Extract-transform-load processor controller

• US 9,286,361 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Vizor, Julian J., Greenwood, Leonard D., Harden, Arron J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Cheryl
• Application Number:
  US14/061,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses

Abstract

A controller is coupled to an Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processor, which is connected to data storage devices. The controller comprises: a hardware storage device; a storage control component for storing, on said hardware storage device, a set of criteria for preferredness of ETL stage placements; an I/O input device detecting component for recognizing a proposed placement of a stage on a GUI canvas on the display device; an analytical component for analyzing an eventual result of the proposed placement in an ETL activity represented on the GUI canvas; a comparator for comparing the eventual result of the proposed placement in the ETL activity with the set of criteria; and an indicator control component for, responsive to an outcome of an operation of the comparator, providing to the user an indicator of a degree of preferredness of said proposed placement according to the set of criteria.

Claims

1. A controller for an Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processor connected to one or more first data storage devices and adapted to render contextual assistance to a user on a display device, the controller comprising:

a hardware storage device;

a storage control component for storing, on said hardware storage device, a set of criteria for preferredness of ETL stage placements;

an I/O input device detecting component for recognizing a proposed placement of a stage on a GUI canvas on the display device;

an analytical component for analyzing an eventual result of the proposed placement in an ETL activity represented on the GUI canvas;

a comparator for comparing the eventual result of the proposed placement in the ETL activity with the set of criteria; and

an indicator control component for, responsive to an outcome of an operation of the comparator, providing to the user an indicator of a degree of preferredness of said proposed placement according to the set of criteria.

2. The controller of claim 1, the degree of preferredness comprising correctness or incorrectness of said stage placement.

3. The controller of claim 1, the degree of preferredness comprising a tendency towards optimality of said stage placement in said ETL activity.

4. The controller of claim 1, the set of criteria comprising a defined connectivity attribute of the stage.

5. The controller of claim 1, the set of criteria comprising a known pattern of stages.

6. The controller of claim 1, the set of criteria comprising a user-configurable pattern.

7. The controller of claim 1, the set of criteria comprising a previously-used pattern.

8. The controller of claim 1, the set of criteria comprising a pattern of non-optimality caused by an unnecessary action.

9. A method of operating a controller for an Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processor connected to one or more first data storage devices and adapted to render contextual assistance to a user on a display device, the method comprising:

storing, by a storage control component on a hardware storage device, a set of criteria for preferredness of ETL stage placements, wherein the storage control component is implemented by one or more processors;

recognizing, by an I/O input device detecting component, a proposed placement of a stage on a GUI canvas on the display device, wherein the I/O input device detecting component is implemented by one or more processors;

analyzing, by an analytical component, an eventual result of the proposed placement in an ETL activity represented on the GUI canvas, wherein the analytical component is implemented by one or more processors;

comparing, by a comparator, the eventual result of the proposed placement in the ETL activity with the set of criteria, wherein the comparator is implemented by one or more processors; and

responsive to an outcome of an operation of the comparator, providing, by an indicator control component, to the user an indicator of a degree of preferredness of said proposed placement according to the set of criteria, wherein the indicator control component is implemented by one or more processors.

10. The method of claim 9, the degree of preferredness comprising correctness or incorrectness of said stage placement.

11. The method of claim 9, the degree of preferredness comprising a tendency towards optimality of said stage placement in said ETL activity.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of criteria comprises a defined connectivity attribute of the stage.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of criteria comprises a known pattern of stages.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of criteria comprises a user-configurable pattern.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of criteria comprises a previously-used pattern.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of criteria comprises a pattern of non-optimality caused by an unnecessary action.

17. A computer program product for operating a controller for an Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processor connected to one or more first data storage devices and adapted to render contextual assistance to a user on a display device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

storing, by a storage control component on a hardware storage device, a set of criteria for preferredness of ETL stage placements;

recognizing, by an I/O input device detecting component, a proposed placement of a stage on a GUI canvas on the display device;

analyzing, by an analytical component, an eventual result of the proposed placement in an ETL activity represented on the GUI canvas;

comparing, by a comparator, the eventual result of the proposed placement in the ETL activity with the set of criteria; and

responsive to an outcome of an operation of the comparator, providing, by an indicator control component, to the user an indicator of a degree of preferredness of said proposed placement according to the set of criteria.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the degree of preferredness comprising correctness or incorrectness of said stage placement.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, the degree of preferredness comprising a tendency towards optimality of said stage placement in said ETL activity.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the set of criteria comprises a defined connectivity attribute of the stage.