Generic ontology based semantic business policy engine

• US 9,449,034 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: B'Far, Reza, Golden, Ryan, Cengiz, Yasin, Tseng, Tsai-Ming, Srinivasan, Uppili R., Chitullapally, Sreedhar, Waxman, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Huawen A
• Application Number:
  US14/107,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 707/794
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Techniques for implementing policies. In an embodiment, first data is stored in a first data store according to a first schema. A second schema is defined based at least in part on a policy and an ontology. Second data, which includes at least a portion of the first data, is stored in a second data store according to the second schema. Storing the second data is based at least in part on a mapping of the first schema to the second schema. At least a portion of the second data is analyzed and results of the analysis are provided to a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of implementing policies, comprising:

identifying, by a computer system, first data, the first data being stored in a first data store according to a first schema;

identifying at least a subset of the first data in the first data store as being relevant to one or more policies defined by an organization;

populating a second data store with second data based at least in part on the subset of the first data in the first data store;

defining, based at least in part on the one or more policies, a second schema for analyzing the second data stored in the second data store;

analyzing the second data in the second data store in accordance with the one or more policies to detect a policy violation, the analyzing comprising;

analyzing the second data in the second data store in accordance with a first policy of the one or more policies when the second schema is defined in accordance with a first schema type; and

analyzing the second data in the second data store in accordance with a second policy of the one or more policies when the second schema is defined in accordance with a second schema type;

determining a conclusion from at least a portion of the second data based at least in part on the analyzing; and

providing the conclusion to a user.

2. A computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein defining the second schema further comprises:

identifying at least the subset of the first data from the first data store to be stored in the second data store; and

mapping the subset of the first data to the second schema in the second data store.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the subset of the first data from the first data store identifies a type of policy analysis to be performed on the second data in the second data store.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second schema is defined based at least in part on an ontology relating to the second data in the second data store.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first data in the first data store stores policy information related to an organization.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the policy information includes at least one of a plurality of pre-defined policies related to the organization or a plurality of policies specified by the user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first policy comprises at least one of an authorization policy, a prevention policy, a configuration policy and a transaction policy related to the organization and the second policy comprises at least one of an authorization policy, a prevention policy, a configuration policy and a transaction policy related to the organization.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, when the second schema is defined in accordance with the first schema type, a plurality of tables of the second schema are defined to have a first degree of normalization and, when the second schema is defined in accordance with the second schema type, a plurality of tables of the second schema are defined to have a second degree of normalization.

9. A system for storing data, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory including executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to collectively at least;

identify, by a computer system, first data, the first data being stored in a first data store according to a first schema;

identify at least a subset of the first data in the first data store as being relevant to one or more policies defined by an organization;

populate a second data store with second data based at least in part on the subset of the first data in the first data store;

define, based at least in part on the one or more policies, a second schema for analyzing the second data stored in the second data store;

analyze the second data in the second data store in accordance with the one or more policies to detect a policy violation, the instructions to analyze comprising instructions to;

analyze the second data in the second data store in accordance with a first policy of the one or more policies when the second schema is defined in accordance with a first schema type; and

analyze the second data in the second data store in accordance with a second policy of the one or more policies when the second schema is defined in accordance with a second schema type;

determine a conclusion from at least a portion of the second data based at least in part on the analyzing; and

provide the conclusion to a user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions to define the second schema further comprise instructions to:

identify at least the subset of the first data from the first data store to be stored in the second data store; and

map the subset of the first data to the second schema in the second data store.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the subset of the first data from the first data store identifies a type of policy analysis to be performed on the second data in the second data store.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the second schema is defined based at least in part on an ontology relating to the second data in the second data store.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first data in the first data store stores policy information related to an organization.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the policy information includes at least one of a plurality of pre-defined policies related to the organization or a plurality of policies specified by the user.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to store and analyze data, the instructions including:

instructions that cause the processor to identify first data, the first data being stored in a first data store according to a first schema;

instructions that cause the processor to identify at least a subset of the first data in the first data store as being relevant to one or more policies defined by an organization;

populating a second data store with second data based at least in part on the subset of the first data in the first data store;

instructions that cause the processor to define, based at least in part on the one or more policies, a second schema for analyzing the second data stored in the second data store;

instructions that cause the processor to analyze the second data in the second data store in accordance with one or more policies to detect a policy violation, the instructions to analyze comprising instructions to;

analyze the second data in the second data store in accordance with a first policy of the one or more policies when the second schema is defined in accordance with a first schema type; and

analyze the second data in the second data store in accordance with a second policy of the one or more policies when the second schema is defined in accordance with a second schema type;

instructions that cause the processor to determine a conclusion from at least a portion of the second data based at least in part on the instructions to analyze; and

instructions that cause the processor to provide the conclusion to a user.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions to define the second schema further comprise instructions to:

identify at least the subset of the first data from the first data store to be stored in the second data store; and

map the subset of the first data to the second schema in the second data store.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the subset of the first data from the first data store identifies a type of policy analysis to be performed on the second data in the second data store.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second schema is defined based at least in part on an ontology relating to the second data in the second data store.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first data in the first data store stores policy information data related to the organization, wherein the policy information data includes at least one of a plurality of pre-defined policies related to the organization or a plurality of policies specified by the user.