SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESERVING INTERDEPENDENT CORPORATE DATA CONSISTENCY IN A GLOBALLY DISTRIBUTED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160275135A1
• Filed: 03/18/2016
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D&B Business Information Solutions (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.)
• Original Assignee: D&B Business Information Solutions (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.)
• Inventors: O'REILLY, Conor, de SOUSA FELIX, Telmo Inacio, CRADDOCK, Cian
• Granted Patent: US 10,891,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor

Abstract

A system and method that preserves consistency of corporate data including interdependent corporate data in a globally distributed environment. The system comprises: a network; a user interface in communication with the network; at least one local data storage in communication with the network, wherein the local data storage comprises a plurality of local data records pertaining to business entities; a global data storage in communication with the network, wherein the global data storage comprises a plurality of global data records generated from local data records received from the at least one local data storage; a computer comprising a processor and memory in communication with the network, wherein the processor: determines the latest update point of an update record and a global data record; and if the latest date reference for the update record differs from the global data record, the computer determines which record will take precedence, thereby producing at least one precedence record element; an assembler; and a distributor which distributes the final update record to the user.

Claims

1. A system for preserving the consistency of data in a globally distributed environment, comprising:

a network;

a user interface in communication with said network;

at least one local data storage in communication with said network, wherein said local data storage comprises a plurality of local data records pertaining to business entities;

a global data storage in communication with said network, wherein said global data storage comprises a plurality of global data records generated from local data records received from said at least one local data storage;

a computer comprising a processor and memory in communication with said network, wherein said processor;

(a) receives a request from a user interface via said network for an update record pertaining to a business entity;

(b) obtains said update record from said local data records stored in at least one said local data storage and compares said update record against at least one global data record stored in said global data storage, wherein said global data storage comprises data previously received from at least one of said local data storage;

(c) determines the latest update point of said update record and said global data record; and

(d) if the latest date reference for said update record differs from said global data record, said computer determines which record will take precedence, thereby producing at least one precedence record element;

an assembler which assembles said precedence record element together with additional record elements of said entity associated with said precedence record element retrieved from at least one other data storage repository, thereby forming a final update record; and

a distributor which distributes said final update record to said user.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a translator which converts a unique identifier of said final update record to a different unique identifier used by said user prior to being distributed.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a packager which packages said converted unique identifier of said final update record in an interface designated by said user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said interface comprises an application programming interface.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprise a user data store which is remote from said local data storage and global data storage.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising, prior to passing said precedence record element to said assembler, determining if said update record and/or said global data record include interdependent data elements, wherein if said interdependent data elements have different latest date reference, then holding up forming said final update record until latest date references for said interdependent data elements coincide.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising, prior to passing said precedence record element to said assembler, conducting an interdependency check of a name of said business entity stored in a linkage repository to ensure consistent use of a correct entity name for linked company names in said final update record.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein said translator converts said unique identifier of said final update record via canonical conversion.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a vending data storage which stores said final update record prior to distributing to said user.

10. A method for preserving the consistency of data in a globally distributed environment, said method comprising:

maintaining corporate data of a plurality of entities in at least one local data storage;

receiving a request from a user for an update record from said corporate data;

obtaining said update record from said corporate data stored in at least one said local data storage and comparing said update record against at least one global data record received from a global data storage, wherein said global data storage comprises data previously received from at least one of said local data storage;

determining the latest update point of said update record and said global data record;

if the latest date reference for said update record differs from said global data record, determining which record will take precedence;

assembling said precedence record elements together with additional record elements of said entity associated with said precedence record retrieve from at least one other data storage repository, thereby forming a final update record; and

distributing said final update record to said user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to distributing to said user, translating a unique identifier of said final update record to a different unique identifier used by said user.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

packaging said final update record in an interface designated by said user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said interface comprises an application programming interface.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising distributing said final update record to a user data store which is remote from said local data storage and global data storage.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising, prior to said steps of assembling and distributing, determining if said update record and/or said global data record include interdependent data elements, wherein if said interdependent data elements have different latest date reference, then holding up forming said final update record until latest date references for said interdependent data elements coincide.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising, prior to said steps of assembling and distributing, conducting an interdependency check of entity names stored in a linkage repository to ensure consistent use of a correct entity name for linked company names in said final update record.

17. A non-transitory memory media for preserving a consistency of corporate data in a globally distributed environment, comprising a program module configured for operation with a processor to provide the following steps:

maintaining corporate data of a plurality of entities in at least one local data storage;

receiving a request from a user for an update record from said corporate data;

obtaining said update record from said corporate data stored in at least one said local data storage and comparing said update record against at least one global data record received from a global data storage, wherein said global data storage comprises data previously received from at least one of said local data storage;

determining the latest update point of said update record and said global data record;

if the latest date reference for said update record differs from said global data record, determining which record will take precedence;

assembling said precedence record elements together with additional record elements of said entity associated with said precedence record retrieve from at least one other data storage repository, thereby forming a final update record; and

distributing said final update record to said user.

18. The non-transitory memory media of claim 17, further comprising:

prior to distributing to said user, translating a unique identifier of said final update record to a different unique identifier used by said user.

19. The non-transitory memory media of claim 17, further comprising:

packaging said final update record in an interface designated by said user.

20. The non-transitory memory media of claim 19, wherein said interface comprises an application programming interface.

21. The non-transitory memory media of claim 17, further comprising distributing said final update record to a user data store which is remote from said local data storage and global data storage.

22. The non-transitory memory media of claim 17, further comprising, prior to said steps of assembling and distributing, determining if said update record and/or said global data record include interdependent data elements, wherein if said interdependent data elements have different latest date reference, then holding up forming said final update record until latest date references for said interdependent data elements coincide.

23. The non-transitory memory media of claim 17, further comprising, prior to said steps of assembling and distributing, conducting an interdependency check of entity names stored in a linkage repository to ensure consistent use of a correct entity name for linked company names in said final update record.