Central master data management

• US 7,509,326 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kalthoff, Wolfgang, Rohloff, Frank, Krabel, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/367,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 707/8, 707/100, 707/10, 707/102, 707/201, 707/103.R, 707/103.X, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z, 707/101, 707/6, 707/7, 709/203, 709/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for sharing data. The technique includes creating at least one data object in a central system, the data object including a complete object definition, and dependencies to other objects, mapping at least one data object to other data objects in the central system, and distributing data objects from the central system to one or more client systems, where the one or more client systems.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first client, a first data object in a central system, the first data object comprising attributes specified for the first data object, the attributes specified for the first data object being associated with respective rankings;

receiving, from a second client, a second data object, the second data object comprising attributes specified for the second data object, the attributes specified for the second data object being associated with respective rankings;

comparing the attributes specified for the first data object to the attributes specified for the second data object in the central system to determine matching attributes and non-matching attributes;

determining whether the first data object matches the second data object based on a result of the comparing and based on respective rankings of the matching attributes and the non-matching attributes;

mapping the first data object to the second data object in the central system based on the determination of whether the first data object matches the second data object to produce mapping information that links a first identifier associated with the first data object to a second identifier associated with the second object; and

transmitting the first data object, the second data objects, and the mapping information from the central system to one or more client systems.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the central system, a request from the client system to create the first data object; and

creating the first data object, the first data object comprising the attributes specified for the first data object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the central system, a request from the client system to create a further data object; and

selectively creating the requested further data object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selectively creating of the requested further data object comprises:

determining that the further data object already exists at the central system; and

suppressing the creating of the requested further data object.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

notifying the requesting client system that a duplicate data object exists in the central system.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the selectively creating of the requested further data object comprises:

determining that the further data object does not already exist at the central system; and

permitting the creating of the requested further data object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

standardizing content of the second data object.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising mapping the second data object to a third data object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping of the first data object is performed according to industry specific standards.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing a framework to configure client system software to receive the first and second data objects from the central system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining dependencies to other objects for the first data object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the defining of the dependencies to other objects comprises defining a packet of objects.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the defining of the packet comprises defining a product structure.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the defining of the dependencies to other objects comprises defining a view including parts of objects.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the first data object and the second data objects from the central system to one or more client systems comprises distributing the first data object and the second data objects in packets.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the first data object with information received from a client system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the updating of the first data object comprises periodically updating the first data object.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the updating of the first data object comprises updating the first data object in response to an indication that the first data object was changed in a client system.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmitting of the first and second data objects from the central system to the one or more client systems includes distributing data from the central system to the one or more client systems in response to updating the first data object.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the updating of the first data object includes updating dependencies to other objects.

21. A system comprising:

one or more client systems; and

a central module comprising a central data store to store attributes of data objects, the central module configured to;

receive, from a first client, a first data object in a central system, the first data object comprising attributes specified for the first data object the attributes specified for the first data object being associated with respective rankings;

receive, from a second client, a second data object, the second data object comprising attributes specified for the second data object, the attributes specified for the second data object being associated with respective rankings;

compare the attributes specified for the first data object to the attributes specified for the second data object in the central system to determine matching attributes and non-matching attributes;

determine whether the first data object matches the second data object based on a result of the comparing and based on respective rankings of the matching attributes and the non-matching attributes; and

map the first data object to the second data object in the central system based on the determination of whether the first data object matches the second data object to produce mapping information that links a first identifier associated with the first data object to a second identifier associated with the second object.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the central module is to transmit the first and second data objects and the mapping information from the central data store to the one or more client systems.

23. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive, from a first client, a first data object in a central system, the first data object comprising attributes specified for the first data object the attributes specified for the first data object being associated with respective rankings;

receive, from a second client, a second data object, the second data object comprising attributes specified for the second data object, the attributes specified for the second data object being associated with respective rankings;

compare the attributes specified for the first data object to the attributes specified for the second data object in the central system to determine matching attributes and non-matching attributes;

determine whether the first data object matches the second data object based on a result of the comparing and based on respective rankings of the matching attributes and the non-matching attributes; and

map the first data object to the second data object in the central system based on the determination of whether the first data object matches the second data object to produce mapping information that links a first identifier associated with the first data object to a second identifier associated with the second object.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive a request from a client system to create a data object, the first data object to include attributes specified for the first data object, values specified for the attributes, and dependencies to other objects.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive, at the central system, a request from the client system to create a further data object; and

selectively create the requested further data object.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to selectively create the requested further data object by:

determining that the further data object already exists at the central system; and

suppressing the creating of the requested further data object.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

notify the requesting client system that a duplicate data object exists in the central system.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to selectively create the requested further data object by:

determining that the further data object does not already exist at the central system; and

permitting the creating of the requested further data object.

29. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive a further data object from a client system; and

stage the further data object.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to map the further data object.

31. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to map the first data object according to industry specific standards.

32. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to distribute a framework to configure client system software to receive the first and second data objects from the central system.

33. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

define dependencies to other objects for the first data object.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to define the dependencies to other objects comprises instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to define a packet of objects.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to define a packet comprises instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to define a product structure.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to transmit the first and second data objects from the central system to one or more client systems comprises instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to distribute the first data object and the second data objects in packets.

37. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to define the dependencies to other objects comprises instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to define a view including parts of objects.

38. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

update the first data object with information received from a client system.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to update the first data object comprises instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to periodically update the first data object.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to update the first data object comprises instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to update the first data object in response to an indication that the first data object was changed in a client system.

41. The computer program product of claim 38, the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to transmit the first and second data objects from the central system to one or more client systems includes instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to distribute the first data object and the second data objects from the central system to one or more client systems in response to the updating of the first data object.

42. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to update the first data object includes instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to update dependencies to other objects.