Method and system for discovering relationships
First Claim
1. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium for discovering relationships in an arbitrarily complex environment, the computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises instructions executable by a processor to:
- represent a first entity in a system being modeled with a first component of a first type of component in a data model, wherein the first component has a set of fields which contain information relating to the first entity, wherein at least one field in the set of fields contains information about the first type of component, and wherein the first entity is a logical or physical entity in the arbitrarily complex environment;
represent a second entity in the system being modeled with a second component of a second type of component in the data model, wherein the second component has a set of fields which contain information relating to the second entity, wherein at least one field in the set of fields contains information about the second type of component, and wherein the second entity is a logical or physical entity in the arbitrarily complex environment;
establish, maintain, delete and update one or more relationship discovery rules for analyzing one or more of information contained in one or more fields in the first component and information contained in one or more fields in the second component, one or more of data values associated with the first component and data values associated with the second component, and one or more references to a relationship discovery rule;
select a relationship discovery rule from the set of relationship discovery rules based on the type of component associated with the first component;
associate the selected relationship discovery rule with the first component;
apply the selected relationship discovery rule to the second component;
establish a relationship between the first component and the second component according to the relationship discovery rule, wherein the relationship represents an association between the first entity and the second entity in the system, and wherein each relationship contains a set of fields which contain information pertinent to the association, wherein one field of the set of fields contains information about type of relationship; and
repeat one or more of selecting a relationship discovery rule from the set of relationship discovery rules, associating the selected relationship discovery rule with a first component, applying the selected relationship discovery rule with the second component to establish, delete or update a relationship when changes are made to the data model.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for relationship discovery. According to one embodiment of the present invention, arbitrarily complex relationship discovery rules can be applied to components in a data model to determine if a relationship exists between the components. If the components satisfy a relationship discovery rule, a relationship can be established for the components. Because the relationships are established based on the application of relationship discovery rules rather than through enforcement of a database schema, new relationships and relationship types can be established without having to alter the underlying database schema. Additionally, because rules can be repetitively applied, relationships can be established, deleted and updated as the system being modeled changes.
77 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium for discovering relationships in an arbitrarily complex environment, the computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises instructions executable by a processor to:
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represent a first entity in a system being modeled with a first component of a first type of component in a data model, wherein the first component has a set of fields which contain information relating to the first entity, wherein at least one field in the set of fields contains information about the first type of component, and wherein the first entity is a logical or physical entity in the arbitrarily complex environment; represent a second entity in the system being modeled with a second component of a second type of component in the data model, wherein the second component has a set of fields which contain information relating to the second entity, wherein at least one field in the set of fields contains information about the second type of component, and wherein the second entity is a logical or physical entity in the arbitrarily complex environment; establish, maintain, delete and update one or more relationship discovery rules for analyzing one or more of information contained in one or more fields in the first component and information contained in one or more fields in the second component, one or more of data values associated with the first component and data values associated with the second component, and one or more references to a relationship discovery rule; select a relationship discovery rule from the set of relationship discovery rules based on the type of component associated with the first component; associate the selected relationship discovery rule with the first component; apply the selected relationship discovery rule to the second component; establish a relationship between the first component and the second component according to the relationship discovery rule, wherein the relationship represents an association between the first entity and the second entity in the system, and wherein each relationship contains a set of fields which contain information pertinent to the association, wherein one field of the set of fields contains information about type of relationship; and repeat one or more of selecting a relationship discovery rule from the set of relationship discovery rules, associating the selected relationship discovery rule with a first component, applying the selected relationship discovery rule with the second component to establish, delete or update a relationship when changes are made to the data model. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17)
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14. A method for discovering relationships in an arbitrarily complex environment, comprising:
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representing, by using a computer having a processor, a first entity in a system being modeled with a first component of a first type of component in a data model, wherein the first component has a set of fields, wherein at least one field in the set of fields contains information about the first type of component, wherein the set of fields are defined based on data model format and the system modeled and contains information relating to the first entity, and wherein the first entity is a logical or physical entity in the arbitrarily complex environment; representing a second entity in the system being modeled with a second component of a second type of component, wherein the second component has a set of fields, wherein at least one field in the set of fields contains information about the second type of component, wherein the set of fields are defined based on the data model format and the system being modeled and contains information relating to the second entity, and wherein the second entity is a logical or physical entity in the arbitrarily complex environment; establishing, maintaining, deleting and updating one or more relationship discovery rules for analyzing one or more of information contained in one or more fields in the first component and information contained in one or more fields in the second component, one or more of data values associated with the first component and data values associated with the second component, and one or more references to a relationship discovery rule; selecting a relationship discovery rule from the set of relationship discovery rules based on the type of component associated with the first component; associating the selected relationship discovery rule with the first component; applying the selected relationship discovery rule to the second component; establishing a relationship between the first component and the second component according to the relationship discovery rule, wherein the relationship represents an association between the first entity and the second entity in the system, and wherein each relationship contains a set of fields which contain information pertinent to the association, wherein one field of the set of fields contains information about type of relationship; and repeating one or more of selecting a relationship discovery rule from the set of relationship discovery rules, associating the selected relationship discovery rule with a first component, applying the selected relationship discovery rule with the second component to establish, delete or update a relationship when changes are made to the data model. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification