Method for database consolidation and database separation

• US 8,103,704 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eprentise LLC, Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Eprentise LLC
• Inventors: Abrams, Helene
• Primary Examiner(s): Betit, Jacob F
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLAND, SHERYL L
• Application Number:
  US11/831,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/200, 707/692, 707/999.201, 707/809, 707/811
• US Class Current: 707/809
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

Methods for consolidating databases while maintaining data integrity are disclosed. A source database and target database are compared, and consolidated, and the consolidated databases are used. In other examples, a database is split to support divested entities.

Claims

1. A method for consolidating at least one source database and one target database into a consolidated database using a computer, the method comprising:

identifying one or more source databases, the source databases including source metadata, source data values, source business processes, and source business rules;

identifying a target database, the target database including target metadata, target data values, target business processes, and target business rules;

discovering the source metadata to be included in the consolidated database;

identifying differences between at least one source metadata and the target metadata;

resolving any conflicts between at least one source metadata and the target metadata based on the identified differences;

defining a metadata of the consolidated database based on at the least one source metadata, the target metadata, and the resolved conflicts between the source metadata and the target metadata;

identifying the source data values of at least one source to be included in the consolidated database;

identifying differences between the source data values and the target data values;

resolving any conflicts between the source data values and the target data values based on the identified differences;

defining data values of the consolidated database based on the source data values, the target data values and the resolved conflicts between the source data values and the target data values;

discovering the source business processes and source business rules of at least one source;

identifying the target business processes and target business rules;

comparing differences in source business processes and source business rules and the target business processes and target business rules;

resolving any conflicts between the source business processes and source business rules and the target business processes and target business rules based on the comparison;

defining consolidated business processes and consolidated business rules of the consolidated database based on the source business processes, source business rules, the target business processes, and the target business rules, and the resolved conflicts between the source business processes and source business rules and the target business processes and target business rules;

wherein resolving conflicts between the source metadata and target metadata, source data values and target data values, further comprises mining every property of the source database and target database; and

wherein the mining of database objects is based on a rule set automatically derived from the analysis of the source database and of the target database; and

wherein mining the databases further comprises dynamically and automatically analyzing and comparing each of the one or more source database objects and values with the corresponding target database objects and values, and for each comparison determining which source database objects and target database objects are identical; and

wherein at least one source and target database object are determined to be duplicates because the one or more source database objects and values and target database objects and values are identical; and

automatically reconciling duplicate database objects by merging the duplicates into a single consolidated database object with corresponding metadata based on the consolidated business rules; and

wherein at least one source and target database object are determined to be non-duplicates because the one or more source database objects and values and target database objects and values are not identical; and

automatically reconciling non-duplicate database objects by creating an instance of a consolidated database object with associated metadata based on the consolidated business rules; and

when at least one conflict between the source database object and target database object is not resolved a request for conflict resolution is automatically posted to a user for reconciliation; and

consolidating the at least one source database and target database into the consolidated database based on the consolidated metadata, consolidated data values, and consolidated business processes and consolidated business rules;

wherein consolidating the at least one source database and target database into a consolidated database comprises applying at least one rule selected from the group consisting of an entity in a given layer never references an entity in a lower level, and all references from an entity are on the same or higher levels; and

further comprising determining the sequence of consolidating data and wherein consolidating data initiates with at least one of the group consisting of seed data, codes data, configuration data, master data, and transaction data; and

storing the consolidated, database in a memory.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata objects to be included in the consolidated database are automatically compared using a series of rules to compare database objects.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata objects to be included in the consolidated database are automatically created or changed using a series of metadata rules to create database objects.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein when the source data value is exactly identical to the target data value, the method further comprises;

mapping the data values of the at least one source database to the data values of the target database, and wherein when the source data values and the target data values are not identical, the method further comprises defining the data values to be included in the consolidated database.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

standardizing non-identical data values that have the same contextual meaning or are synonyms wherein standardizing comprises eliminating punctuation or capitalization and standardizing abbreviations, codes, and nomenclature for data values.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing at least one data value to another data value to identify candidate duplicate data values wherein a duplicate data value represents the same real-world entity and a set of two or more data records that represent a single real-world entity is called a duplicate set;

identifying candidate duplicate data values by a series of duplicate criteria or user-defined rules;

merging duplicate records; and

populating the resolved duplicate data records into the consolidated database.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising conflicts are resolved using at least one rule using Boolean logic.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at least one user input, and wherein at least one candidate duplicate conflict is resolved responsive to the user input.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein receiving the user input comprises:

presenting the conflict to at least one user;

requesting conflict resolution based on the presenting;

and receiving a conflict resolution input from the user.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

populating the consolidated destination database with the data values from the at least one source database and the target database with resolved duplicates, consistent data value formats, and unique data values.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the database objects that enforce at least one of a business process and a business rule in the at least one source database;

identifying the database objects that enforce at least one of a business process and a business rule in the at least one source database in the target database;

determining which at least one of the business process and business rule creates, reads, updates, and deletes each database object in the at least one source database and the target database.

12. The method of claim 11 whereby business processes or business rules that create, read, update, or delete (CRUD) each database object are considered similar business processes or rules.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein similar business processes or business rules are one or more of the group comprising:

(a) business processes or business rules that have the same input and output data and work flows, or

(b) business processes or business rules that have the same predecessor, successor, and parent processes, or

(c) business processes or business rules that have the same control constructs, or

(d) business processes or business rules that have the same triggering controls, or

(e) business processes or business rules that have the same conditional controls, or

(g) business processes or business rules that have the same sequencing controls, or

(h) business processes or business rules that have the same concurrence controls, or

(i) business processes or business rules that have the same repetition controls, or

(j) business processes or business rules that have the same pausing controls, or

(k) business processes or business rules that have the same resuming controls.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the target database is associated with at least one of the group consisting of an acquired company and an acquiring company, and wherein the source database is associated with at least one of the group consisting of an acquired company and an acquiring company.