System for converting data from input data environment using first format to output data environment using second format by executing the associations between their fields
First Claim
1. A method for converting data from an input data environment using a first data format to an output data environment using a second data format, wherein the input data environment includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the input data environment having records including one or more fields, wherein the output data environment includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the output data environment having records including one or more fields, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a definition of the first data format;
receiving a definition of the second data format;
creating a logical association between the input data environment and the output data environment;
creating one or more logical associations between the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more tables in the output data environment;
creating one or more associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data environment;
performing a data conversion between the input data environment and the output data environment, wherein said performing comprises;
accessing the data from the input data environment;
converting the data from the input data environment using the first data format to data having a pre-defined generic format; and
executing the associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data environment, wherein said step of executing converts said data having said pre-defined generic format to output data having said second data format.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A data conversion system and method which converts data between different software and hardware platforms. The DCLE of the present invention converts data from any number of different types or formats from any of various platforms to a single common data standard having a pre-defined generic data type, and the data is then converted from this generic type to a new desired format or type and stored on an existing or new destination platform. Thus, the system and method of the present invention allows for multiple database conversions to be created easily and efficiently. The data conversion process begins by first defining a complete data map of the input and output data environments, as well as zero or more intermediate environments. Data objects referred to as data bridges and streams are created to logically connect or associate the input and output environments as well as the tables in the input and output data environments. In response to user input, the data conversion system and method creates an association between fields or parts in the tables (units) in the input environment and the fields in the output environment. This essentially involves creating user specified mappings between fields in the input data environment and fields in the output data environment. When an execute command is received, the data conversion system and method accesses data from the first input environment, i.e., accesses data from the storage medium storing the data to be converted, and converts the data from the first input data environment to data having a pre-defined generic data type. Converting the data first to a pre-defined generic data type greatly simplifies the conversion process, since conversion code is only required to and from the generic data type and is not required between every possible data format. Thus, the development of conversion code is much simpler and more efficient. Once data has been converted to the generic data object, the associations are executed to convert the data from the pre-defined genetic data type to the output data using the second data format.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method for converting data from an input data environment using a first data format to an output data environment using a second data format, wherein the input data environment includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the input data environment having records including one or more fields, wherein the output data environment includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the output data environment having records including one or more fields, the method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a definition of the first data format; receiving a definition of the second data format; creating a logical association between the input data environment and the output data environment; creating one or more logical associations between the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more tables in the output data environment; creating one or more associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data environment; performing a data conversion between the input data environment and the output data environment, wherein said performing comprises; accessing the data from the input data environment; converting the data from the input data environment using the first data format to data having a pre-defined generic format; and executing the associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data environment, wherein said step of executing converts said data having said pre-defined generic format to output data having said second data format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A system for converting data from a first data format to a second data format, the system comprising:
-
a first storage medium for storing input data using a first data format, wherein the input data using the first data format includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the input data having records including one or more fields; a second medium for storing output data using a second data format, wherein the output data using the second data format includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the output data having records including one or more fields; an input data environment object which receives a definition of the first data format, wherein said definition of the first data format includes one or more tables each having one or more fields; an output data environment object which receives a definition of the second data format, wherein said definition of the second data format includes one or more tables each having one or more fields; a workplace object for storing one or more associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data environment; a generic data object for storing data using a pre-defined generic format, means for converting the data from the first input data environment using the first data format to data having said pre-defined generic format; and means for executing the associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data environment, wherein said means for executing converts said data having said pre-defined generic format to output data having said second data format. - View Dependent Claims (22)
-
-
23. A method for converting data from an input data file using a first data format to an output data file using a second data format, wherein the input data file includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the input data environment having records including one or more fields, wherein the output data file includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the output data file having records including one or more fields, the method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a definition of the first data format; receiving a definition of the second data format; creating a logical association link between the input data file and the output data file; creating one or more logical association links between the one or more tables in the input data file and the one or more tables in the output data file; creating one or more association links between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data file and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data file; performing a data conversion between the input data file and the output data file, wherein said performing comprises; accessing the data from the input data file; converting the data from the input data file using the first data format to data having a pre-defined generic format; and executing the association links between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data file and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data file, wherein said step of executing converts said data having said pre-defined generic format to output data having said second data format.
-
-
24. A method for converting data from an input data file using a first data format to an output data file using a second data format, wherein the input data file includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the input data file having records including one or more fields, wherein the output data file includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the output data file having records including one or more fields, the method comprising the steps of:
-
creating an input environment link to the input data file; receiving a definition of the first data format; creating an output environment link to the output data file; receiving a definition of the second data format; creating a logical association between the input environment link and the output environment link; creating one or more logical associations between the one or more tables in the input data file and the one or more tables in the output data file; creating one or more associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data file and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data file; performing a data conversion between the input data file and the output data file, wherein said performing comprises; accessing the data from the input data file; converting the data from the input data file using the first data format to data having a pre-defined genetic format; and executing the associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data file and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data file, wherein said step of executing converts said data having said pre-defined generic format to output data having said second data format.
-
-
25. A method for converting data from an input data environment using a first data format to an output data environment using a second data format, wherein the input data environment includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the input data environment having records including one or more fields, wherein the output data environment includes one or more tables, each of the one or more tables in the output data environment having records including one or more fields, the method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a definition of the first data format; receiving a definition of the second data format; creating a logical association between the input data environment and the output data environment; creating one or more user-defined links between the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more tables in the output data environment, wherein said user-defined links are configured to link any one or more tables in the input data environment to any one or more tables in said output data environment; creating one or more associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data environment; performing a data conversion between the input data environment and the output data environment, wherein said performing comprises; accessing the data from the input data environment; converting the data from the input data environment using the first data format to data having a pre-defined generic format; and executing the associations between the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the input data environment and the one or more fields in the one or more tables in the output data environment, wherein said step of executing converts said data having said pre-defined generic format to output data having said second data format.
-
Specification