Coherent data identification method and apparatus for database table development
First Claim
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1. A method comprising the steps ofstoring a plurality of sets of metadata in a computer memory using a computer program running on a computer processor;
- andstoring a plurality of constituent data items in the computer memory using a computer program running on a computer processor, wherein each constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items is comprised of one or more data items;
wherein each data item of the one or more data items of each of the plurality of constituent data items is a named data field which identifies a column in a database table in the computer memory;
wherein each of the plurality of sets of metadata corresponds to one of the plurality of constituent data items, such that there is one set of metadata for each of the plurality of constituent data items;
wherein each set of metadata includesa constituent data item name for a corresponding one of the plurality of constituent data items;
an indication of which one or more interrogatives a corresponding one of the plurality of constituent data items may be assigned to,at least one business key comprised of at least one business key data item,and an indication of any dependencies of a corresponding one of the plurality of constituent data items on any other constituent data items of the plurality of constituent data items; and
further comprisingexamining each of the plurality of sets of metadata to determine if its corresponding one of the plurality of constituent data items is an independent constituent data item by use of a computer program running on the computer processor;
examining each business key data item of each of the plurality of sets of metadata to determine if each business key data item of each independent constituent data item is independent, wherein each business key data item of each independent constituent data item is independent if it is not dependent upon a business key data item in another constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items;
wherein each constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items is an independent constituent data item if;
(a) its corresponding set of metadata includes an indication that the corresponding constituent data item can only be assigned to one and only one interrogative, (b) it is assigned in the computer memory to one and only one interrogative and (c) it is not dependent upon any other constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items for its definition; and
further comprising combining a first independent constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items with a second independent constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items, wherein the first and second independent constituent data items have the same one or more independent business key data items.
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Abstract
A method, apparatus, and system for configuring, designing, and/or implementing database tables is detailed that provides a framework into which a remainder of database tables are developed. Also detailed is a method to develop this framework of database tables. This so developed framework provides a platform for integrating data from multiple databases. A method is also provided for maintaining and managing master data as a single source of reference data to multiple databases that are based upon this framework.
23 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method comprising the steps of
storing a plurality of sets of metadata in a computer memory using a computer program running on a computer processor; - and
storing a plurality of constituent data items in the computer memory using a computer program running on a computer processor, wherein each constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items is comprised of one or more data items; wherein each data item of the one or more data items of each of the plurality of constituent data items is a named data field which identifies a column in a database table in the computer memory; wherein each of the plurality of sets of metadata corresponds to one of the plurality of constituent data items, such that there is one set of metadata for each of the plurality of constituent data items; wherein each set of metadata includes a constituent data item name for a corresponding one of the plurality of constituent data items; an indication of which one or more interrogatives a corresponding one of the plurality of constituent data items may be assigned to, at least one business key comprised of at least one business key data item, and an indication of any dependencies of a corresponding one of the plurality of constituent data items on any other constituent data items of the plurality of constituent data items; and
further comprisingexamining each of the plurality of sets of metadata to determine if its corresponding one of the plurality of constituent data items is an independent constituent data item by use of a computer program running on the computer processor; examining each business key data item of each of the plurality of sets of metadata to determine if each business key data item of each independent constituent data item is independent, wherein each business key data item of each independent constituent data item is independent if it is not dependent upon a business key data item in another constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items; wherein each constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items is an independent constituent data item if;
(a) its corresponding set of metadata includes an indication that the corresponding constituent data item can only be assigned to one and only one interrogative, (b) it is assigned in the computer memory to one and only one interrogative and (c) it is not dependent upon any other constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items for its definition; andfurther comprising combining a first independent constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items with a second independent constituent data item of the plurality of constituent data items, wherein the first and second independent constituent data items have the same one or more independent business key data items.
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2. A method comprising
setting up and storing a first entity-relationship diagram in a first data model in a computer memory prior to storing data values in a first database in the computer memory; -
using a computer processor to interpret the first entity-relationship diagram in the first data model in the computer memory in order to form the first database in the computer memory; and storing a first plurality of data records in a database table, each including a row of a plurality of data values, in the first database; wherein the first entity-relationship diagram includes; a first unified reference data entity classified in the computer memory by one and only one first interrogative; wherein the first unified reference data entity is an independent data entity in the first entity-relationship diagram; further comprising adding the first unified reference data entity to a second entity-relationship diagram as an independent data entity; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first data model, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a column of data values after the first database has been formed and wherein a foreign key data attribute is derived from a data entity; and wherein a data entity is a component of the first entity-relationship diagram which becomes a database table once the first database is instantiated from the first entity-relationship diagram; wherein the first unified reference data entity in the computer memory includes a first set of a plurality of elemental reference data items, wherein each elemental reference data item of the first set of the plurality of elemental reference data items, is classified by the first interrogative and only that first interrogative, and wherein setting up and storing the first entity-relationship diagram in the first data model in the computer memory includes storing the first set of the plurality of elemental reference data items in the first unified reference data entity in a first location in the computer memory; wherein each elemental reference data item of the first set of the plurality of elemental reference data items is a named data field, wherein after the first database is formed each elemental reference data item of the first set of the plurality of elemental reference data items identifies a column in a first database table in the first database in the computer memory, so that there are a plurality of columns in the first database table, each of the plurality of columns identified by one corresponding elemental reference data item of the first set of the plurality of elemental reference data items; wherein each elemental reference data item of the first set of the plurality of elemental reference data items aids in identifying a constituent data item, so that there is a first set of a plurality of constituent data items, wherein each constituent data item of the first set of the plurality of constituent data items has a definition stored in the computer memory, so that there are a plurality of definitions stored in computer memory, one for each constituent data item of the first set of the plurality of constituent data items; wherein each constituent data item of the first set of the plurality of constituent data items has a business key stored in the computer memory, so that there is a first set of a plurality of business keys, one for each constituent data item of the first set of the plurality of constituent data items; wherein each business key of the first set of the plurality of business keys is comprised of one or more elemental reference data items; wherein each business key of the first set of the plurality of business keys uniquely identifies its corresponding constituent data item; and wherein each definition of each constituent data item of the first set of the plurality of constituent data items is independent of any other constituent data item of the first set of the plurality of constituent data items, such that each constituent data item of the first set of the plurality of constituent data items has a definition that does not refer to any other constituent data item of the first set of the plurality of constituent data items.
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3. A method comprising
setting up and storing a first entity-relationship diagram in a first data model in a computer memory prior to storing data values in a first database in the computer memory; -
using a computer processor to interpret the first entity-relationship diagram in the first data model in the computer memory in order to form the first database in the computer memory; and storing a first plurality of data records in a database table, each including a row of a plurality of data values, in the first database; wherein the first entity-relationship diagram includes; a first unified reference data entity classified in the computer memory by one and only one first interrogative; wherein the first unified reference data entity is an independent data entity in the first entity-relationship diagram; further comprising adding the first unified reference data entity to a second entity-relationship diagram as an independent data entity; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first data model, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a column of data values after the first database has been formed and wherein a foreign key data attribute is derived from a data entity; and wherein a data entity is a component of the first entity-relationship diagram which becomes a database table once the first database is instantiated from the first entity-relationship diagram; and
further comprisingstoring a first universal surrogate primary key in the first unified reference data entity in the computer memory, wherein the first universal surrogate primary key is a named data field, wherein after the first database is formed the first universal surrogate primary key identifies a column of a plurality of data values in the database table in the first database in the computer memory; wherein each data value of the column of a plurality of data values is different from every other data value of the column of a plurality of data values; and wherein the first universal surrogate primary key is indicated in the computer memory to be the primary key to the first unified reference data entity as well as the primary key to each of a set of data entities that are related to the first unified reference data entity that result from a known data normalization technique of the first unified reference data entity; and wherein each data value of the column identified by the first universal surrogate primary key uniquely identifies a data record of the unified reference data entity as well as the set of data entities that are related to the first unified reference data entity of the first database, that a plurality of data records are uniquely identified by a corresponding plurality of data values of the column of data values. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method comprising
setting up and storing a first entity-relationship diagram in a first data model in a computer memory prior to storing data values in a first database in the computer memory; -
using a computer processor to interpret the first entity-relationship diagram in the first data model in the computer memory in order to form the first database in the computer memory; and storing a first plurality of data records in a database table, each including a row of a plurality of data values, in the first database; wherein the first entity-relationship diagram includes; a first unified reference data entity classified in the computer memory by one and only one first interrogative; wherein the first unified reference data entity is an independent data entity in the first entity-relationship diagram; further comprising adding the first unified reference data entity to a second entity-relationship diagram as an independent data entity; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first data model, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a column of data values after the first database has been formed and wherein a foreign key data attribute is derived from a data entity; and wherein a data entity is a component of the first entity-relationship diagram which becomes a database table once the first database is instantiated from the first entity-relationship diagram; and further comprising storing a first data context in the first unified reference data entity in the computer memory; and wherein the first data context is a named data field, wherein after the first database is formed the first data context identifies a column of data values in the database table in the first database in the computer memory; wherein after the first database is formed and after the plurality of data values have been stored in the first database, the column in the database table identified by the first data context has at least two data values, each of which provides an indication of a type of data record stored in the database table of the first database; and further comprising storing a first data context level in the first unified reference data entity in the computer memory; and wherein the first data context level is a named data field, wherein after the first database is formed the first data context level identifies a column of data values in the database table in the first database in the computer memory; wherein after the first database is formed and after the plurality of data values have been stored in the first database, the column in the database table identified by the first data context level has at least two data values, each of which provides an indication a level of granularity of a data record to which each data value refers.
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6. A method comprising
setting up and storing a first entity-relationship diagram in a first data model in a computer memory prior to storing data values in a first database in the computer memory; -
using a computer processor to interpret the first entity-relationship diagram in the first data model in the computer memory in order to form the first database in the computer memory; and storing a first plurality of data records in a database table, each including a row of a plurality of data values, in the first database; wherein the first entity-relationship diagram includes; a first unified reference data entity classified in the computer memory by one and only one first interrogative; wherein the first unified reference data entity is an independent data entity in the first entity-relationship diagram; further comprising adding the first unified reference data entity to a second entity-relationship diagram as an independent data entity; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first data model, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a column of data values after the first database has been formed and wherein a foreign key data attribute is derived from a data entity; and wherein a data entity is a component of the first entity-relationship diagram which becomes a database table once the first database is instantiated from the first entity-relationship diagram; and
further comprisingstoring a first data context in the first unified reference data entity in the computer memory; and wherein the first data context is a named data field, wherein after the first database is formed the first data context identifies a column of data values in the database table in the first database in the computer memory; wherein after the first database is formed and after the plurality of data values have been stored in the first database, the column in the database table identified by the first data context has at least two data values, each of which provides an indication of a type of data record stored in the database table of the first database; and wherein the type of data record may only be either a first type or a second type, which is different from the first type.
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7. A method comprising
setting up and storing a first entity-relationship diagram in a first data model in a computer memory prior to storing data values in a first database in the computer memory; -
using a computer processor to interpret the first entity-relationship diagram in the first data model in the computer memory in order to form the first database in the computer memory; and storing a first plurality of data records in a database table, each including a row of a plurality of data values, in the first database; wherein the first entity-relationship diagram includes; a first unified reference data entity classified in the computer memory by one and only one first interrogative; wherein the first unified reference data entity is an independent data entity in the first entity-relationship diagram; further comprising adding the first unified reference data entity to a second entity-relationship diagram as an independent data entity; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first data model, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a column of data values after the first database has been formed and wherein a foreign key data attribute is derived from a data entity; and wherein a data entity is a component of the first entity-relationship diagram which becomes a database table once the first database is instantiated from the first entity-relationship diagram; and
whereinthe first entity-relationship diagram includes; a second unified reference data entity classified by one and only one second interrogative; wherein the second unified reference data entity is an independent data entity in that first entity-relationship diagram; wherein the second unified reference data entity is added to any entity-relationship diagram as an independent data entity; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first data model, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a column of data values after the first database has been formed and which is derived from another data entity of the first data model. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A method comprising
setting up and storing a first entity-relationship diagram in a first data model in a computer memory prior to storing data values in a first database in the computer memory; -
using a computer processor to interpret the first entity-relationship diagram in the first data model in the computer memory in order to form the first database in the computer memory; and storing a first plurality of data records in a database table, each including a row of a plurality of data values, in the first database; wherein the first entity-relationship diagram includes; a first unified reference data entity classified in the computer memory by one and only one first interrogative; wherein the first unified reference data entity is an independent data entity in the first entity-relationship diagram; further comprising adding the first unified reference data entity to a second entity-relationship diagram as an independent data entity; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first data model, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a column of data values after the first database has been formed and wherein a foreign key data attribute is derived from a data entity; and wherein a data entity is a component of the first entity-relationship diagram which becomes a database table once the first database is instantiated from the first entity-relationship diagram; and
whereinthe first entity-relationship diagram includes; a second unified reference data entity referring to a second interrogative; a third unified reference data entity referring to a third interrogative; a fourth unified reference data entity referring to a fourth interrogative; a fifth unified reference data entity referring to a fifth interrogative; and a sixth unified reference data entity referring to a sixth interrogative; wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth interrogatives are who, what, why, where, when, and how, respectively, and wherein the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth unified reference data entities are independent data entities in the first entity-relationship diagram; wherein the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth unified reference data entities are added to any entity-relationship diagram of the first data model in the computer memory as independent data entities; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first data model, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a column of data values after the first database has been formed and which is derived from another data entity of the first data model. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising
setting up and storing a first entity-relationship diagram in a first data model in a computer memory prior to storing data values in a first database in the computer memory; -
setting up and storing a second entity-relationship diagram in a second data model in the computer memory prior to storing data values in the first database in the computer memory; wherein the first entity-relationship diagram includes a set of independent data entities; wherein the second entity-relationship diagram includes the set of independent data entities; combining the first entity-relationship diagram and the second entity-relationship diagram to form a combined entity-relationship diagram in a combined data model in the computer memory; using a computer processor to interpret the combined entity-relationship diagram in the combined data model in the computer memory in order to form the first database in the computer memory; and storing a plurality of data records, each including a row of a plurality of data values, in the first database; wherein each independent data entity of the set of independent data entities is a data entity of a data model of a plurality of data models of the first database that is independent of all other data entities of the plurality of data models of the first database, such that each independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of any of the plurality of data models of the first database, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a database table'"'"'s column of data values after the first database has been formed and which is derived from another data entity of the plurality of data models of the first database; wherein a data entity is database instantiated as a database table in the first database in computer memory; and
further comprisingsetting up and storing a second entity-relationship diagram in a second data model in a computer memory prior to storing data values in a second database in the computer memory; using a computer processor to interpret the second entity-relationship diagram in the second data model in the computer memory in order to form the second database in the computer memory; and storing a second plurality of data records, each including a second row of a plurality of data values, in the second database; wherein the second entity-relationship diagram includes; a second unified reference data entity referring to a second interrogative; wherein the second unified reference data entity is an independent data entity in that second entity-relationship diagram; wherein the second unified reference data entity may be added to any entity-relationship diagram as an independent data entity; wherein an independent data entity does not inherit any foreign key data attributes from any other data entity of the first or the second entity-relationship diagrams, wherein a foreign key data attribute is a named data field which is used to identify a database table'"'"'s column of data values in the first database and the second database after the first and the second databases have been formed and that database table'"'"'s column of data values is derived from another database table'"'"'s column of data values in the first database or the second database. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method comprising
storing a plurality of unified reference databases in one or more computer memories; -
populating a plurality of data records for each of the plurality of unified reference databases in the one or more computer memories from a common source unified database; wherein the common source unified database includes at least one of; a who common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative who, a what common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative what, a where common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative where; a when common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative when; a how common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative how; and a why common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative why; and
whereinthe common source unified database includes; a who common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative who, a what common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative what, a where common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative where; a when common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative when; a how common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative how; and a why common source unified database, which includes only data records related to the interrogative why.
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17. A method comprising
storing a plurality of shared reference databases in a computer memory, wherein each of the plurality of shared reference databases has a first plurality of shared reference database tables, such that the first plurality of shared reference database tables is contained within each of the plurality of shared reference databases; -
wherein each of the first plurality of shared reference database tables has a business key index declared, so that there are a plurality of business key indices declared for the corresponding first plurality of shared reference database tables; wherein each business key index of the plurality of business key indices is declared by Standard Query Language (SQL)) computer software command, such that there are a plurality of business key indices declared; wherein each business key index of the plurality of business key indices is a named data field which will later identify a database table column of business key index data values in a database table in the computer memory; wherein each business key index of the plurality of business key indices is comprised of at least one data field; wherein each business key index is database instantiated from one or more business related data columns such that each of the business key index data values provide unique identification of a corresponding data record of a plurality of data records and the first business key index is database instantiated in each of the first plurality of shared reference database tables, further comprising populating the plurality of data records for each shared reference database of the plurality of shared reference databases in the computer memory from a first common source database; wherein each of the first plurality of shared reference database tables contains only a subset of all of the data records that are used in the plurality of shared reference databases; wherein each of the first plurality of shared reference database tables is a data structure that is populated from a first common source database; wherein each of the first business key index database table columns is independent of any other shared reference database table columns of the first plurality of shared reference database tables in that each of the first business key index database table column has all of its data records stored in the computer memory without referring to any other shared reference database table columns of the first plurality of shared reference database tables; and further comprising using the first common source database to store and manage the data quality of a plurality of data records of each of the plurality of shared reference databases; and wherein each of the plurality of shared reference databases is an ultimate elemental reference database, such that there are a plurality of ultimate elemental reference databases, wherein each ultimate elemental reference database of the plurality of ultimate elemental reference databases contains a plurality of ultimate elemental reference database tables; wherein each of the plurality of ultimate elemental reference database tables of each of the plurality of ultimate elemental reference databases is independent of every other ultimate elemental reference database table of the plurality of ultimate elemental reference database tables of each of the plurality of ultimate elemental reference databases, such that each ultimate elemental reference database table contains the first business key unique index. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification