System and method for selecting data to be corrected

• US 6,968,339 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stephens, Robert Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US10/225,112
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 707 6- 7, 707100-101, 702/179, 702/181, 708/200, 708/250
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A pool of data elements is identified. A set of random data elements is selected from the pool. The data elements in the set are scored. Data elements may be scored based on attributes of the data such as, for example, the type of the data, the domain of the data; the structure of the data; the size of the data, and the volume of the data. The lowest scoring data elements are removed from the set. The lowest scoring data elements are replaced by data elements from the pool that are related to the highest scoring data elements in the set. The set is scored. It is determined whether the current set score is within a predetermined desired range of the previous set score. If the current set score is not within a predetermined desired range of the previous set score, then the process is repeated.

Claims

1. A method for selecting data to be corrected, comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of data elements from a first storage device and identifying a pool of data elements from the plurality of data elements;

(b) selecting a set of random data elements from the pool;

(c) scoring the random data elements in the set to generate a first score;

(d) identifying a predetermined number of lowest scoring data elements and a predetermined number of highest data elements;

(e) removing the lowest scoring data elements from the set;

(f) selecting data elements from the pool related to the highest scoring data elements in the set;

(g) scoring the set to determine a current score;

(h) determining if the current set score is within a predetermined range of the first score; and

(i) if the current set score is not within a predetermined desired range of the previous set score, then repeating steps (c) through (i) until the current set score is within a predetermined desired range of the previous set score, otherwise identifying the set as data to be corrected and storing the data in a second storage device;

wherein scoring the data elements in steps (c) and (g) is based on at least one of a type of the data, a domain of the data;

a structure of the data;

a size of the data, and a volume of the data that comprises the data elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the pool of data elements comprises identifying each data element is identified in a metadata repository.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a set of random data elements comprises:

assigning each element an identification number; and

selecting a set of identification numbers using a random number generator.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting data elements from the pool related to the highest scoring data elements in the set based on at least one of a logical relationship, a physical relationship, a data transformation, and a naming standard relationship.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the logical relationship comprises a relationship between an entity and an attribute.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising scoring the set based on the cumulative score of each element in the set.

7. A system for selecting data to be corrected, comprising:

a processor operative to execute computer executable instruction; and

memory having stored therein computer executable instructions for performing the following steps;

(a) receiving a plurality of data elements from a first storage device and identifying a pool of data elements from the plurality of data elements;

(b) selecting a set of random data elements from the pool;

(c) scoring the random data elements in the set to generate a first score;

(d) identifying a predetermined number of lowest scoring data elements and a predetermined number of highest data elements;

(e) removing the lowest scoring data elements from the set;

(f) selecting data elements from the pool related to the highest scoring data elements in the set;

(g) scoring the set to determine a current score;

(h) determining if the current set score is within a predetermined range of the first score; and

(i) if the current set score is not within a predetermined desired range of the previous set score, then repeating steps (c) through (i) until the current set score is within a predetermined desired range of the previous set score, otherwise identifying the set as data to be corrected and storing the data in a second storage device;

wherein the computer executable instructions for performing the scoring of the data elements in steps (c) and (g) are based on at least one of a type of the data, a domain of the data;

a structure of the data;

a size of the data, and a volume of the data that comprises the data elements.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a metadata repository for identifying data elements in the pool.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a random number generator for randomly identifying data elements.

10. The system of claim 7, comprising computer executable instructions for performing the step of selecting data elements from the pool related to the highest scoring data elements in the set based on at least one of a logical relationship, a physical relationship, a data transformation, and a naming standard relationship.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the logical relationship comprises a relationship between an entity and an attribute.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising computer executable instructions for performing the step of scoring the set based on the cumulative score of each element in the set.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising an input device operative to receive computer executable instructions.

14. The system of claim 7, further comprising a display device for displaying data.

15. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions for performing the following steps:

(a) receiving a plurality of data elements from a first storage device and identifying a pool of data elements from the plurality of data elements;

(b) selecting a set of random data elements from the pool;

(c) scoring the random data elements in the set to generate a first score;

(d) identifying a predetermined number of lowest scoring data elements and a predetermined number of highest data elements;

(e) removing the lowest scoring data elements from the set;

(f) selecting data elements from the pool related to the highest scoring data elements in the set;

(g) scoring the set to determine a current score;

(h) determining if the current set score is within a predetermined range of the first score; and

(i) if the current set score is not within a predetermined desired range of the previous set score, then repeating steps (c) through (i) until the current set score is within a predetermined desired range of the previous set score, otherwise identifying the set as data to be corrected and storing the data in a second storage device;

wherein the computer readable instructions for performing the scoring of the data elements in steps (c) and (g) are based on at least one of a type of the data, a domain of the data;

a structure of the data;

a size of the data, and a volume of the data that comprises the data elements.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer readable instructions for performing the step of identifying the pool of data elements comprises computer readable instructions for performing the step of identifying each data element in a metadata repository.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer readable instructions for performing the step of selecting a set of random data elements comprise computer readable instructions for performing the following steps:

assigning each element an identification number; and

selecting a set of identification numbers using a random number generator.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, comprising computer readable instructions for performing the step of selecting data elements from the pool related to the highest scoring data elements in the set based on at least one of a logical relationship, a physical relationship, a data transformation, and a naming standard relationship.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the logical relationship comprises a relationship between an entity and an attribute.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable instructions for performing the step of scoring the set based on the cumulative score of each element in the set.