System and method for modeling and managing enterprise architecture data and content models and their relationships

• US 7,739,292 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altova GmbH
• Original Assignee: Altova GmbH
• Inventors: Gavrielov, Vladislav, Falk, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehichioya; Fred I
• Application Number:
  US11/237,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 707/601, 707/604, 707/760, 707/803, 707/809, 707/E17.123, 707/E17.127
• US Class Current: 707/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying

Abstract

A distributed system includes client- and server-side components that, together, allow XML schemas or the like to be managed in a collaborative way across an enterprise environment. The server-side component, or server, is used to assemble a collection of one or more schemas. The server exposes the collection of schemas to one or more client components that connect to the server. Such connections may be made over a computer network. The client component preferably exports a display interface through which a user can visualize dependencies between schemas, e.g., by dragging them into a workspace and viewing all related schemas and how they are connected, as well as what elements and other components they define. In this way, the client component provides a high-level view of a larger (e.g., enterprise-wide) information architecture.

Claims

1. A system for managing Extensible Markup Language (XML) schemas across a distributed computing environment, wherein the XML schemas are stored or accessible from a data store, comprising:

a set of one or more client components residing in a client having at least a memory and a processor; and

at least one server component residing in a server having at least a memory and a processor that exposes a collection of XML schemas to each of the set of one or more client components that are connected to the server component;

wherein at least one client component is adapted to generate a visual display of at least one interrelationship between a first XML schema and a second XML schema in the collection of XML schemas, the interrelationship comprising dependencies among XML schemas and all related XML schemas;

wherein the at least one interrelationship between the first XML schema and the second XML schema is a textual reference to at least a part of the second XML schema;

wherein at least one client component includes code executable in the processor to generate a display interface comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion displaying information identifying the collection of XML schemas and the second portion displaying at least one tab on which representations of the first and second XML schemas can be positioned.

2. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the client component includes code executable in the processor to display a representation of the collection of XML schemas and interrelationships between the XML schemas.

3. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the client component includes code executable in the processor to define a new relationship or to modify an existing relationship between the first XML schema and the second XML schema.

4. The system as described in claim 3 wherein the client component includes code executable in the processor to propagate to the server component information concerning the new relationship or the modified existing relationship.

5. The system as described in claim 4 wherein the server component includes code executable in a processor in response to receipt of the information concerning the new relationship or the modified existing relationship for updating at least one XML schema in the collection of XML schemas.

6. The system as described in claim 5 wherein the at least one XML schema in the collection of XML schemas is updated by one of:

an include statement,

an import statement, and

a redefine statement.

7. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the client component is connected to the server component via a network.

8. The system as described in claim 7 wherein the client component communicates with the server component via the network using a communications protocol.

9. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the client component is an XML editor.

10. An apparatus for use in managing a collection of XML schemas, wherein the XML schemas are accessible over a network from a server, comprising:

a processor;

code executable in the processor to generate an information display exposing the collection of XML schemas and their interrelationships to a set of clients connected to the server, the interrelationships comprising dependencies among XML schemas and all related XML schemas;

code executable in the processor to generate a modified information display, the modified information display responsive to an operation that creates a new or existing relationship between a first XML schema and a second XML schema; and

code executable in the processor in response to generation of the modified information display for communicating to the server information to update the collection of XML schemas automatically; and

code executable in the processor to display an interrelationship between a first XML schema and a second XML schema within the collection of XML schemas, wherein the interrelationship between the first XML schema and the second XML schema is a textual reference to at least a part of the second XML schema.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 10 wherein the modified information display is generated by altering at least one visual element on the information display.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 10 wherein the information display is a graphical user interface (GUI) that comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion displaying a list of XML schemas in the collection of XML schemas, and the second portion displaying an information architecture represented by at least the first XML schema and the second XML schema.

13. A method of creating and managing information architectures across a distributed computing environment, wherein the information architectures are stored or accessible from a data store, comprising:

exposing, from a server, a collection of information architectures, each information architecture consisting of at least one of an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema, an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) stylesheet, an XML mapping, and a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file, wherein the collection of information architectures are exposed to each of a set of clients that are connected to the server;

displaying, at a first client coupled to the server, an information display illustrating the collection of information architectures and their interrelationships, the interrelationships comprising dependencies among schemas and all related schemas, the information display comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion displaying a list of information architectures;

displaying, at a second client coupled to the server, the information display;

in response to a modification to the information display at either the first client or the second client, propagating information concerning the modification to the information display to the server and updating the collection of information architectures accordingly; and

displaying an interrelationship between a first information architecture and a second information architecture within the information display;

wherein the interrelationship is a textual reference to at least a part of the second information architecture.

14. The method as described in claim 13 wherein the first client and the second client collaborate using the information display.

15. The method as described in claim 13 wherein the information display is a meta-schema that comprises a first XML schema created at the first client and a second XML schema created at the second client.

16. The method as described in claim 13 wherein the information architecture is a database schema.