Managing uneven authorizations in a computer data exchange

• US 8,024,465 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kompalli, Prasad, Pauly, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOU, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US11/847,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

Techniques are provided to integrate applications having different data structures. Data from the application having a less restrictive data structure is provided to the application with a more restrictive data structure as the application is capable of storing the data. Data from the application having a less restrictive data structure may be stored.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for exchanging computer data in a data exchange between a first data processing system having a less restrictive data structure and a second data processing system having a more restrictive data structure, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, from the first data processing system that has deleted first data, an indication -that second data at the second data processing system corresponding to the first data is to be deleted;

determining, by the computing system, whether a data structure associated with the second data processing system permits deleting the second data;

only sending, by the computing system, to the second data processing system, the indication that the second data is to be deleted when the data structure associated with the second data processing system permits deleting the second data; and

when the data structure associated with the second data processing system does not permit deleting the second data, instead sending by the computing system, to the first data processing system, data to be inserted to replace the first data which has been deleted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the received indication that second data is to be deleted includes an instance of the first data;

and

wherein sending to the first data processing system data to be inserted comprises sending, to the first data processing system and to be inserted to replace the deleted first data, the instance of the first data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requesting, from the second data processing system, the second data that corresponds to the first data; and

receiving the second data from the second data processing system in response to the request, wherein sending to the first data processing system data to be inserted comprises sending to the first data processing system the second data that is received from the second data processing system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first data processing system comprises a groupware data system, and

further comprising receiving an indication of groupware data to be deleted from the groupware data system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving an indication of groupware data to be deleted from the groupware data system comprises receiving an indication of contact information from the groupware data system.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving an indication of groupware data to be deleted from the groupware data system comprises receiving an indication of calendar information from the groupware data system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data that was deleted was uniquely identified within the first data processing system with a first key, and wherein the data to be inserted to replace the first data is to be uniquely identified within the first data processing system with the first key.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, the determining, the sending to the second data processing system, and the sending to the first data processing system operations are performed by a data exchange system.

9. A computer-readable non-transitory medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to exchange computer data between a first data processing system having a less restrictive data structure and a second data processing system having a more restrictive data structure, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to:

receive, by a computing system, from the first data processing system that has deleted first data, an indication that second data at the second data processing system corresponding to the first data is to be deleted;

determine, by the computing system, whether a data structure associated with the second data processing system permits deleting the second data;

only send, by the computing system, to the second data processing system, the indication that the second data is to be deleted when the data structure associated with the second data processing system permits deleting the second data; and

when the data structure associated with the second data processing system does not permit deleting the second data, instead sending by the computing system, to the first data processing system, data to be inserted to replace the first data which has been deleted.

10. The medium of claim 9 wherein the received indication that second data is to be deleted includes an instance of the first data;

and

wherein sending to the first data processing system data to be inserted comprises sending, to the first data processing system and to be inserted to replace the first data, the instance of the first data.

11. The medium of claim 9 wherein the one or more code segments are further configured to:

request from the second data processing system, the second data that corresponds to the first data; and

receive the second data from the second data processing system in response to the request, wherein sending to the first data processing system data to be inserted comprises sending to the first data processing system the second data that is received from the second data processing system.

12. The medium of claim 9, wherein the first data that was deleted was uniquely identified within the first data processing system with a first key, and wherein the data to be inserted to replace the first data is to be uniquely identified within the first data processing system with the first key.

13. The medium of claim 9, wherein the receiving, the determining, the sending to the second data processing system, and the sending to the first data processing system operations are performed by a data exchange system.

14. An apparatus for exchanging computer data between a first data processing system having a less restrictive data structure and a second data processing system having a more restrictive data structure, the apparatus comprising a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive, by a computing system, from the first data processing system that has deleted first data, an indication that second data at the second data processing system corresponding to the first data is to be deleted;

determine, by the computing system, whether a data structure associated with the second data processing system permits deleting the second data;

only send, by the computing system, to the second data processing system, the indication that the second data is to be deleted when the data structure associated with the second data processing system permits deleting the second data; and

when the data structure associated with the second data processing system does not permit deleting the second data, instead sending by the computing system, to the first

data processing system, data to be inserted to replace the first data which has been deleted.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the received indication that second data is to be deleted includes an instance of the first data;

and

wherein sending to the first data processing system data to be inserted comprises sending, to the first data processing system and to be inserted to replace the first data, the instance of the first data.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to:

request from the second data processing system, the second data that corresponds to the first data; and

receive the second data from the second data processing system in response to the request, wherein sending to the first data processing system data to be inserted comprises sending to the first data processing system the second data that is received from the second data processing system.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first data that was deleted was uniquely identified within the first data processing system with a first key, and wherein the data to be inserted to replace the first data is to be uniquely identified within the first data processing system with the first key.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the receiving, the determining, the sending to the second data processing system, and the sending to the first data processing system operations are performed by a data exchange system.