Data integration apparatus, data integration method, and computer product

• US 8,280,840 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Mineno, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, III, ALBERT M
• Application Number:
  US12/174,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 707/602, 707/810, 707/760
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

When collecting and integrating data present in separately managed information sources, data are collected from the information sources through a physical model of the information sources. Integration is executed by a process of converting a data configuration (mapping) into a logical model predefined for each utilization-side application and a process of converting and conforming values (cleansing); and the result thereof is provided as a view (logical model) for each application to the utilization-side application.

Claims

1. A data integration apparatus collecting and integrating data in a plurality of information sources, comprising:

a storing unit that stores meta information that includes

a physical model, which is a data model corresponding to each information source and includes data items and a primary key constraint for a data item that serves as a primary key,

a logical model, which is a data model defined for a utilization-side application utilizing integrated data and includes data items and a primary key constraint for a data item that serves as a primary key, and

a mapping definition that defines a correspondence relation between a data item of the physical model and a data item of the logical model as a correspondence relation between a FROM column and a TO column;

a converting unit that receives a search condition for the logical model from the utilization-side application and converts the search condition for the logical model into one or a plurality of search conditions for the physical model based on the meta information;

a collecting unit that issues the search condition for the physical model to an information source and collects from the information source physical-model-compliant data matching the search condition for the physical model;

an outputting unit that integrates data by converting, based on the meta information, the collected physical-model compliant data into logical-model-compliant data and outputs the logical-model-compliant data to the utilization-side application.

2. The data integration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

each data item of the physical model and the logical model include data types that define a type of a data value for the data item,

the converting unit also converts a data type when a data type does not match between corresponding data items so that the data types in the search conditions for the physical model and the logical model match, and

the outputting unit integrates data by also converting a data type when a data type does not match between corresponding data items so that the data types in the physical-model-compliant data and the logical-model-compliant data match.

3. The data integration apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein each data item of the physical model and the logical model further include type attributions that define details of the type of the data value,

the converting unit also converts a type attribution so that the type attributions in the search conditions for the physical model and the logical model match when data types do not match between corresponding data items;

and

the outputting unit also converts a type attribution so that the type attributions in the physical-model-compliant data and the logical-model-compliant data match when data type is matched and type attributions are not matched between corresponding data items.

4. The data integration apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the utilization-side application requires that information from the information sources be joined,

a data item having the primary key constraint in each of physical models is linked to a data item having the primary key constraint in the logical model based on the mapping definition,

the converting unit converts a search condition for the logical model into search conditions for the physical models,

the collecting unit issues the search conditions for the physical models to the information sources and collects physical-model-compliant data items matching the search conditions for the physical models, and

the outputting unit converts the physical-model-compliant data items into a logical-model-compliant data based on the meta information.

5. The data integration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the storing unit stores an intermediate table that is used for conversion between the physical model and the logical model,

the mapping definition links a data item in the physical model to a data item having a primary key constraint in the intermediate table and links a data item in logical-model-compliant data converted by the intermediate table to a data item in the logical model,

the converting unit converts the search condition for the logical model into the search condition for the physical model based on the intermediate table, and

the outputting unit converts the physical-model-compliant data based on the intermediate table and links the converted data to the logical model.

6. The data integration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the physical model is defined as a data model excluding a data item that is not shared with other systems,

the logical model is defined as a data model that is associated with, based on the mapping definition, a data item of the physical model that is used by the utilization-side application, and

the utilization-side application searches a logical model into which data of the information sources registered as the physical model have been integrated.

7. The data integration apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

when format of the information resources registered as the physical model is changed, the physical model is re-defined to reflect the change of the format into the data integration apparatus.

8. The data integration apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

when format of data required by the utilization-side application is changed, the logical model corresponding to the required data is modified to reflect the change of the format into the data integration apparatus.

9. A data integration method of collecting and integrating data in a plurality of information sources, comprising:

storing a physical model, which is a data model corresponding to each information source and includes data items and a primary key constraint for a data item that servers as a primary key,

storing a logical model, which is a data model defined for a utilization-side application utilizing integrated data and includes data items and a primary key constraint for a data item that serves as a primary key; and

storing a mapping definition that defines a correspondence relation between a data item of the physical model and a data item of the logical model as correspondence relation between a FROM column and a TO column;

receiving a search condition for the logical model from the utilization-side application;

converting the search condition for the logical model into a search condition for the physical model based on the meta information issuing the search condition for the physical model to an information source;

collecting from the information source physical-model-compliant data matching the search condition for the physical model;

converting, based on the meta information, the collected physical-model-compliant data into logical-model-compliant data; and

outputting the logical-model-compliant data to the utilization-side application.

10. A computer-readable, non-transitory medium storing a program for collecting and integrating data in a plurality of information sources managed in different systems, the program causing a computer to perform:

storing meta information that includes a physical model, which is a data model corresponding to each information source and includes data items and a primary key constraint for a data item that serves as a primary key,

a logical model, which is a data model defined for a utilization-side application utilizing integrated data and includes data items and primary key constraint for a data item that serves as a primary key, and

a mapping definition that defines a correspondence relation between a data item of the physical model and a data item of the logical model as a correspondence relation between a FROM column and a TO column;

receiving a search condition for the logical model from the utilization-side application;

converting the search condition for the logical model into a search condition for the physical model based on the meta information issuing the search condition for the physical model to an information source;

collecting from the information source physical-model-compliant data matching the search condition for the physical model;

converting, based on the meta information, the collected physical-model-compliant data into logical-model-compliant data; and

outputting the logical-model-compliant data to the utilization-side application.