Graphical user interface for configuration of an algorithm for the matching of data records

• US 8,359,339 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adams, Norm, Schumacher, Scott, Spelce, Doug, Woods, Jason, Jacobs, Brad S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Sheree N
• Application Number:
  US11/702,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,178 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707 6- 7, 707/805
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof

Abstract

Systems and methods for an interface for the configuration of a system for the association of data records are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention provide a graphical interface for manipulating a representation of an algorithm for the configuration of such a system, including the configuration of how a system transforms data records from their native format to a standard data format, selects set of candidates and associates data records.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an association of data records, comprising:

providing a system having an identity hub coupled to a set of data sources and a set of operator computers via a network, wherein the identity hub is configured to store a link between one or more data records in the set of data sources and for transforming a data record from a native data format to a standard data format;

presenting a user with an interface at an operator computer, wherein the interface comprises software tools with which the user is able to manipulate a graphical representation of an algorithm for a configuration of the identity hub for associating data records from the set of data sources, the interface is configured to display a set of attributes and allow the user to select a representation of an attribute and to display a set of bucketing functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a bucketing function, allow the user to create a representation of a bucketing group and associate the representation of the bucketing group with the representation of the bucketing function and the attribute and the interface is further configured to display a set of standardization functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a standardization function and associate the representation of the attribute with the representation of the standardization function; and

creating or modifying the algorithm according to the graphical representation of the algorithm as manipulated by the user utilizing the interface, wherein the identity hub is correspondingly configured to associate data records by;

receiving a data record;

identifying a set of candidate data records, wherein identifying a set of candidate data records is done by comparing the data record to a set of existing data records according to the algorithm; and

scoring each of the set of candidate data records, wherein a score of each of the set of candidate data records is calculated by comparing the data record to the candidate data record according to the algorithm and the score represents a probability of a match between the candidate data record and the received data record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the bucketing function or the bucketing group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of candidate data records corresponds to the bucketing group and the identity hub identifies the set of candidate records using the bucketing function and the attribute.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interface is configured to display a set of comparison functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a comparison function and associate the comparison function with the attribute.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the comparison function.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identity hub scores the set of candidate records using the comparison function and the attribute.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the standardization function.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein transforming a data record comprises transforming the attribute of the data record according to the standardization function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to create a representation of a comparison role or a query role.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to associate the representation of the bucketing function with the representation of the comparison role, associate the representation of the comparison function with the representation of the comparison role or associate the representation of the comparison role with the standardization function.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the comparison role or query role.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to verify the representation of the algorithm based on a set of rules.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein verifying the representation of the algorithm comprises verifying the associations between components of the representation of the algorithm.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein verifying the representation of the algorithm comprises verifying a configuration of one or more components of the representation of the algorithm.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to highlight components associated with a selected component.

16. Tangible computer readable media in a system having an identity hub coupled to a set of data sources and a set of operator computers via a network, wherein the identity hub is configured to store a link between one or more data records in the set of data sources and for transforming a data record from a native data format to a standard data format, and wherein said tangible computer readable media store instructions translatable by a processor for:

presenting a user with an interface at an operator computer, wherein the interface enables the user to manipulate a graphical representation of an algorithm for a configuration of the identity hub for associating data records from the set of data sources, the interface is configured to display a set of attributes and allow the user to select a representation of an attribute and to display a set of bucketing functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a bucketing function, allow the user to create a representation of a bucketing group and associate the representation of the bucketing group with the representation of the bucketing function and the attribute and the interface is further configured to display a set of standardization functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a standardization function and associate the representation of the attribute with the representation of the standardization function; and

creating or modifying the algorithm according to the graphical representation of the algorithm as manipulated by the user utilizing the interface, wherein the identity hub is correspondingly configured to associate data records by;

receiving a data record;

identifying a set of candidate data records, wherein identifying a set of candidate data records is done by comparing the data record to a set of existing data records according to the algorithm; and

scoring each of the set of candidate data records, wherein a score of each of the set of candidate data records is calculated by comparing the data record to the candidate data record according to the algorithm and the score represents a likelihood probability of a match between the candidate data record and the received data record.

17. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the bucketing function or the bucketing group.

18. The computer readable media of claim 17, wherein the set of candidate data records corresponds to the bucketing group and the identity hub identifies the set of candidate records using the bucketing function and the attribute.

19. The computer readable media of claim 18, wherein the interface is configured to display a set of comparison functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a comparison function and associate the comparison function with the attribute.

20. The computer readable media of claim 19, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the comparison function.

21. The computer readable media of claim 20, wherein the identity hub scores the set of candidate records using the comparison function and the attribute.

22. The computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the standardization function.

23. The computer readable media of claim 22, wherein transforming a data record comprises transforming the attribute of the data record according to the standardization function.

24. The computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the interface is configured to allow a user to create a representation of a comparison role or a query role.

25. The computer readable media of claim 24, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the comparison role or query role.

26. The computer readable media of claim 24, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to associate the representation of the bucketing function with the representation of the comparison role, associate the representation of the comparison function with the representation of the comparison role or associate the representation of the comparison role with the standardization function.

27. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the interface is configured to verify the representation of the algorithm based on a set of rules.

28. The computer readable media of claim 27, wherein verifying the representation of the algorithm comprises verifying the associations between components of the representation of the algorithm.

29. The computer readable media of claim 28, wherein verifying the representation of the algorithm comprises verifying a configuration of one or more components of the representation of the algorithm.

30. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the interface is configured to highlight components associated with a selected component.

31. A system for configuring an association of data records, comprising:

an identity hub coupled to a set of data sources and a set of operator computers via a network, wherein the identity hub is configured to store a link between one or more data records in the set of data sources and for transforming a data record from a native data format to a standard data format;

an interface presented at an operator computer, wherein the interface comprises software tools with which the user is able to manipulate a graphical representation of an algorithm for a configuration of the identity hub for associating data records from the set of data sources, the interface is configured to display a set of attributes and allow the user to select a representation of an attribute and to display a set of bucketing functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a bucketing function, allow the user to create a representation of a bucketing group and associate the representation of the bucketing group with the representation of the bucketing function and the attribute and the interface is further configured to display a set of standardization functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a standardization function and associate the representation of the attribute with the representation of the standardization function;

wherein the algorithm is created or modified according to the graphical representation of the algorithm as manipulated by the user utilizing the interface, and wherein the identity hub is correspondingly configured to associate data records by;

receiving a data record;

identifying a set of candidate data records, wherein identifying a set of candidate data records is done by comparing the data record to a set of existing data records according to the algorithm; and

scoring each of the set of candidate data records, wherein a score of each of the set of candidate data records is calculated by comparing the data record to the candidate data record according to the algorithm and the score represents a probability of a match between the candidate data record and the received data record.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the bucketing function or the bucketing group.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the set of candidate data records corresponds to the bucketing group and the identity hub identifies the set of candidate records using the bucketing function and the attribute.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the interface is configured to display a set of comparison functions associated with the identity hub, allow the user to select a representation of a comparison function and associate the comparison function with the attribute.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the comparison function.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the identity hub scores the set of candidate records using the comparison function and the attribute.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the standardization function.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein transforming a data record comprises transforming the attribute of the data record according to the standardization function.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to create a representation of a comparison role or a query role.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to associate the representation of the bucketing function with the representation of the comparison role, associate the representation of the comparison function with the representation of the comparison role or associate the representation of the comparison role with the standardization function.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the interface is configured to allow the user to enter configuration parameters for the comparison role or query role.

42. The system of claim 31, wherein the interface is configured to verify the representation of the algorithm based on a set of rules.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein verifying the representation of the algorithm comprises verifying the associations between components of the representation of the algorithm.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein verifying the representation of the algorithm comprises verifying a configuration of one or more components of the representation of the algorithm.

45. The system of claim 31, wherein the interface is configured to highlight components associated with a selected component.