Model driven consolidator of database information

• US 7,873,607 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dun & Bradstreet Corp., DUN & Bradstreet Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.), Hoover's Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Purisma, Inc. (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.)
• Inventors: Boyd, Nathan D. T., Knutson, Stanley G., Jain, Deepak, Rao, Sudhir M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil; Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIANG, VEI CHUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/178,252
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/102, 707/201, 707/103.Z
• US Class Current: 707/692
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A method for specifying a consolidator for consolidating data from a plurality of database systems is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a user action wherein the user action specifies an action that modifies a knowledge base wherein the knowledge base includes schema information and matching information relating to the plurality of database systems. The method further comprises deriving an event from the user action wherein the event triggers a consistency rule that causes a modification of the knowledge base and generating from the knowledge base a registry that comprises the consolidator wherein the registry includes a master database and a consolidator application.

Claims

1. A method for creating a consolidator for consolidating data from a plurality of database systems comprising:

receiving a user action wherein the user action specifies an action that modifies a knowledge base, wherein the knowledge base includes schema information and matching information relating to the plurality of database systems;

deriving, using a processor, an event from the user action wherein the event causes a first modification of the knowledge base, which in turn triggers consistency rules that cause a second modification of the knowledge base, wherein the consistency rules are that;

(a) when a master entity is added to the knowledge base, the master entity is required to have (i) a corresponding staged entity, wherein staged entity data is derived from processing data from one of the plurality of database systems, and wherein said staged entity comprises a staged attribute comprising a cleanse definition, (ii) ordering, and (iii) all ordering attributes;

(b) when a staged entity is deleted, native attribute and ordering information corresponding to the staged entity is also deleted; and

(c) in a top down search, there is a level for each master entity;

defining a registry using the modified knowledge base, wherein the registry comprises a master database and a consolidator application;

validating the registry in accordance with a validation rule selected from the group consisting of;

(a) that a match level must have a match comparison;

(b) that every native attribute has a cleanse attribute; and

(c) a combination thereof; and

generating, based at least in part on the registry, a set of consolidator application computer code, wherein the set of consolidator application computer code (a) includes computer code that interacts with input databases in the plurality of database systems, computer code that interacts with a user of the consolidator, computer code that processes data from the input databases, and computer code that interacts with the master database, and (b) when executed, consolidates data from the input data databases into the master database in accordance with the knowledge base.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes user interface information.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes cleansing information.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes source information.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes entity information.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes attribute information.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes match attribute set information.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes match comparison information.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes match key generator information.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes merge set information.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes match configuration information.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes reporting information.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the knowledge base includes change notification information.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the consolidator application includes JAVA code.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the consolidator application includes SQL query code.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the consolidator application includes SQL table creation code.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the consolidator application includes change configuration code.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the consolidator application includes merge file code.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the consolidator application includes match code.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the consolidator application is a web application.

21. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the consistency rule that causes a modification of the knowledge base includes generating an action.

22. A system for creating a consolidator for consolidating data from a plurality of database systems comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a user action wherein the user action specifies an action that modifies a knowledge base wherein the knowledge base is used by the consolidator for consolidating data from the plurality of database systems, and includes schema information and matching information relating to the plurality of database systems;

derive an event from the user action wherein the event causes a first modification of the knowledge base, which in turn triggers consistency rules that cause a second modification of the knowledge base, wherein the consistency rules are that;

(a) when a master entity is added to the knowledge base, the master entity is required to have (i) a corresponding staged entity, wherein the staged entity data is derived from processing data from one of the plurality of database systems, and wherein said staged entity comprises a staged attribute comprising a cleanse definition, (ii) ordering, and (iii) all ordering attributes;

(b) when a staged entity is deleted, native attribute and ordering information corresponding to the staged entity is also deleted; and

(c) in a top down search, there is a level for each master entity;

define a registry using the modified knowledge base, wherein the registry comprises a master database and a consolidator application;

validate the registry in accordance with a validation rule selected from the group consisting of;

(a) that there are no duplicate display names for master entities;

(b) that a database table name is less than sixteen characters long and only contains valid characters; and

(c) that a match level must have a match comparison;

(d) that every native attribute has a cleanse attribute; and

(e) a combination thereof; and

generate, based at least in part on the registry, a set of consolidator application computer code, wherein the set of consolidator application computer code (a) includes computer code that interacts with input databases in the plurality of database systems, computer code that interacts with a user of the consolidator, computer code that processes data from the input databases, and computer code that interacts with the master database, and (b) when executed, consolidates data from the input data databases into the master database in accordance with the knowledge base; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide instructions to the processor.

23. A system as recited in claim 22, wherein the consistency rule that causes a modification of the knowledge base includes generating an action.

24. A computer program product for creating a consolidator for consolidating data from a plurality of database systems, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a user action wherein the user action specifies an action that modifies a knowledge base wherein the knowledge base is used by the consolidator for consolidating data from the plurality of database systems, and includes schema information and matching information relating to the plurality of database systems;

deriving an event from the user action wherein the event triggers causes a first modification of the knowledge base, which in turn triggers consistency rules that cause a second modification of the knowledge base, wherein the consistency rules are that;

(a) when a master entity is added to the knowledge base, the master entity is required to have (i) a corresponding staged entity, wherein the staged entity data is derived from processing data from one of the plurality of database systems, and wherein said staged entity comprises a staged attribute comprising a cleanse definition, (ii) ordering, and (iii) all ordering attributes;

(b) when a staged entity is deleted, native attribute and ordering information corresponding to the staged entity is also deleted; and

(c) in a top down search, there is a level for each master entity;

defining a registry using the modified knowledge base, wherein the registry comprises a master database and a consolidator application;

validating the registry in accordance with a validation rule selected from the group consisting of;

(a) that there are no duplicate display names for master entities;

(b) that a database table name is less than sixteen characters long and only contains valid characters; and

(c) that a match level must have a match comparison;

(d) that every native attribute has a cleanse attribute; and

(e) a combination thereof; and

generating, based at least in part on the registry, a set of consolidator application computer code, wherein the set of consolidator application computer code (a) includes computer code that interacts with input databases in the plurality of database systems, computer code that interacts with a user of the consolidator, computer code that processes data from the input databases, and computer code that interacts with the master database, and (b) when executed, consolidates data from the input data databases into the master database in accordance with the knowledge base.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein the consistency rule that causes a modification of the knowledge base includes generating an action.

26. A method for creating a consolidator for consolidating data from a plurality of database systems comprising:

receiving a user action wherein the user action specifies an action that modifies a knowledge base, wherein the knowledge base includes schema information and matching information relating to the plurality of database systems;

deriving, using a processor, an event from the user action wherein the event causes a first modification of the knowledge base, which in turn triggers a consistency rule that causes a second modification of the knowledge base, wherein the consistency rule is selected from the group consisting of;

(a) that when a master entity is added to the knowledge base, the master entity is required to have ordering, all ordering attributes, and a corresponding staged entity, wherein staged entity data is derived from processing data from one of the plurality of database systems, and wherein said staged entity comprises a staged attribute comprising a cleanse definition;

(b) that when a staged entity is deleted, native attribute and ordering information corresponding to the staged entity is also deleted;

(c) that in a top down search, there is a level for each master entity; and

(d) a combination thereof;

defining a registry using the modified knowledge base, wherein the registry comprises a master database and a consolidator application;

validating the registry in accordance with a validation rule selected from the group consisting of;

(a) that there are no duplicate display names for master entities;

(b) that a database table name is less than sixteen characters long and only contains valid characters; and

(c) that a match level must have a match comparison;

(d) that every native attribute has a cleanse attribute; and

(e) a combination thereof; and

generating, based at least in part on the registry, a set of consolidator application computer code, wherein the set of consolidator application computer code (a) includes computer code that interacts with input databases in the plurality of database systems, computer code that interacts with a user of the consolidator, computer code that processes data from the input databases, and computer code that interacts with the master database, and (b) when executed, consolidates data from the input data databases into the master database in accordance with the knowledge base.