the database query by providing the combined data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating the retrieved metadata to determine whether to retrieve additional metadata associated with the database from one or more third data sources;

retrieving additional metadata from the one or more third data sources; and

updating the combined metadata to include the additional metadata from the one or more third data sources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a configuration file specifies the one or more first data sources comprising metadata.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved metadata specifies the one or more second data sources comprising the additional metadata.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first data sources and the one or more second data sources are located on a communications network.

12. A system, comprising:

an interface operable to;

retrieve, from one or more first data sources, metadata associated with a database;

retrieve, from one or more second data sources, additional metadata until it is determined, based on the retrieved metadata, that no additional metadata requires retrieval; and

a processor operable to;

evaluate the retrieved metadata to determine whether to retrieve additional metadata associated with the database from the one or more second data sources; and

combine the retrieved metadata into a set of combined metadata.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the database is a federated database capable of integrating multiple data sources.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to:

specify, using a database command, one or more relationships among data stored on the multiple data sources, wherein the database command comprises one or more variables; and

provide one or more values for the one or more the variables when the database command is executed.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the interface is further operable to receive a database query; and

the processor is further operable to determine a response to the database query based on the combined metadata.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor operable to determine a response to the database query based on the combined metadata comprises the processor operable to:

analyze the combined metadata to identify data sources to query for responding to the database query;

generate one or more subqueries associated with the identified data sources; and

transmit the one or more subqueries to the identified data sources.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor operable to generate one or more subqueries associated with the identified data sources comprises the processor operable to use a template language to transform the database query into a new query composed of one or more subqueries.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor operable to determine a response to the database query based on the combined metadata further comprises the processor operable to:

receive data responsive to the one or more subqueries from the identified data sources;

combine the data responsive to the one or more subqueries into a set of combined data; and

respond to the database query by providing the combined data.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the interface is further operable to retrieve, from one or more third data sources, additional metadata associated with the database;

the processor is further operable to;

evaluate the retrieved metadata to determine whether to retrieve additional metadata associated with the database from the one or more third data sources; and

update the combined metadata to include the additional metadata from the one or more third data sources.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein a configuration file specifies the one or more first data sources comprising metadata.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the retrieved metadata specifies the one or more second data sources comprising the additional metadata.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more first data sources and the one or more second data sources are located on a communications network.

23. Logic embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the logic, when executed by a processor, operable to:

retrieve metadata associated with a database from one or more first data sources;

evaluate the retrieved metadata to determine whether to retrieve additional metadata associated with the database from one or more second data sources;

retrieve additional metadata from the one or more second data sources until it is determined, based on the retrieved metadata, that no additional metadata requires retrieval; and

combine the retrieved metadata into a set of combined metadata.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the database is a federated database capable of integrating multiple data sources.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the logic is further operable to:

specify, using a database command, one or more relationships among data stored on the multiple data sources, wherein the database command comprises one or more variables; and

provide one or more values for the one or more the variables when the database command is executed.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the logic is further operable to:

receive a database query; and

determine a response to the database query based on the combined metadata.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein logic operable to determine a response to the database query based on the combined metadata comprises logic operable to:

analyze the combined metadata to identify data sources to query for responding to the database query;

generate one or more subqueries associated with the identified data sources; and

transmit the one or more subqueries to the identified data sources.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein logic operable to generate one or more subqueries associated with the identified data sources further comprises logic operable to use a template language to transform the database query into a new query composed of one or more subqueries.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein logic operable to determine a response to the database query based on the combined metadata further comprises logic operable to:

receive data responsive to the one or more subqueries from the identified data sources;

combine the data responsive to the one or more subqueries into a set of combined data; and

respond to the database query by providing the combined data.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the logic is further operable to:

evaluate the retrieved metadata to determine whether to retrieve additional metadata associated with the database from one or more third data sources;

retrieve additional metadata from the one or more third data sources; and

update the combined metadata to include the additional metadata from the one or more third data sources.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein a configuration file specifies the one or more first data sources comprising metadata.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the retrieved metadata specifies the one or more second data sources comprising the additional metadata.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the one or more first data sources and the one or more second data sources are located on a communications network.