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Method and apparatus for defining common entity relationships

  • US 8,874,619 B2
  • Filed: 01/21/2013
  • Issued: 10/28/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
  • Status: Expired
First Claim
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1. A method comprisingusing a computer processor to access a first repository of metadata in a computer memory;

  • using a computer processor to store a first data entity-relationship diagram in the first repository of metadata, wherein the first data entity-relationship diagram includes a plurality of data entities and a plurality of data entity relationships stored in the computer memory, such that each of the plurality of data entity relationships links one of the plurality of data entities with only one of the plurality of data entities;

    wherein each of the plurality of data entities relates to one of a plurality of overall topics;

    wherein the first data entity-relationship diagram includes a first data entity of the plurality of data entities relating to a first data entity overall topic of the plurality of overall topics;

    wherein the first data entity includes a first data attribute relating to a sub topic of the first data entity overall topic; and

    the method further comprising using a computer processor to declare the first data attribute to be a first unique key for the first data entity by storing a first unique key indicator in the computer memory to indicate that the first data attribute is a first unique key for the first data entity;

    using a computer processor to determine that the first data attribute is a first unique key for the first data entity, wherein the first data entity is comprised of a plurality of instances, and the first data attribute uniquely identifies each of the plurality of instances of the first data entity;

    wherein the first data entity-relationship diagram includes a second data entity of the plurality of data entities relating to a second data entity overall topic of the plurality of overall topics;

    wherein the second data entity includes a second data attribute relating to a sub topic of the second data entity overall topic; and

    the method further comprising using a computer processor to declare the second data attribute to be a second unique key for the second data entity by storing a second unique key indicator in the computer memory to indicate that the second data attribute is a second unique key of the second data entity;

    using a computer processor to determine that the second data attribute is a second unique key for the second data entity;

    wherein the second data entity is comprised of a plurality of instances, and the second data attribute uniquely identifies each of the plurality of instances of the second data entity;

    using a computer processor to add a first common entity relationship set as data to the first repository of metadata;

    wherein the first common entity relationship set groups together a plurality of common group unique keys wherein each of the plurality of common group unique keys is the same as each of the other of the plurality of common group unique keys, except that each of the plurality of common group unique keys includes a data entity link stored in the computer memory which specifies a data entity of the plurality of data entities to which each of the common group unique keys is related, such that each of the plurality of common group unique keys is related to a different data entity of the plurality of data entities;

    wherein the plurality of common group keys includes the first data attribute and the second data attribute;

    and the method further comprising using a computer processor to add a first common entity relationship indicator to computer memory to indicate that the first data attribute is a member of the first common entity relationship set in the first repository of metadata; and

    using a computer processor to add a second common entity relationship indicator to the computer memory to indicate that the second data attribute is a member of the first common entity relationship set in the first repository of metadata; and

    using a computer processor to store a common entity relationship link in the first data entity-relationship diagram in the computer memory, wherein the common entity relationship link links the first data attribute of the first data entity and the second data attribute of the second data entity,wherein the common entity relationship link is a peer-to-peer type of link; and

    wherein the first data entity-relationship diagram, including the first data entity, the second data entity, the first data attribute and the second data attribute are stored in the first repository of metadata prior to adding the first common entity relationship set as data to the first repository of metadata.

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