Method of generating data servers for heterogeneous data sources
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of serving data between a database and a client application, wherein said database comprises data of a native data type which is arranged in a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:
- examining said database;
generating a default schema, wherein the default schema comprises mapping data for converting said data of said native data type to a predetermined data type of a common data model, and wherein said default schema provides a plurality of representations of the data structure of the database;
displaying the generated default schema and the data of the native data type graphically;
adding an annotation to the default schema, wherein said annotation comprises a child element that identifies the database;
mapping at least one of a first element and a first attribute of the default schema to at least a respective one of a second element and a second attribute of a predetermined schema, wherein the mapping is responsive to a mapping instruction, and wherein said predetermined schema includes an annotation copied from the annotation of the default schema;
using a computer to create a server application to use said predetermined schema to convert said data of said native data type to data of said predetermined data type;
parsing, according to said server application, a query according to the common data model;
mapping said parsed query, using said server application, to form a data request of the data of said native data type to be sent to the database;
retrieving a required portion of the data from said database in response to said received query;
converting said response data according to said server application to form a response to said query according to said common data model; and
returning said response to said client application.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A query system (1600) is formed by a wizard (1605) operating to form a data server (1610) arranged to serve data from a data source (1615) to a client application (1630), each of the wizard, the client application, the data server and the data source being linked by a communications network (1650). The data source has native data types and data arranged in a data structure. The wizard operates to firstly identify the data source over the network. The wizard further provides an application program for traversing and examining at least one of the data structure and data of the identified data source. The application program is operable to generate a representative schema (1614) comprising mapping data for converting the native data types to predetermined data types of a common data model. The wizard further operates to create a server application (1612) adapted to use the representative schema to convert the data from the native data types to the predetermined data types and to serve the data to the client application according to the common data model over the network. The representative schema and the server application thereby form the data server generated by the wizard. Once formed, the data server may receive and respond to queries from the client application, which may have no knowledge of the native data types, but which are directed to the data source.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of serving data between a database and a client application, wherein said database comprises data of a native data type which is arranged in a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:
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examining said database; generating a default schema, wherein the default schema comprises mapping data for converting said data of said native data type to a predetermined data type of a common data model, and wherein said default schema provides a plurality of representations of the data structure of the database; displaying the generated default schema and the data of the native data type graphically; adding an annotation to the default schema, wherein said annotation comprises a child element that identifies the database; mapping at least one of a first element and a first attribute of the default schema to at least a respective one of a second element and a second attribute of a predetermined schema, wherein the mapping is responsive to a mapping instruction, and wherein said predetermined schema includes an annotation copied from the annotation of the default schema; using a computer to create a server application to use said predetermined schema to convert said data of said native data type to data of said predetermined data type; parsing, according to said server application, a query according to the common data model; mapping said parsed query, using said server application, to form a data request of the data of said native data type to be sent to the database; retrieving a required portion of the data from said database in response to said received query; converting said response data according to said server application to form a response to said query according to said common data model; and returning said response to said client application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer-implemented method of serving data between a plurality of databases and a client application, wherein each of said databases respectively comprises data of a native data type which is arranged in a data structure, said method comprising the steps of:
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examining at least one of the plurality of databases; generating a corresponding default schema for said examined database, wherein said corresponding default schema comprises mapping data for converting said native data type to a predetermined data type of a common data model, and wherein said corresponding default schema provides a plurality of representations of the data structure of the database; displaying the generated default schema and the data of the native data type graphically; adding an annotation to the default schema, wherein said annotation comprises a child element that identifies the database; mapping at least one of a first element and a first attribute of the default schema to at least a respective one of a second element and a second attribute of a predetermined schema, wherein the mapping is responsive to a mapping instruction, and wherein said predetermined schema includes an annotation copied from the annotation of the default schema; using a computer to create a server application to use said corresponding predetermined schema to convert the data of said native data type in said examined database to data of said predetermined data type, and to serve said data according to said common data model over said network; parsing, according to said server application, a query of said examined database according to said common data model; mapping said parsed query, using said server application, to form a data request of the data of said native data type to be sent to the examined database; retrieving a required portion of the data from said examined database in response to said received query; converting said response data according to said server application to form a response to said query according to said common data model; and returning said response to said client application. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer readable storage medium having a computer application program recorded thereon executable to make a computer serve data between a plurality of databases and a client application, wherein each of said databases respectively comprises data of a native data type which is arranged in a data structure, said application program comprising:
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code for examining at least one of the plurality of databases; code for generating a corresponding default schema for said examined database, wherein said corresponding default schema comprises mapping data for converting said native data type of said examined database to a predetermined data type of a common data model, and wherein said corresponding default schema provides a plurality of representations of the data structure of the database; code for displaying the generated default schema and the data of the native data type graphically; code for adding an annotation to the default schema, wherein said annotation comprises a child element that identifies the database; code for mapping at least one of a first element and a first attribute of the default schema to at least a respective one of a second element and a second attribute of a predetermined schema, wherein the mapping is responsive to a mapping instruction, and wherein said predetermined schema includes an annotation copied from the annotation of the default schema; code for creating a server application to use said corresponding predetermined schema to convert said data of said native data type in said examined database to data of said predetermined data type, and to serve said data according to said common data model; code for parsing, according to said server application, a query of said examined database according to said common data model; code for mapping said parsed query, using said server application, to form a data request of the data of said native data type to be sent to the examined database; code for retrieving a required portion of the data from said examined database in response to said received query; code for converting said response data according to said server application to form a response to said query according to said common data model; and code for returning said response to said client application. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer apparatus comprising a processor and a memory for storing an application program, wherein the application program is executable by the processor to control said apparatus to serve data between a plurality of databases and a client application, wherein each of said databases comprises data of a native data type which is arranged in a data structure, and wherein the execution of the application program thereby affords said apparatus:
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means for examining at least one of the plurality of databases; means for generating a corresponding default schema for said examined database, wherein said corresponding default schema comprises mapping data for converting said native data type of said database to a predetermined data type of a common data model, and wherein said corresponding default schema provides a plurality of representations of the data structure of the database; means for displaying the generated default schema and the data of the native data type graphically; means for adding an annotation to the default schema, wherein said annotations comprises a child element that identifies the database; means for mapping at least one of a first element and a first attribute of the default schema to at least a respective one of a second element and a second attribute of a predetermined schema, wherein the mapping is responsive to a mapping instruction, and wherein said predetermined schema includes an annotation copied from the annotation of the default schema; means for creating a server application to use said corresponding predetermined schema to convert said data from said native data type in said examined database to data of said predetermined data type, and to serve said data according to said common data model; means for parsing, according to said server application, a query of said examined database according to said common data model; means for mapping said parsed query, using said server application, to form a data request of the data of said native data type to be sent to the examined database; means for retrieving a required portion of the data from said examined database in response to said received query; means for converting said response data according to said server application to form a response to said query according to said common data model; and means for returning said response to said client application.
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Specification