SYSTEM TO CONVERT SEMANTIC LAYER METADATA TO SUPPORT DATABASE CONVERSION

• US 20160162557A1
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Delgobbo, Vincent C., McIntosh, Elizabeth J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,684,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

In a system to convert semantic layer metadata to support a database conversion, semantic layer information is read from a semantic layer file defined for an input database. The read semantic layer information is converted to converted semantic layer information using a metadata integration bridge. The converted semantic layer information is loaded as a model. Prologue code is written to a replication code file based on the loaded model. Data source information is identified from the loaded model. Data source information code is written to the replication code file based on the identified data source information. Epilogue code is written to the replication code file. Replication code stored in the replication code file is executed to create an information map. Data stored in the input database is accessed using the created information map.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to:

read semantic layer information from a semantic layer file defined for an input database;

convert the read semantic layer information to converted semantic layer information using a metadata integration bridge;

load the converted semantic layer information as a model;

write prologue code to a replication code file based on the loaded model;

identify data source information from the loaded model;

write data source information code to the replication code file based on the identified data source information;

write epilogue code to the replication code file;

execute replication code stored in the replication code file to create an information map; and

access data stored in the input database using the created information map.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to store the accessed data in an output database.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the input database is structured using a first type of database management/architecture system (DBMS) and the output database is structured using a second type of DBMS.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the second type of DBMS is a different type of DBMS from the first type of DBMS.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the second type of DBMS and the first type of DBMS are a same type of DBMS.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to analyze the accessed data using an analytic software tool.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the input database is stored on a second computing device different from the computing device.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the output database is stored on a third computing device different from the computing device and the second computing device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the data stored in the input database is accessed through a database server.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the prologue code includes code to connect to a metadata server, code to define a library that points to a location of the input database, and code to name the information map.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the prologue code further includes code to define a second library that points to a location of an external function lookup table that extends a list of supported database functions.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the epilogue code includes code to execute a procedure that creates the information map.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data source information includes information retrieved from the loaded model that identifies an object, a table, and column information associated with the input database.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the data source information code includes code to insert a data source into the information map.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to:

identify filter information from the loaded model;

process the identified filter information to define a filter expression; and

write filter expression code to the replication code file based on the defined filter expression.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to:

identify relationship information from the loaded model;

process the identified relationship information to define a join expression; and

write relationship information code to the replication code file based on the defined join expression.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to:

identify dimension information from the loaded model; and

write folder creation code to the replication code file based on the identified dimension information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to:

identify relationship information from the loaded model;

determine that the identified relationship information defines an assigned filter; and

write assigned filters code to the replication code file based on the identified relationship information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to:

write assigned filters folder code to the replication code file based on the identified relationship information before writing the assigned filters code.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to:

write set assigned filters code to the replication code file based on the identified relationship information after writing the assigned filters code,

wherein an assigned filter is applied whenever an associated data source is referenced in a query of the input database.

21. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium operably coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to

read semantic layer information from a semantic layer file defined for an input database;

convert the read semantic layer information to converted semantic layer information using a metadata integration bridge;

load the converted semantic layer information as a model;

write prologue code to a replication code file based on the loaded model;

identify data source information from the loaded model;

write data source information code to the replication code file based on the identified data source information;

write epilogue code to the replication code file;

execute replication code stored in the replication code file to create an information map; and

access data stored in the input database using the created information map.

22. The computing device of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to store the accessed data in an output database.

23. The computing device of claim 22, wherein the input database is structured using a first type of database management/architecture system (DBMS) and the output database is structured using a second type of DBMS.

24. The computing device of claim 21, wherein the prologue code includes code to connect to a metadata server, code to define a library that points to a location of the input database, and code to name the information map.

25. The computing device of claim 21, wherein the epilogue code includes code to execute a procedure that creates the information map.

26. A method of converting semantic layer metadata to support a database conversion, the method comprising:

reading, by a computing device, semantic layer information from a semantic layer file defined for an input database;

converting, by the computing device, the read semantic layer information to converted semantic layer information using a metadata integration bridge;

loading, by the computing device, the converted semantic layer information as a model;

writing, by the computing device, prologue code to a replication code file based on the loaded model;

identifying, by the computing device, data source information from the loaded model;

writing, by the computing device, data source information code to the replication code file based on the identified data source information;

writing, by the computing device, epilogue code to the replication code file;

executing, by the computing device, replication code stored in the replication code file to create an information map; and

accessing, by the computing device, data stored in the input database using the created information map.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computing device to store the accessed data in an output database.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the input database is structured using a first type of database management/architecture system (DBMS) and the output database is structured using a second type of DBMS.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the prologue code includes code to connect to a metadata server, code to define a library that points to a location of the input database, and code to name the information map.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the epilogue code includes code to execute a procedure that creates the information map.