Data retrieval method and apparatus with multiple source capability

• US 6,026,392 A
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Timeline Incorporated
• Inventors: Yarnall, David F., Babcock, Donald K., Kouchi, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/106,740
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/9, 707/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Generation of output or reports on information contained in a data source which may be any of two or more types of source data, in a standardized or uniform manner is provided. A plurality of drivers are provided specific to different types of source data which include programming for identifying structural or other characteristics of the various data sources, e.g. for use in defining a new database. Preferably the new database is configured to permit highly flexible and/or rapid output or reporting or is otherwise optimized for reporting purposes. In one embodiment, the present invention includes conversion of one or more data sources into one or more uniform databases, preferably generating one or more key categories for organizing the data, optionally generating category groupings or rollups and additional data or optional references. In one embodiment, one or more databases are created which have a degree of uniformity of structure, even though they may be based on two or more different data sources which may have very different structures. The different data sources are automatically analyzed and this analysis can be used to identify and/or create categories of data for use in organizing the data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising;

providing a driver which issues instructions for accessing data which may be stored in either of first and second different data sources, said driver containing program instructions configured for use in connection with said first data source; and

using said driver to automatically obtain information about the data structure of said first data source without the need for human analysis of the first data source by accessing content of information stored in said first data source wherein said information about the data structure leads to optimization of a new database in which information from said first database is to be stored.

2. A computer-implemented method usable in connection with accessing data which may be stored in a first data source, the method comprising:

a first step for providing a driver containing program instructions configured for use in connection with said first data source;

a second step for using said driver to automatically obtain first information about the data structure of said first data source without the need for human analysis of the first data source by automatically accessing content of information stored in said first data source;

using said first information to define a structure for a first database different from said data sources wherein said first database did not exist before said step for using said first driver to automatically obtain said first information wherein said information about the data structure leads to optimization of said first database in which information from said first data source is to be stored.

3. A method, as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first data source stores accounting information and wherein said information about the data structure of said first data source includes an identification of account parts.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a step for storing data from said data source into said first database.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 4 further comprising changing at least some data stored in said first database to provide changed data and writing-back at least some of said changed data to a data source.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a step for creating a second database and storing at least some data, stored in said first database, into said second database.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 6 wherein said steps for creating said first and second databases includes creating database tables, taking into account the manner in which said first and second databases will be used.

8. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of said first and said second databases is enhanced with respect to said first data source.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a step for verifying information.

10. A computer-implemented method usable in connection with accessing data which may be stored in a first data source which is configured to generate at least a first output, the method comprising:

providing a driver containing program instructions configured for use in connection with said first data source;

using said driver to obtain first information about the data structure of said first data source by automatically accessing content of information stored in said first data source;

using said first information to define a structure for a first database different from said first data sources wherein said first database did not exist before said step for using said driver to obtain first information and wherein said information about the data structure leads to optimization of said first database;

using said driver to store at least some information from said first data sources into said first database; and

updating said first database using less than all information in said first data sources, wherein said step of updating is performed after said step of using said driver to store at least some information from said first data source into said first database.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step of updating uses at least some of said first information.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 10 further comprising repeating said updating on a regular basis wherein data in said first data source is synchronized with data in said first database.

13. A method, as claimed in claim 10 further comprising creating a second database and storing at least some data, stored in said first database, into said second database.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

generating at least a first report based on the information in at least one of said first database and said second database.

15. A method, as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first report is enhanced with respect to said first output.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising;

providing a driver which issues instructions for accessing data stored in a first data source, said driver containing program instructions configured for use in connection with said first data source;

using said driver to automatically access content of information stored in said first data source to obtain first information relating to said first data source without the need for human analysis of the first data source;

creating at least a first database for storing at least some data from said first data source, said first database based on at least some of said first information wherein said first information leads to optimization of said first database;

creating at least second and third databases containing information from said first database, wherein said second and third databases are different from one another.

17. Apparatus usable in connection with accessing data stored in a first data source configured to generate at least a first output, the apparatus comprising a computer coupled to said first data source and programmed for:

providing a driver which issues instructions for accessing data stored in said first data source, said driver containing program instructions configured for use in connection with said first data source;

using said driver to automatically access content of information stored in said first data source to obtain first information relating to said first data source without the need for human analysis of the first data source;

creating at least a first database for storing at least some data from said first data source, said first database based on at least some of said first information wherein said first information leads to optimization of said first database;

creating at least second and third databases containing information from said first database, wherein said second and third databases are different from one another.

18. A computer-readable medium, having stored therein a computer program usable in connection with accessing data which may be stored in either of first and second different data sources, at least one of said first and second data sources configured to generate at least a first output, the computer program comprising instructions for

providing a driver which issues instructions for accessing data stored in a first data source, said driver containing program instructions configured for use in connection with said first data source;

using said driver to automatically access content of information stored in said first data source to obtain first information relating to said first data source without the need for human analysis of the first data source;

creating at least a first database for storing at least some data from said first data source, said first database based on at least some of said first information wherein said first information leads to optimization of said first database;

creating at least second and third databases containing information from said first database, wherein said second and third databases are different from one another.

19. Apparatus usable in connection with computer-implemented accessing of data which may be stored in either of first and second different data sources comprising:

a driver containing program instructions configured for use in connection with said first data source in the absence of said driver being configured for use in connection with said second data source;

means for using said driver to automatically obtain first information about the data structure of said first data source without the need for human analysis of the first data source by automatically accessing content of information stored in said first data source; and

means for using said first information to define a structure for a first database different from said data sources wherein said first database did not exist before using said driver to automatically obtain first information.

20. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 19, wherein said first database is enhanced with respect to said first data source.

21. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 19, wherein said driver includes programming code which is callable by a main procedure and wherein said apparatus is extensible for accommodation of said second data source by another driver containing program instructions configured for use in connection with said second data source in the absence of said another driver being configured for use in connection with said first data source, and in the absence of substantial modification of said main procedure.

22. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 21, wherein each driver includes program instructions for performing a plurality of functions.

23. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 22, wherein said plurality of functions includes at least one function selected from among:

selecting directories where said data sources are located;

searching directories for data files;

displaying data to be input or updated;

loading general information from said data sources;

loading data definitions from said data sources;

creating database tables configured for storing at least some information from said data sources;

saving general information obtained from said data sources;

saving data definitions from said data sources;

loading data definitions codes into said first database;

loading rollup information into said first database; and

loading data from said data sources into said first database.

24. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 19 wherein said first information about the data structure includes information from stored queries in said first data source.

25. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 19 wherein said first data source stores accounting information and wherein said information about the data structure of said first data source includes an identification of account parts.