Metadata exchange

• US 6,611,838 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Domo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cognos Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Ignat, Liviu, Cazemier, Henk
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu M
• Application Number:
  US09/654,015
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/101, 341/51, 705/1, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 717/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

Metadata exchanging for importing metadata from one or more external sources of metadata into a metadata model is described. A metadata extracted from an external source is in a source format specific to the external source. The metadata model uses a model format. The metadata exchange translates the metadata in the source format into one or more model objects in the model format, and then import the model objects into the metadata model.

Claims

1. A metadata exchange for importing metadata from an external source of metadata which uses a source format into a metadata model which uses a model format, the metadata exchange comprising:

a source access module for communicating with the external source of metadata to extract metadata in the source format, and for creating one or more model objects in the model format based on the extracted metadata to import the created model objects into the metadata model; and

a metadata module for controlling the source access module for performing import operation of metadata, the metadata module has a synchronization function for synchronizing the model objects with the external source during the import operation.

2. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the external source of metadata is a data source containing physical data;

the metadata model has a data access layer for containing data access model objects; and

the source access module has a function to create one or more data access model objects in the model format into the data access layer of the metadata model, based on the metadata extracted from the data source.

3. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 2, wherein the metadata exchange has a selection function to select extracted metadata for which a corresponding data access model object is to be created.

4. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the source access module includes a mapping function to map metadata extracted from the metadata source into the metadata model to create one or more corresponding model objects.

5. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the metadata model has a data access layer for containing data access model objects, a business layer for containing business layer objects, and a package layer for containing package model objects;

and

the mapping function of the source access module maps metadata extracted from the metadata source into the business layer and the package layer of the metadata model depending on the extracted metadata.

6. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 4, wherein the source access module has an exporting function for exporting model objects to a target metadata source which contains metadata in the model format.

7. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the external source is a metadata source containing metadata that describes its underlying data source containing physical data, and the metadata contained in the metadata source includes connection information regarding connection to the underlying data source;

and

the source access module retrieves the connection information from the metadata source, and extracting metadata from the underlying data source to create model objects based on the extracted metadata.

8. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 7, wherein the source access module has a mapping function to map metadata extracted from the metadata source into the metadata model to create one or more corresponding model objects depending on the extracted metadata.

9. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein the synchronization function updates only objects that are created, changed or deleted since last import operation.

10. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 9, wherein the synchronization function records changes of the model objects in the metadata model.

11. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a resources module for storing resources used by the source access modules.

12. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 10 further comprising a utilities module for storing functions shared by the multiple source access modules.

13. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metadata exchange comprises multiple source access modules, each of which extracts metadata from one or more external sources of metadata.

14. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source access module is a source access Dynamic Link Library (DLL).

15. The metadata exchange as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metadata module is a metadata DLL.

16. A method for importing metadata from an external source of metadata which uses a source format into a metadata model which uses a model format, the method comprising steps of:

communicating with the external source of metadata to extract metadata in the source format;

creating one or more model objects in the model format into the metadata mode, based on the extracted metadata; and

synchronizing the model objects with the external source during the import operation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the external source of metadata is a data source containing physical data and the metadata model having a data access layer for containing data access model objects;

and

the communicating step communicates with the data source to extract metadata of the physical data; and

the creating step creates one or more data access model objects in the model format into the data access layer of the metadata model, based on the extracted metadata.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a step of selecting extracted metadata for which a corresponding data access model object is to be created.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein

the creating step maps metadata extracted from the metadata source into the metadata model to create one or more corresponding model objects.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the metadata model has a data access layer for containing data access model objects, a business layer for containing business layer objects, and a package layer for containing package model objects.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising a step of exporting model objects to a target metadata source which contains metadata in the model format.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein

the external source is a metadata source containing metadata that describes its underlying data source containing physical data, and the metadata contained in the metadata source includes connection information regarding connection to the underlying data source;

and

the communication step including steps of retrieving the connection information from the metadata source, and extracting metadata from the underlying data source to create model objects based on the extracted metadata.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the creating step maps metadata extracted from the metadata source into the metadata model to create one or more corresponding model objects depending on the extracted metadata.

24. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the synchronizing step updates only model objects that are created, changed or deleted since last import operation.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the synchronization step records changes of the model objects in the metadata model.

26. A reporting system for managing metadata obtained from one or more external sources of metadata, each external source using its source format, the reporting system comprising:

a metadata model for containing model objects, the metadata model using a model format; and

a metadata exchange for importing metadata from the external sources of metadata to the metadata model, the metadata exchange having;

multiple source access modules, each source access module for communicating with its corresponding one or more external sources of metadata to extract metadata in the source format, and for creating one or more model objects in the model format based on the extracted metadata to import the created model objects into the metadata model; and

a metadata module for controlling the source access modules for performing import operation of metadata, the metadata module having a synchronization function for synchronizing the model objects with the external sources during the import operation.

27. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, wherein

one of the external sources of metadata is a data source containing physical data;

the metadata model has a data access layer for containing data access model objects; and

one of the source access modules is connected to the data source, and has a function to create one or more data access model objects in the model format into the data access layer of the metadata model, based on the metadata extracted from the data source.

28. The reporting system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the one of the one of the data access modules has a selection function to select extracted metadata for which a corresponding data access model object is to be created.

29. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, wherein

one of the source access modules is connected to the metadata source, and includes a mapping function to map metadata extracted from the metadata source into the metadata model to create one or more corresponding model objects.

30. The reporting system as claimed in claim 29, wherein

the metadata model has a data access layer for containing data access model objects, a business layer for containing business layer objects, and a package layer for containing package model objects;

and

the mapping function of the one of the source access modules maps metadata extracted from the metadata source into the business layer and the package layer of the metadata model depending on the extracted metadata.

31. The reporting system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the one of the source access modules has an exporting function for exporting model objects to a target metadata source which contains metadata in the model format.

32. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, wherein

one of the external sources is a metadata source containing metadata that describes its underlying data source containing physical data, and the metadata contained in the metadata source includes connection information regarding connection to the underlying data source;

and

one of the source access modules is connected to the metadata source, retrieves the connection information from the metadata source, and extracting metadata from the underlying data source to create model objects based on the extracted metadata.

33. The reporting system as claimed in claim 32, wherein the one of the source access modules has a mapping function to map metadata extracted from the metadata source into the metadata model to create one or more corresponding model objects depending on the extracted metadata.

34. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the synchronization function synchronizes only model objects that are created, changed or deleted since last import operation.

35. The reporting system as claimed in claim 34, wherein the synchronization function records changes of the model objects in the metadata model.

36. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26 further comprising a resources module for storing resources used by the source access modules.

37. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, further comprising a utilities module for storing functions shared by the multiple source access modules.

38. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the source access modules comprise source Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs).

39. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the metadata module comprises a metadata DLL.

40. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the metadata exchange further comprises a resources module for storing resources used by the source access module.

41. The reporting system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the metadata exchange further comprises a utilities module for storing functions shared by the sub dynamic link libraries.

42. A computer readable memory having computer executable software code stored thereon, the code including instructions for performing a method for importing metadata from an external source of metadata which uses a source format into a metadata model which uses a model format, and the method comprising steps of:

communicating with the external source of metadata to extract metadata in the source format;

creating one or more model objects in the model format into the metadata mode, based on the extracted metadata; and

synchronizing the model objects with the external source during the import operation.

43. A transmittal signal for carrying computer executable instructions for performing a method for importing metadata from an external source of metadata which uses a source format into a metadata model which uses a model format, and the method comprising steps of:

communicating with the external source of metadata to extract metadata in the source format;

creating one or more model objects in the model format into the metadata mode, based on the extracted metadata; and

synchronizing the model objects with the external source during the import operation.