Method for determining database accuracy

• US 5,787,443 A
• Filed: 11/14/1995
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Epicor Software Corporation (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Activant Solutions Holdings Incorporated (Activant Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Palmer, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/557,284
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 395/617, 395/618, 395/222, 707/202, 707/201, 707/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/215 Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method for determining database accuracy is disclosed which assists in finding errors in a reference database by making comparisons to an interchange database. The reference and interchange databases containing first and second groups of related data strings. The data strings from the first groups are compared to find matching data strings between the reference and interchange databases. The data strings in the second groups related to the matching data strings of the first groups are then compared to verify that they match. When no matching conditions are detected, an error indication is generated.

Claims

1. A method for detecting errors within a first database containing first and second groups of related data with a second database also containing the first and second groups of related data, wherein the second database comprises a reference database of manufacturers auto part data and the first database comprises an interchange database of manufacturers auto part data, comprising the steps of:

(a) comparing data of the first group of the first database to the data of the first group of the second database to locate matching data in the second database;

(b) identifying data of the second group of the second database associated with the matching data of the second database;

(c) comparing the identified data to data of the second group of the first database associated with the matching data of the first group of the first database to verify a matching condition; and

(d) generating an indication if no matching condition exists.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first group of data comprises manufacturer auto part data and the second group of data comprises auto part replacement data.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the step of associating the first and second data groups of the first database.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

determining if the data of the first group of data has a uniquely associated data in the second group of data; and

generating an indication if data of the first group of data does not have a uniquely associated data in the second group of data.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of verifying the previously detected non-matching conditions by repeating steps (a) through (d) to compare the first database to a third database containing the first and second groups of related data.

6. A method for detecting errors within a manufacturers auto parts catalogue database containing manufacturer part number data and associated replacement part number data by comparison with an interchange part number database containing interchange part number data with uniquely associated manufacturer part number data, comprising the steps:

comparing interchange part number data of the first database to the interchange part number data of the second database to locate matching data interchange part number data in the second database;

if matching interchange part number data is not located, generating an indication for the unmatched interchange part number data of the first database;

if matching data is located, identifying manufacturer part number data of the second database uniquely related to the matching interchange part number data of the second database;

comparing the identified manufacturer part number data of the second database to manufacturer part number data of the first database related to the matched interchange part number data of the first database to verify a matching condition; and

generating an indication if no matching condition exists.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of associating the manufacturer part number data and interchange part number data of the first database into separate groups.

8. The method of claim 6 further including the steps of:

determining if the manufacturer part data of the first database has related interchange part number data in the first database; and

generating an indication if manufacturer part data of the first database does not have related replacement part number data in the first database.

9. The method of claim 6 further including the step of verifying the previously detected non-matching conditions by comparing the first database to a third database containing interchange parts number data with uniquely associated manufacturer part number data.

10. A method for detecting errors within a reference database containing first and second groups of related data strings using an interchange database containing the first and second groups of related data strings, wherein the second group of data strings comprise manufacturer auto part reference numbers and the first group of data strings comprise replacement auto part reference numbers, and wherein each manufacturer auto part reference number in the first group has an associated replacement auto part reference number in the second group, comprising the steps of:

comparing a data string from the first group of the reference database to the data strings of the first group of the interchange database to determine a matching data string;

verifying related data strings of the matching data strings also; and

generating an indication if the related data strings of the matching data strings do not match.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of determining that the data strings of the first group of the reference database have related data strings in the second group of the reference database.

12. The method of claim 10 further including the step of:

comparing the data string of the first group of the reference database to the data strings of the first group of a second interchange database to determine a matching data string; and

verifying related data strings of the matching data strings also match.

13. The method of claim 10 further including the step of associating the first and second data strings of the first database into separate groups.