Method, system and program product for mapping data fields between a data source and a data target

• US 7,069,269 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Morris, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/308,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20040107201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/201, 707/204, 707/103.R
• US Class Current: 707/810
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

An input stream in which a data source, a data target, source data fields and target data fields is defined. Any field identifier that is identical to another field identifier is modified to be unique. Once the field identifiers are modified as necessary, the source data fields will be mapped to the target data fields based on the field identifiers. After mapping, the field identifiers will be changed back to their original state, and data associated with the source data fields will be communicated to the data target.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for mapping data fields between a data source and a data target, comprising:

receiving an input stream from a user, wherein the input stream identifies the data source, the data target and a set of data fields;

modifying a field identifier for each one of the set of data fields that has a field identifier in common with another one of the set of data fields, the common field identifiers located in the same the data source or data target;

mapping by the user the set of data fields between the data source and the data target after the modifying step; and

returning, subsequent to the mapping step, each modified field identifier to its original common value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining an activity for communicating data associated with the set of data fields from the data source to the data target prior to the receiving step; and

communicating the data according to the defined activity after the returning step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of data fields identified in the input stream comprise source data fields and corresponding target data fields.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mapping step comprises graphically associating each one of the source data fields with one of the target data fields based on field identifiers after the modifying step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying step comprises inserting a unique value into each common field identifier, distinguishing each common field identifier from each other.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the returning step comprises removing the unique value from each modified field identifier after the mapping step.

7. A computer implemented method for allowing a user to map data fields between a data source and a data target, comprising:

receiving an input stream from a user, wherein the input stream identifies the data source, the data target, source data fields and target data fields;

modifying a field identifier for each one of the target data fields of the data target that has a field identifier in common with another one of the target data fields;

graphically mapping by the user the source data fields to the target data fields after the modifying step; and

returning each modified field identifier to its original common value after the graphically mapping step.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

defining an activity for communicating data associated with the source data fields to the target data fields prior to the receiving step; and

communicating the data according to the defined activity after the returning step.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the graphically mapping step comprises graphically associating each one of the source data fields with one of the target data fields based on field identifiers after the modifying step.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the modifying step comprises inserting a unique value into each common field identifier, distinguishing each common field identifier from each other.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the returning step comprises removing the unique value from each modified field identifier after the mapping step.

12. A computer implemented system for allowing a user to map data fields between a data source and a data target, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, including a program executable by the processor, the program including;

an input system for receiving a user provided input stream, wherein the input stream identifies the data source, the data target, source data fields and target data fields; and

a modification system for modifying a field identifier for each one of the target data fields of the data target that has a field identifier in common with another one of the target data fields, wherein a modified stream containing each modified field identifier is communicated to a system for graphically mapping by the user the source data fields to the target data fields, and wherein each modified field identifier is returned to its original common value after the source data fields are mapped to the target data fields.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a definition system for defining the input stream; and

an activity system for retrieving data associated with the source fields from the data source.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein source data fields are graphically mapped to the target data fields based on field identifiers.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the modification system inserts a unique value into each common field identifier, distinguishing each common field identifier from each other, and wherein the modification system further removes the inserted unique value after the source data fields are mapped to the target data fields.

16. A computer implemented system for mapping data fields between a data source and a data target, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, including a program executable by the processor, the program including;

a definition system for defining a user provided input stream, wherein the input stream identifies the data source, the data target, source data fields and target data fields;

a connector system for receiving the input stream and for modifying a field identifier for each one of the target data fields of the data target that has a field identifier in common with another one of the target data fields;

a mapping system for receiving a modified input stream that includes each modified field identifier and for mapping by the user the source data fields to the target data fields; and

an activity system for receiving the modified input stream and the mapping of the source data fields to the target data fields, wherein the activity system communicates the modified input stream, the mapping of the source data fields to the target data fields and data associated with the source data fields to the connector system, and wherein the connector system returns each modified field identifier to its original common value after the source data fields are mapped to the target data fields.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein source data fields are graphically mapped to the target data fields based on field identifiers.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the connector system inserts a unique value into each common field identifier, distinguishing each common field identifier from each other, and wherein the connector system further removes the inserted unique value after the source data fields are mapped to the target data fields.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the connector system further communicates data associated with the source data fields to the data target after returning each modified field identifiers to its original common value.

20. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for allowing a user to map data fields between a data source and a data target, which when executed by a computer performs the steps of:

receiving a user provided input stream, wherein the input stream identifies the data source, the data target, source data fields and target data fields; and

modifying a field identifier for each one of the target data fields of the data target that has a field identifier in common with another one of the target data fields,

receiving a modified stream containing each modified field identifier for graphically mapping by the user the source data fields to the target data fields, and

returning each modified field identifier to its original common value after the source data fields are mapped to the target data fields.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

program code for defining the input stream; and

program code for retrieving data associated with the source fields from the data source.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein source data fields are graphically mapped to the target data fields based on field identifiers.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the program code for modifying inserts a unique value into each common field identifier, distinguishing each common field identifier from each other, and wherein the program code for modifying further removes the inserted unique value after the source data fields are mapped to the target data fields.

24. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for allowing a user to map data fields between a data source and a data target, which when executed by a computer performs the steps of:

defining a user provided input stream, wherein the input stream identifies the data source, the data target, source data fields and target data fields;

receiving the input stream and for modifying a field identifier for each one of the target data fields of the data target that has a field identifier in common with another one of the target data fields;

receiving a modified input stream that includes each modified field identifier and for mapping by the user the source data fields to the target data fields; and

receiving the modified input stream and the mapping of the source data fields to the target data fields, and

returning each modified field identifier to its original common value after the source data fields are mapped to the target data fields.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein source data fields are graphically mapped to the target data fields based on field identifiers.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the program code for modifying inserts a unique value into each common field identifier, distinguishing each common field identifier from each other, and wherein the program code for modifying further removes the inserted unique value after the source data fields are mapped to the target data fields.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising program code for communicating data associated with the source data fields to the data target.