Managing uneven authorizations in a computer data exchange

• US 7,277,940 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kompalli, Prasad, Pauly, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Khanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOU, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US10/335,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/225, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

Techniques are provided to integrate applications having different data structures. Data from the application having a less restrictive data structure is provided to the application with a more restrictive data structure as the application is capable of storing the data. Data from the application having a less restrictive data structure may be stored.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for exchanging computer data between a first data processing system having a less restrictive data structure and a second data processing system having a more restrictive data structure, the method comprising:

receiving, at a data exchange facility having a mapping data store and a mapping function, data values from the first data processing system, the data values being associated with a first data structure;

identifying a second data structure associated with the second data processing system and corresponding to the first data structure;

storing, on the data exchange facility, the data values received from the first data processing system for later transformation;

determining whether the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the data values received from the first data processing system;

transforming, at the data exchange facility, the received data values if the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is not capable of storing the received data values such that the second data structure is capable of storing the received data values; and

only sending the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the data values.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data values from the first data processing system comprises receiving from the first data processing system data values to be inserted in the second data processing system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving data values from the first data processing system comprises receiving from the first data processing system data values to update data stored in the second data processing system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first data processing system comprises a groupware data system, and

the method further comprises receiving data from the groupware data system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving groupware data from the groupware data system comprises receiving contact information from the groupware data system.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving groupware data from the groupware data system comprises receiving calendar information from the groupware data system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein when the data values received from the first data processing system are not sent to the second data processing system, further comprising associating an indication that the data values received from the first data processing system have not been sent to the second data processing system with an identifier associated with the data values received.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein when the second data processing system is capable of storing the data values received from the first data processing system, further comprising sending the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing a portion of the data values received from the first data processing system; and

only sending the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the portion of the data values.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein when the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system is not sent to the second data processing system, further comprising associating an indication that the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system has not been sent to the second data processing system with an identifier associated with the data values received.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when the second data processing system is capable of storing the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system, further comprising sending the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system.

12. A computer-implemented method for exchanging computer data between a first data processing system having a less restrictive data structure and a second data processing system having a more restrictive data structure, the method comprising:

receiving data values, having a first portion and a second portion, from the first data processing system, the data values being associated with a first data structure;

identifying a second data structure associated with the second data processing system and corresponding to the first data structure;

determining whether the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the first portion of the data values received from the first data processing system;

determining whether the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the second portion of the data values received from the first data processing system;

only sending the first portion of the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the first portion of the data values; and

only sending the second portion of the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the second portion of the data values;

storing an indication whether the first portion of the data values was sent to the second data processing system;

storing an indication whether the second portion of the data values was sent to the second data processing system;

when the first portion of the data values is not sent to the second data processing system, storing the first portion of the data values; and

when the second portion of the data values is not sent to the second data processing system, storing the second portion of the data values.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein when the first portion of the data values received from the first data processing system is not sent to the second data processing system, further comprising sending the first portion of the data values to the second data processing system when the second data processing system is capable of storing the first portion of the data values received.

14. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to exchange computer data between a first data processing system having a less restrictive data structure and a second data processing system having a more restrictive data structure, the medium or signal comprising one or more code segments configured to:

receive, at a data exchange facility having a mapping data store and a mapping function, data values from the first data processing system, the data values being associated with a first data structure;

identifying a second data structure associated with the second data processing system and corresponding to the first data structure;

store, on the data exchange facility, the data values received from the first data processing system for later transformation;

determine whether the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the data values received from the first data processing system;

transform, at the data exchange facility, the received data values if the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is not capable of storing the received data values such that the second data structure is capable of storing the received data values; and

only send the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the data values.

15. The medium of claim 14 wherein the one or more code segments are further configured to associate an indication that the data values received from the first data processing system has not been sent to the second data processing system with an identifier associated with the data values received when the data values received from the first data processing system is not sent to the second data processing system.

16. The medium of claim 15 wherein the one or more code segments are further configured to send the data received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data processing system is capable of storing the data values received from the first data processing system.

17. The medium of claim 14 wherein the one or more code segments are further configured to:

determine whether the data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing a portion of the data values received from the first data processing system; and

only send the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the portion of data values.

18. The medium of claim 17 wherein the one or more code segments are further configured to associate an indication that the portion of the data received from the first data processing system has not been sent to the second data processing system with an identifier associated with the data values received when the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system is not sent to the second data processing system.

19. The medium of claim 18 wherein the one or more code segments are configured to send the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data processing system is capable of storing the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system.

20. An apparatus for exchanging computer data between a first data processing system having a less restrictive data structure and a second data processing system having a more restrictive data structure, the apparatus comprising a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive, at a data exchange facility having a mapping data store and a mapping function, data values from the first data processing system, the data values being associated with a first data structure;

identify a second data structure associated with the second data processing system and corresponding to the first data structure;

store, on the data exchange facility, the data received from the first data processing system for later transformation;

determine whether the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the data values received from the first data processing system;

transform, at the data exchange facility, the received data values if the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is not capable of storing the received data values such that the second data structure is capable of storing the received data values; and

only send the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the data.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to associate an indication that the data values received from the first data processing system has not been sent to the second data processing system with an identifier associated with the data values received when the data values received from the first data processing system are not sent to the second data processing system.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to send the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data processing system is capable of storing the data values received from the first data processing system.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing a portion of the data values received from the first data processing system; and

only send the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the data structure associated with the second data processing system is capable of storing the portion of data values.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the processor is further configured to associate an indication that the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system has not been sent to the second data processing system with an identifier associated with the data values received when the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system is not sent to the second data processing system.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the processor is further configured to send the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system to the second data processing system when the second data processing system is capable of storing the portion of the data values received from the first data processing system.