Heterogeneous normalization of data characteristics

• US 7,890,938 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Isaacson, Scott Alan, Peterson, William D., Simpson, Michel Shane, Street, William, Carter, Stephen R, Jensen, Nathan Blaine
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US10/375,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,911 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods, systems, and data structures are provided for normalizing data characteristics between applications. A first application is associated with a first data characteristic, and a second application is associated with a second data characteristic. A most-restrictive or common data characteristic is determined from the first and second data characteristics. The most restrictive or common data characteristic is enforced on access attempts to the first or second applications.

Claims

1. A method to normalize data characteristics between applications implemented in a computer-readable medium and to process on a computer for performing the method, comprising:

identifying a first application having first data characteristic and a second application having second data characteristic, the first and second data characteristic automatically parsed from metadata associated with the first and second applications, the first and second applications perform different functions from one another are each associated with a different application system and each application is associated with a different networking system from the other application, and the first and second data characteristics are at least associated with different data types from one another and the first and second data characteristics associated with different naming conventions for one another;

determining from the first data characteristic and the second data characteristic a most restrictive data characteristic, and the most restrictive data characteristic is one that is required by the first application and the most restrictive data characteristic is also accepted and applied by the second application when the second application permits a less restrictive data characteristic and the second application does not initially require the most restrictive data characteristic, and the most restrictive data characteristic is associated with password security, and the most restrictive data characteristic automatically resolved by evaluating the first and second data characteristics; and

issuing a policy for accessing the first and second applications, the policy enforces the most restrictive data characteristic when accessing both the first and second applications, and the policy is enforced against a user when the user attempts to access the first and second application with the first or second data characteristic ensuring that the access uses the most restrictive data characteristic before access is granted to the user, and the most restrictive data characteristic defines attributes for data used by the first and second applications, the attributes include data types, data lengths, acceptable values for data fields, data character sets, acceptable value ranges for the data fields, and data character sets for the data, and the policy defines syntactic and semantic logic for enforcement and dynamic modification.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining that a most restrictive data characteristic is in conflict with at least one of the first and second data characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in identifying, the first and second data characteristics are at least one of attributes of disparate database tables, and policies or rules associated with the first and second applications.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in issuing the policy, the policy is represented as a meta schema that is enforced across both the first and second applications.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein in issuing the policy, the policy is a set of rules for enforcing password validation across both the first and second applications.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein in issuing the policy, the first and second applications are disparate applications.

7. A method to normalize data characteristics between applications implemented in a computer-readable medium and to process on a computer for performing the method, comprising:

receiving a first data characteristic and a second data characteristic associated with a first application and a second application, respectively, and the first and second applications perform different functions from one another are each associated with a different application system and the first and second data characteristic are at least associated with different data types from one another, and the first and second data characteristics associated with different naming conventions for one another, also the first and second data characteristic are automatically parsed from metadata associated with the first and second applications;

selecting a common data characteristic for the first and second data characteristics, and the common data characteristic is one that is minimally required by the first application and one that can be applied by the second application even though the second application does not initially require common data characteristic and even though the second application permits a more relaxed data characteristic;

evaluating the first and second data characteristics to determine the common data characteristic; and

determining that the common data characteristic can be enforced against both the first and second applications and enforcing the common data characteristic at predefined and configured processing states associated with the first and second applications, and the common data characteristic is used to ensure that access to the first and second application by a user complies with the common data characteristic, and the common data characteristic defines attributes for data used by the first and second applications, the attributes include data types, data lengths, acceptable values for data fields, data character sets, acceptable value ranges for the data fields, and data character sets for the data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein in receiving, the first and second data characteristics are policies or rules applied by the first and second applications.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein in receiving, the first and second applications are network administered and accessible over a network.