Linking framework for information technology management

• US 8,190,562 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sanghvi, Ashvinkumar J., Zizys, Giedrius, Onalan, Bahadir Baris, Hutchison, Robert T., Sharma, Pritam K., Ge, David W., Roth, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US11/933,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation

Abstract

A data synchronization task is received at a console, wherein the data synchronization task is associated with information technology management. A configuration document is configured using the data synchronization task, wherein the configuration document defines data synchronization through declarations. A linking framework is configured based on the configuration document. Data is synchronized from a first and second source to a target as defined by the configuration document.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a data synchronization task created by a user;

generating, by a computing device, a configuration document based on the data synchronization task;

configuring a linking framework based on the configuration document;

synchronizing data from a first source device and a second source device to a target device according to the configuration document, the synchronizing comprising;

placing a first message and a second message into a message queue, wherein the first message and the second message each represent an inbound workflow;

retrieving a first batch of data referenced by the first message from the first source device by a first import connector in response to the first message being popped from the message queue, wherein the first import connector is defined by the configuration document;

retrieving a second batch of data referenced by the second message from the second source device by a second import connector in response to the second message being popped from the message queue, wherein the second import connector is defined by the configuration document;

placing, by the first import connector, the first batch of data from the first source device into a staging database;

placing, by the second import connector, the second batch of data from the second source device into the staging database;

retrieving a third batch of data from the staging database by an export connector in response to a third message being popped from the message queue;

transforming data of the third batch of data that is from the first batch of data that is formatted according to a first schema associated with the first source device to a target schema associated with the target device;

transforming other data of the third batch of data that is from the second batch of data that is formatted according to a second schema associated with the second source device to the target schema;

joining the data and the other data; and

performing conflict resolution between the data and the other data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the configuration document includes inserting a reference to code in a code library.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first import connector and the second import connector each provide a .NET wrapped entry point class.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first import connector runs under an application domain of an inbound workflow element.

5. A method for data synchronization between a first source device, a second source device, and a target device, the method comprising:

placing, by a computing device according to a configuration document generated based on a synchronization task created by a user, a first message and a second message and an third message into a message queue, wherein the first message and the second message each represent an inbound workflow, and wherein the third message represents an outbound workflow;

retrieving a first batch of data referenced by the first message from the first source device by a first import connector in response to the first message being popped from the message queue, wherein the first import connector is defined by the configuration document;

placing, by the first import connector, the retrieved first batch of data from the first source device into a staging database;

retrieving a second batch of data referenced by the second message from the second source device by a second import connector in response to the second message being popped from the message queue, wherein the second import connector is defined by the configuration document;

placing, by the second import connector, the retrieved second batch of data from the second source device into the staging database;

retrieving a third batch of data referenced by the third message from the staging database by an export connector of the computing device in response to third message being popped from the message queue, wherein the export connector is defined by the configuration document;

processing the third batch of data by the export connector;

storing the processed third batch of data at the target device by the export connector;

transforming data of the third batch of data from the first batch of data from a first schema associated with the first source to a target schema associated with the target;

transforming other data of the third batch of data from the second batch of data from a second schema associated with the second source to the target schema;

joining the data and the other data; and

performing conflict resolution between the data and the other data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising configuring the first import connector as defined in the configuration document.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising configuring the second import connector as defined in the configuration document.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising configuring the export connector as defined in the configuration document.

9. At least one memory storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

placing, by a computing device according to a configuration document generated based on a synchronization task created by a user, a first message and a second message and an third message into a message queue, wherein the first message and the second message each represent an inbound workflow, and wherein the third message represents an outbound workflow;

retrieving a first batch of data referenced by the first message from the first source device by a first import connector in response to the first message being popped from the message queue, wherein the first import connector is defined by the configuration document;

placing, by the first import connector, the retrieved first batch of data from the first source device into a staging database;

retrieving a second batch of data referenced by the second message from the second source device by a second import connector in response to the second message being popped from the message queue, wherein the second import connector is defined by the configuration document;

placing, by the second import connector, the retrieved second batch of data from the second source device into the staging database;

retrieving a third batch of data referenced by the third message from the staging database by an export connector of the computing device in response to third message being popped from the message queue, wherein the export connector is defined by the configuration document;

processing the third batch of data by the export connector;

storing the processed third batch of data at the target device by the export connector;

transforming data of the third batch of data from the first batch of data from a first schema associated with the first source to a target schema associated with the target;

transforming other data of the third batch of data from the second batch of data from a second schema associated with the second source to the target schema;

joining the data and the other data; and

performing conflict resolution between the data and the other data.

10. The at least one memory storage device of claim 9, the method further comprising enabling a user to create the data synchronization task and enabling a user to modify the data synchronization task that is used to generate the declarative configuration document.

11. The at least one memory storage device of claim 9 wherein the import connector comprises a trigger that is configured as defined in the declarative configuration document.

12. The at least one memory storage device of claim 9 wherein the import connector and the export connector are configured as defined in the declarative configuration document.