Data structure versioning for data management systems and methods

• US 7,941,449 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Tse-Hsin Jason, Miao, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham; John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arjomandi; Noosha
• Application Number:
  US11/935,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 707/793
• US Class Current: 707/793
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

In one of many possible implementations, an exemplary system includes a data integration subsystem configured to maintain a baseline data structure representing a base set of data relationships. The data integration subsystem in further configure to maintain a mapping of the baseline data structure to local data maintained by a plurality of local data subsystems. The system further includes a portal subsystem configured to provide a first customizable data structure associated with the baseline data structure for user access, create a copy of at least a subset of the baseline data structure, and provide a second customizable data structure associated with the copy of the baseline data structure for user access. The first and second customizable data structures are independently customizable to represent different custom sets of data relationships.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

at least one computing storage device implementing;

a data integration subsystem configured to maintain a baseline data structure representing a base set of data relationships, said data integration subsystem being further configured to maintain a mapping of said baseline data structure to local data maintained by a plurality of local data subsystems; and

a portal subsystem configured to

provide a first customizable data structure associated with said baseline data structure for access by an external party,

fix said baseline data structure to be unchangeable by said external party through said portal subsystem,

create a copy of at least a subset of said baseline data structure, and

provide a second customizable data structure associated with said copy of said baseline data structure for access by said external party;

wherein said first customizable data structure and said second customizable data structure are independently customizable to represent different custom sets of data relationships,

wherein;

said baseline data structure comprises a plurality of baseline data records and one or more fixed-type map records that represent one or more relationships between said baseline data records, said fixed-type map records indicating that said one or more relationships between said baseline data records are unchangeable by said external party within said baseline data structure; and

said first customizable data structure associated with said baseline data structure comprises a copy of said plurality of baseline data records and one or more customizable-type map records that represent one or more relationships between said baseline data records, said customizable-type map records indicating that said one or more relationships between said baseline data records are changeable for customization by said external party within said first customizable data structure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to maintain at least one permissions setting and provide said first and second customizable data structures for access by said external party in accordance with said at least one permissions setting.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to create said first customizable data structure to represent an initial set of data relationships based on a predefined heuristic and said baseline data structure.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to receive external user input provided by said external party and modify said initial set of data relationships based on said external user input to represent a first custom set of data relationships.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to create said second customizable data structure to represent another initial set of data relationships based on said predefined heuristic and said copy of said baseline data structure.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to receive additional external user input provided by said external party and modify said another initial set of data relationships based on said additional external user input to represent a second custom set of data relationships.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to

detect at least one difference between said baseline data structure and said first customizable data structure, and

update said first customizable data structure based on said at least one detected difference.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to update said first customizable data structure by at least one of synchronizing said first customizable data structure with said baseline data structure and inserting notification of said at least one detected difference in said first customizable data structure.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to propagate a change to said baseline data structure to said copy of said baseline data structure.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said portal subsystem is configured to

detect at least one difference between said copy of said baseline data structure and said second customizable data structure, and

update said second customizable data structure based on said at least one detected difference.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said base set of data relationships defines one or more relationships between subscriber records and subscription records associated with said external party.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said copy is of a subset of said baseline data structure.

13. A system comprising:

a processor;

at least one computing storage device implementing;

a plurality of data subsystems configured to store local data associated with an external party, said plurality of data subsystems further configured to be maintained by an internal party;

a data integration subsystem configured to store global data mapped from said local data, said global data including at least one baseline data structure representing a base set of one or more data relationships between subscriber records and subscription records associated with said external party; and

a portal subsystem configured to

maintain permissions settings,

provide said baseline data structure for viewing access by said external party in accordance with said permission settings,

fix said baseline data structure to be unchangeable by said external party through said portal subsystem,

provide a first customizable data structure associated with said baseline data structure for access by said external party in accordance with said permissions settings,

create a copy of at least a subset of said baseline data structure, and

provide a second customizable data structure associated with said copy of said baseline data structure for access by said external party in accordance with said permissions settings;

wherein said first customizable data structure and said second customizable data structure are independently customizable by said external party to represent different custom sets of data relationships

wherein;

said baseline data structure comprises a plurality of baseline data records and one or more fixed-type map records that represent one or more relationships between said baseline data records, said fixed-type map records indicating that said one or more relationships between said baseline data records are unchangeable by said external party within said baseline data structure; and

said first customizable data structure associated with said baseline data structure comprises a copy of said plurality of baseline data records and one or more customizable-type map records that represent one or more relationships between said baseline data records, said customizable-type map records indicating that said one or more relationships between said baseline data records are changeable for customization by said external party within said first customizable data structure.

14. A method comprising:

maintaining a baseline data structure representative of a base set of data relationships and a mapping of said baseline data structure to local data maintained by a plurality of local data subsystems;

providing a first customizable data structure associated with said baseline data structure for access by an external party;

fixing said baseline data structure to be unchangeable by said external party;

creating a copy of at least a subset of said baseline data structure; and

providing a second customizable data structure associated with said copy of said baseline data structure for access by said external party;

wherein said first customizable data structure and said second customizable data structure are independently customizable to represent different custom sets of data relationships,

wherein;

said baseline data structure comprises a plurality of baseline data records and one or more fixed-type map records that represent one or more relationships between said baseline data records, said fixed-type map records indicating that said one or more relationships between said baseline data records are unchangeable by said external party within said baseline data structure; and

said first customizable data structure associated with said baseline data structure comprises a copy of said plurality of baseline data records and one or more customizable-type map records that represent one or more relationships between said baseline data records, said customizable-type map records indicating that said one or more relationships between said baseline data records are changeable for customization by said external party within said first customizable data structure.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising maintaining permissions settings, wherein said providing acts include providing said first and second customizable data structures for external access by said external party in accordance with said permissions settings.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising creating said first customizable data structure to represent an initial set of data relationships based on a predefined heuristic and said baseline data structure.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving external user input provided by said external party; and

modifying said initial set of data relationships based on said external user input to represent a first custom set of data relationships.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising creating said second customizable data structure to represent another initial set of data relationships based on said predefined heuristic and said copy of said baseline data structure.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving additional external user input provided by said external party; and

modifying said another initial set of data relationships based on said additional external user input to represent a second custom set of data relationships.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting at least one difference between said baseline data structure and said first customizable data structure; and

updating said first customizable data structure based on said at least one detected difference.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said updating includes at least one of:

synchronizing said first customizable data structure with said baseline data structure; and

inserting notification of said at least one detected difference in said first customizable data structure.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising propagating a change to said baseline data structure to said copy of said baseline data structure.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

detecting at least one difference between said copy of said baseline data structure and said second customizable data structure; and

updating said second customizable data structure based on said at least one detected difference.

24. The method of claim 14, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.