Generating unique identifiers

• US 8,375,066 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Simon, Nisanth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US12/767,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803, 707/999.102, 708/250, 713/184
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method, a system, and a computer program product for creating a set of identifiers are disclosed. A first set of identifiers is generated by a first randomization of a partition. Identifiers of the first set of identifiers are selected to generate a third set of identifiers. A second set of identifiers comprising a pre-defined number of identifiers is generated by a second randomization of the third set of identifiers.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a computing device for creating a set of identifiers, the method comprising:

generating, by the computing device, a first set of identifiers, comprising;

generating a block of values within a pre-defined range of values for use as identifiers;

partitioning values of the block into partitions, wherein each partition has a unique range of values within the pre-defined range of values; and

performing a first randomization comprising reordering values of a first one of the partitions in a random order and reordering values of a second one of the partitions in a random order;

selecting, by the computing device, a third set of identifiers from the random ordered values of the first and second partitions, comprising;

receiving a pre-defined set of identifier exclusions in the pre-defined range of identifiers;

removing at least a subset of the pre-defined set of identifier exclusions from the first set of identifiers; and

selecting values of the first partition and values of the second partition for the third set of identifiers;

generating a second set of identifiers by at least performing a second randomization on the third set of identifiers; and

transmitting the second set of identifiers to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user for creating a pre-defined number of identifiers in the pre-defined range of identifiers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

partitioning the pre-defined range of identifiers into partitions using a set of pre-defined parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing at least one selected from a set of;

metadata associated with the first set of identifiers,

metadata associated with the third set of identifiers, and

metadata associated with the second set of identifiers, in a repository.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the repository is at least one of a structured data element or an unstructured data element.

6. A system for creating a set of identifiers, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer readable program;

a processor executing the computer readable program, the computer readable program;

generating a first set of identifiers, including;

generating a block of values within a pre-defined range of values for use as identifiers;

partitioning values of the block into partitions, wherein each partition has a unique range of values within the pre-defined range of values; and

performing a first randomization comprising reordering values of a first one of the partitions in a random order and reordering values of a second one of the partitions in a random order;

selecting a third set of identifiers from the random ordered values of the first and second partitions, comprising;

receiving a pre-defined set of identifier exclusions in the pre-defined range of identifiers;

removing at least a subset of the pre-defined set of identifier exclusions from the first set of identifiers; and

selecting values of the first partition and values of the second partition for the third set of identifiers;

generating a second set of identifiers by at least performing a second randomization on the third set of identifiers; and

transmitting the second set of identifiers to a user.

7. The system of claim 6, the computer readable program further:

receiving a request from a user for creating a pre-defined number of identifiers in the pre-defined range of identifiers.

8. The system of claim 6, the computer readable program further:

partitioning the pre-defined range of identifiers into partitions using a set of pre-defined parameters.

9. The system of claim 8, the computer readable program further storing at least one selected from a set of:

metadata associated with the first set of identifiers,

metadata associated with the third set of identifiers, and

metadata associated with the second set of identifiers, in a repository.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the repository is at least one of a structured data element and an unstructured data element.

11. A computer program product for creating a set of identifiers, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable program code executed by a processor to:

generate a first set of identifiers including;

generating a block of values within a pre-defined range of values for use as identifiers;

partitioning values of the block into partitions, wherein each partition has a unique range of values within the pre-defined range of values; and

performing a first randomization, comprising reordering values of a first one of the partitions in a random order and reordering values of a second one of the partitions in a random order; and

select a third set of identifiers from the random ordered values of the first and second partitions, comprising;

receiving a pre-defined set of identifier exclusions in the pre-defined range of identifiers;

removing at least a subset of the pre-defined set of identifier exclusions from the first set of identifiers; and

selecting values of the first partition and values of the second partition for the third set of identifiers;

generate a second set of identifiers by at least performing a second randomization on the third set of identifiers; and

transmit the second set of identifiers to a user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further configured to:

receive a request from a user for creating a pre-defined number of identifiers in the pre-defined range of identifiers.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further configured to:

partition the pre-defined range of identifiers into partitions using a set of pre-defined parameters.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further configured to:

store at least one selected from a set of;

metadata associated with the first set of identifiers,

metadata associated with the third set of identifiers, and

metadata associated with the second set of identifiers,

in a repository, wherein the repository is at least one of a structured data element or an unstructured data element.