METADATA DRIVEN REPORTING AND EDITING OF DATABASES

• US 20140012883A1
• Filed: 09/05/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bloesch, Anthony Christopher, Jayadevan, Siddharth, Flynn, James R., Williams, Antony Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/796
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/14 Details of searching files based on file metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2386 Bulk updating operations data conversion details G06F16/258
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes

Abstract

Embodiments described herein are directed to providing enhanced database editing and reporting capabilities. In one scenario, a computer system receives a data item request that identifies which data items are to be reported. The computer system accesses a relational data store to determine which information sets are to be used for reporting the requested data items. Based on the determination, the computer system accesses those information sets that are to be used in the reporting the requested data items. The computer system then determines that metadata has been provided for at least one of the accessed information sets. The metadata includes instructions at least partially indicating how the data items are to be reported. The computer system also reports the data items according to the instructions in the provided metadata, regardless of how the data items are to be reported using the existing information sets.

Claims

1. At a computer system including at least a processor and a memory, a method for providing enhanced data item reporting, the method comprising:

an act of receiving a data item request that identifies one or more data items to report;

an act of accessing a relational data store to determine which information sets are to be used for reporting the requested data items;

based on the determination, an act of accessing those information sets that are to be used for reporting the requested data items;

an act of determining that metadata has been provided for at least one of the accessed information sets, the metadata including instructions at least partially indicating how the data items are to be reported; and

an act of reporting the data items according to at least a portion of the instructions in the provided metadata, regardless of how the data items are to be reported using the existing information sets.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of linking the metadata to any existing metadata corresponding to the data items that are to be reported.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided metadata alters how the data is to be reported.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided metadata alters which data items are to be reported.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided metadata overwrites at least a portion of existing metadata corresponding to the determined information sets.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the same metadata is provided for at least two data items that are interrelated, such that the at least two interrelated data items are reported in substantially the same manner.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relational store comprises a structured query language (SQL) database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the data items comprises a schema.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of accessing the relational store to determine which information sets are used for reporting the requested data items further comprises providing a list of those information sets used to report the requested data items.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a user specifies which metadata is to be provided for at least one of the information sets in the relational store.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information sets include at least one of the following:

queries, scripts, read/write messages and code portions used to access the requested data items.

12. A computer program product for implementing a method for providing enhanced data item reporting, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:

an act of receiving a data item request that identifies one or more data items to report;

an act of accessing a relational data store to determine which information sets are to be used for reporting the requested data items;

based on the determination, an act of accessing those information sets that are to be used for reporting the requested data items;

an act of determining that metadata has been provided for at least one of the accessed information sets, the metadata including instructions at least partially indicating how the data items are to be reported; and

an act of reporting the data items according to at least a portion of the instructions in the provided metadata, regardless of how the data items are to be reported using the existing information sets.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the provided metadata alters which data items are to be reported.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the provided metadata overwrites at least a portion of existing metadata corresponding to the determined information sets.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the same metadata is provided for at least two data items that are interrelated, such that the at least two interrelated data items are reported in substantially the same manner.

16. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors;

system memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computing system to perform a method for providing enhanced data item reporting, the method comprising the following;

an act of receiving a data item request that identifies one or more data items to report;

an act of accessing a relational data store to determine which information sets are to be used for reporting the requested data items;

based on the determination, an act of accessing those information sets that are to be used for reporting the requested data items;

an act of determining that metadata has been provided for at least one of the accessed information sets, the metadata including instructions at least partially indicating how the data items are to be reported; and

an act of reporting the data items according to at least a portion of the instructions in the provided metadata, regardless of how the data items are to be reported using the existing information sets.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the provided metadata alters which data items are to be reported.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the provided metadata overwrites at least a portion of existing metadata corresponding to the determined information sets.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the same metadata is provided for at least two data items that are interrelated, such that the at least two interrelated data items are reported in substantially the same manner.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the act of accessing the relational store to determine which information sets are used for reporting the requested data items further comprises providing a list of those information sets used to report the requested data items.