Method and system for facilitating retrieval of report information in a data management system

• US 6,721,745 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Monestere, Charles Joseph III
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/682,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20030041044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/3, 707/2, 707/103.R, 707/102, 707/215, 707/216, 707/217, 707/9, 707/204, 707/201, 707/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation
• 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 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A method is provided for use in retrieving reports from a report warehouse in a data management system by at least one of a plurality of user processors in communication with a Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) server. The DCOM server may also be in communication with the report warehouse. The method comprises establishing a mirror database in communication with the DCOM server and extracting an information subset representing data associated with a report stored in the report warehouse. The extracted information subset is then stored in the mirror database. The method further comprises receiving a search request that may include search criteria for searching the information subsets of the mirror database. The mirror database is then searched for information subsets meeting the search criteria. The method also includes the construction of a report list representing the reports from which information subsets meeting the search criteria were derived. The list of reports is provided to the at least one user processor. A report selection is then received from the at least one user processor and the report is retrieved from the report warehouse and downloaded to the at least one user processor.

Claims

1. In a data management system having a report warehouse and a plurality of user processors in communication with a DCOM server, the DCOM server being in communication with the report warehouse, a method of retrieving reports from the report warehouse by at least one user processor of the plurality of user processors, the method comprising:

establishing a mirror database, the mirror database being in communication with the DCOM server;

extracting an information subset representing data associated with a report stored in the report warehouse;

storing the extracted information subset at the mirror database;

receiving at the mirror database a search request including search criteria for searching information subsets stored in the mirror database;

searching the mirror database for information subsets meeting the search criteria;

constructing a report list representing the reports from which information subsets meeting the search criteria were derived;

providing the report list to the at least one user processor;

receiving a report selection from the at least one user processor, the report selection identifying at least one selected report from the report list for downloading from the report warehouse;

retrieving the at least one selected report from the report warehouse; and

downloading the at least one selected report to the at least one user processor.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mirror database is part of the DCOM server.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the DCOM server performs the step of extracting the information subset from the report.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of uploading at least one report from the at least one user processor, and wherein the DCOM server extracts an information subset from each of the at least one uploaded report, communicates each extracted information subset to the mirror database for storing therein, and communicates the at least one uploaded report to the report warehouse for storing therein.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the report warehouse includes a product data management system.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one user processor includes a graphical user interface and the step of providing the report list includes the step of displaying the report list via the graphical user interface.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of uploading by the at least one user processor the report of the extracting step to the DCOM server, which uploads the report to the report warehouse, and wherein the step of extracting the information subset is performed by the at least one user processor, which communicates the extracted information subset directly to the mirror database for storing therein.

8. A method of retrieving information from a data management system having at least one user processor selectively in communication with a DCOM server, the DCOM server being in communication with a report warehouse, the method comprising:

establishing a mirror database in a mirror data storage device that is selectively in communication with the DCOM server, the mirror database including an information subset for at least one report stored in the report warehouse, each information subset including information representing at least a portion of the report associated with the information subset;

receiving a new report from one of the at least one user processor;

submitting the new report to the DCOM server;

extracting at least a portion of the new report to form an information subset of the new report;

storing the information subset of the new report in the mirror database;

submitting the new report to the report warehouse for storage therein;

receiving a search request from one of the at least one user processor, the search request including search criteria for searching the information subsets of the mirror database;

searching the mirror database for information subsets meeting the search criteria;

constructing a list of the reports from which the information subsets that meet the search criteria were derived; and

providing the list of reports to the one of the at least one user processor that generated the search request.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a report selection from a user, the report selection identifying a set of at least one report from the list of reports that the user wishes to download from the report warehouse;

retrieving the set of at least one report from the report warehouse; and

downloading the set of at least one report to the first user processor.

10. A data management system for storing and retrieving reports, the system comprising:

at least one user processor adapted to communicate with a DCOM server and having means for submitting reports to the DCOM server;

a report warehouse having a plurality of reports stored therein;

a mirror database adapted to communicate with the DCOM server and having a plurality of information subsets stored therein, each information subset including data representing at least a portion of an associated report stored in the report warehouse; and

the DCOM server adapted to communicate with the report warehouse, the at least one user processor and the mirror database, the DCOM server further adapted to receive a new report from the at least one user processor, the DCOM server comprising an extraction module adapted to extract data from the new report to form an information subset of the new report, the DCOM server forwarding the information subset of the new report to the mirror database for storing therein.

11. A data management system according to claim 10 wherein the DCOM server forwards a request for a selected report to the report warehouse, receives the selected report from the report warehouse and transmits the selected report to the at least one user processor.

12. A data management system according to claim 10 wherein the at least one user processor, the DCOM server, and the report warehouse are selectively connected through a network.

13. A data management system according to claim 12 wherein the mirror database is in selective communication with the at least one user processor and the DCOM server through the network.

14. A data management system according to claim 10 wherein the mirror database is integral with the DCOM server.

15. A data management system according to claim 10 wherein the at least one user processor includes a search module adapted to issue a search request including search criteria to the mirror database and to construct a list of reports stored in the mirror database that meet the search criteria.

16. A data management system according to claim 10 wherein the DCOM server includes a search module adapted to issue a search request including search criteria to the mirror database and to construct a list of reports stored in the mirror database that meet the search criteria.

17. A data management system according to claim 10 wherein the at least one user processor includes means for displaying the list of reports and means for receiving a user selection from the list, the at least one user processor adapted to submit the user selection as a report request to the DCOM server.

18. A data management system according to claim 10 wherein the report warehouse includes a product data management system for managing the storage and retrieval of reports.

19. In a data management system having a report warehouse and a plurality of user processors in communication with a DCOM server, the DCOM server being in communication with the report warehouse, a method of creating a mirror database relating to reports stored in the report warehouse, the method comprising:

receiving a report at the DCOM server from one of the report warehouse and the plurality of user processors;

extracting an information subset representing data associated with the received report;

establishing a communication link between the DCOM server and the mirror database storage device; and

storing the extracted information subset at the mirror database storage device to establish a mirror database.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request from at least one of the plurality of user processors, the search request including search criteria for searching information subsets stored in the mirror database; and

searching the mirror database for information subsets meeting the search criteria.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the user processor is in selective communication with the mirror database and the step of searching the mirror database is accomplished using a search module included in the user processor.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of searching the mirror database is accomplished using a search module included in the DCOM server.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

constructing a report list representing the reports from which information subsets meeting the search criteria were derived; and

providing the report list to the at least one of the plurality of user processors.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

generating a report selection from the at least one of the plurality of user processors, the report selection identifying at least one selected report from the report list for downloading from the report warehouse;

retrieving the at least one selected report from the report warehouse; and

downloading the at least one selected report to the at least one of the plurality of user processors.

25. A data management system comprising:

at least one user processor having a user interface and having means for generating reports;

a report warehouse having means for storing data, the report warehouse having a plurality of reports stored therein;

a DCOM server having means for communicating with the at least one user processor and the report warehouse, the DCOM server having means for receiving and transmitting reports;

an extraction means for extracting an information subset from a report, the information subset representing data associated with the report;

a mirror database having means for storing data and being in communication with the DCOM server;

the information subset being stored in the mirror database storage means; and

the mirror database storage means having a plurality of information subsets stored therein, each information subset including data representing at least a portion of an associated report stored in the report warehouse.

26. The data management system of claim 25 wherein the extraction means is integral with at least one of the DCOM server and the at least one user processor.

27. The data management system of claim 25 wherein the at least one user processor includes a report submission module for generating a report and submitting the report to the DCOM server.

28. The data management system of claim 25 wherein the extraction means is integral with the at least one user processor, which delivers the information subset directly to the mirror database.

29. The data management system of claim 25 wherein the at least one user processor is in selective communication with the mirror database and includes a search module adapted to generate a search query and transmit the search query to the mirror database, the search module generating a list of reports representing the information subsets responsive to the search query.

30. The data management system of claim 25 wherein the DCOM server includes a search module adapted to generate a search query and transmit the search query to the mirror database, the search module generating a list of reports representing the information subsets responsive to the search query and transmitting the report list to the at least one user processor.

31. The data management system of claim 25 wherein via the user interface, a user of the at least one user processor views the report list and selects at least one report to be retrieved from the report warehouse.

32. The data management system of claim 31 wherein the at least one user processor transmits to the DCOM server a request for the at least one selected report, the DCOM server communicating with the report warehouse to obtain data associated with the at least one selected report stored in the report warehouse and delivering the data associated with the at least one selected report to the at least one user processor.

33. The data management system of claim 25 wherein the at least one user processor, the DCOM server, and the report warehouse are selectively communicatively connected through a network.