Automatic generation of balancing logic for data conversion

• US 6,675,373 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Universal Conversion Technologies
• Original Assignee: Universal Conversion Technologies
• Inventors: Croslin, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHEN, WEI Y
• Application Number:
  US09/656,492
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 717/136-161, 717/106-109, 712/208-213, 707/4, 707/200, 703/23-28
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

Balancing logic is automatically generated from conversion logic in a data conversion system. The balancing logic balances source data from a source system with the corresponding converted data in a target system. The balancing logic determines whether the conversion was properly performed so as to balance the two varieties of data. The balancing logic is automatically generated by a computer system or other electronic device in response to examining conversion logic that is encoded in a script or other representation.

Claims

1. In a data conversion system for converting data from a source system into an acceptable format for a target system, a method comprising the steps of:

generating computer program instructions for conversion logic for converting data into converted data; and

based on the conversion logic, generating computer program instructions for balancing logic that balances the data in the source system with the converted data in the target system to ensure that the converting has been properly performed by the conversion logic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating steps are performed by a single tool.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the balancing logic is generated without input from a user of the data conversion system regarding how to balance the data in the source system with data in the target system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion logic converts data from a first format to a second format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion logic renames fields in the data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion logic modifies data types of at least some of the data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the balancing logic compares the data from the source system with the converted data for the target system.

8. In a data conversion system for converting data from a source system into an acceptable format for a target system, said data conversion system including at least one computer system, said computer system including a medium holding computer-executable steps for performing a method, said method comprising the steps of:

generating computer program instructions for conversion logic for converting data into converted data; and

based on the conversion logic, generating computer program instructions for balancing logic that balances the data in the source system with the converted data in the target system to ensure that the converting has been properly performed by the conversion logic.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the generating steps are performed by a single tool.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the balancing logic is generated without input from a user of the data conversion system regarding how to balance the data in the source system with data in the target system.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the conversion logic converts data from a first format to a second format.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein the conversion logic renames fields in the data.

13. The medium of claim 8, wherein the conversion logic modifies data types of at least some of the data.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein the balancing logic compares the data from the source system with the converted data for the target system.

15. In a computer system, a method for converting original data used in a source data processing system into converted data for use in a target data processing system, comprising the steps of:

providing a script that specifies how to convert the original data into the converted data;

parsing the script with a parser to generate both conversion logic for converting the original data into the converted data and balancing logic for ensuring that the conversion logic properly converted the original data into the converted data; and

wherein the conversion logic and the balancing logic comprise computer instructions and wherein the balancing logic is automatically generated by the parser based on the conversion logic.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the computer instructions are in a high level programming language.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the script is written in a scripting language specifically designed for data conversion.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the balancing logic compares the original data with the converted data.