Implementation defined segments for relational database systems

• US 8,356,009 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ellard, Scott, Jones, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERSHLEY, MARK E
• Application Number:
  US11/900,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/610, 707/620, 707/621, 707/622, 707/808
• US Class Current: 707/620
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide an implementation defined segments (IDS) subsystem which allows new data segments to be added to an identity hub after deployment. A set of metadata tables are utilized to describe IDS, each of which is a data structure encapsulating a single row from a master data record residing in the identity hub. Once a segment (an object) is described, the identity hub can use the information to define persistent storage for the object in the database for any relational database management system, create internal structures to hold the data and process business rules and demographic comparisons against the data object, describe the data object to remote clients, and allow the clients to query the identity hub at runtime about what data objects exist, what fields and data types they contain, and additionally how they might be displayed or formatted on various clients.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

one or more computer readable media accessible by said processor and storing computer instructions executable by said processor; and

an identity hub installed on said one or more computer readable media and comprising an identity engine to match and integrate data relating to identities from a plurality of different information sources into an identity hub data schema corresponding to a schema of a database, wherein said identity hub data schema includes one or more pre-defined segments for storing corresponding data from the different information sources with each pre-defined segment encapsulating a corresponding database object element from the database;

wherein said identity hub further comprises a set of metadata tables defining one or more custom segments for altering the identity hub data schema and corresponding database schema for a particular user implementation, wherein the custom segments are used for storing corresponding data from the different information sources and each custom segment encapsulates a corresponding database object element from the database, wherein said custom segments are defined by a user via a user interface to store data from the different information sources specific to the particular user implementation, and wherein said specific data stored by said custom segments includes data from the different information sources other than said corresponding data stored by said pre-defined segments;

wherein said set of metadata tables includes information to define the one or more custom segments including for each custom segment a unique name, individual fields, one or more roles, and an indication of persisting custom segment data in the database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said set of metadata tables is deployable to a client computer and read at system start-up of said client computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more custom segments are added to said identity hub by utilizing said set of metadata tables to describe said one or more custom segments.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each custom segment is a data structure which encapsulates a single row.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each custom segment has one or more editable fields and an associated Data Definition Language (DDL) statement.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said associated DDL statement is stored to a file system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more fields of each custom segment are specified.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a field of a custom segment is configured to be added, updated, or deleted.

9. A computer readable medium embodying a set of metadata tables defining one or more custom segments to be used for storing data in an identity hub residing on a server computer, wherein said identity hub comprises an identity engine to match and integrate data relating to identities from a plurality of different information sources into an identity hub data schema corresponding to a schema of a database, wherein said identity hub data schema includes one or more pre-defined segments for storing corresponding data from the different information sources with each pre-defined segment encapsulating a corresponding database object element from the database, wherein the custom segments alter the identity hub data schema and corresponding database schema for a particular user implementation and each custom segment encapsulates a corresponding database object element from the database, wherein said custom segments are defined by a user for the identity hub data schema via a user interface to store data from the different information sources specific to the particular user implementation, and wherein said specific data stored by said custom segments includes data from the different information sources other than said corresponding data stored by said pre-defined segments;

wherein said set of metadata tables includes a first metadata table, a second metadata table, and a third metadata table;

wherein each row of said first metadata table defines a unique name of a custom segment and an indication of persisting custom segment data in the database;

wherein said second metadata table defines individual fields contained in each custom segment defined in said first metadata table; and

wherein said third metadata table defines one or more roles of a particular custom segment.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein said set of metadata tables is deployable to a client computer and read at system start-up of said client computer.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein one or more custom segments are added to said identity hub by utilizing said set of metadata tables to describe said one or more custom segments.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein each custom segment is a data structure which encapsulates a single row.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein each custom segment has one or more editable fields and an associated Data Definition Language (DDL) statement.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said associated DDL statement is stored to a file system.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein one or more fields of each custom segment are specified.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein a field of a custom segment is configured to be added, updated, or deleted.

17. A method of generating implementation defined segments, comprising:

reading, at system start-up of a client computer, a set of metadata tables defining one or more custom segments to be used for storing data in an identity hub residing on a server computer, wherein said identity hub comprises an identity engine to match and integrate data relating to identities from a plurality of different information sources into an identity hub data schema corresponding to a schema of a database, wherein said identity hub data schema includes one or more pre-defined segments for storing corresponding data from the different information sources with each pre-defined segment encapsulating a corresponding database object element from the database, wherein the custom segments alter the identity hub data schema and corresponding database schema for a particular user implementation and each custom segment encapsulates a corresponding database object element from the database, wherein said custom segments are defined by a user for the identity hub data schema via a user interface to store data from the different information sources specific to the particular user implementation, and wherein said specific data stored by said custom segments includes data from the different information sources other than said corresponding data stored by said pre-defined segments; and

utilizing said set of metadata tables to describe one or more custom segments;

wherein said set of metadata tables includes a first metadata table, a second metadata table, and a third metadata table;

wherein each row of said first metadata table defines a unique name of a custom segment and an indication of persisting custom segment data in the database;

wherein said second metadata table defines individual fields contained in each custom segment defined in said first metadata table; and

wherein said third metadata table defines one or more roles of a particular custom segment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each custom segment is a data structure which encapsulates a single row.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating an associated Data Definition Language (DDL) statement for each custom segment.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing said associated DDL statement to a file system.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising specifying one or more fields for each custom segment.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising adding, updating, or deleting a field.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein one or more custom segments are added to said identity hub by utilizing said set of metadata tables to describe said one or more custom segments.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein each custom segment has one or more editable fields.