Interfaces for accessing and managing enhanced connection data for shared resources

• US 9,594,812 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Roche, Matthew, Liensberger, Christian, Kasperski, Ziv, Nyombayire, Stphane
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowen, Richard
• Application Number:
  US14/082,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3328 using graphical result space presentation or visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to providing access to supplemental query data that is relevant to a data query. In one scenario, a computer system receives an input indicating that a data query is to be processed, where the input provides various search criteria. The computer system then generates the data query according to the search criteria in the received input. The computer system further sends the data query to a second computer system which is configured to process the data query and receives the results of the data query. The results indicate that additional data elements relevant to the search criteria have been identified. The computer system then displays an indication of various steps that are to be taken in order to access the identified additional data elements.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computer system to provide access to supplemental query data that is relevant to a data query, the computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to perform at least the following;

generate a data query according to one or more search criteria received in a first input, the data query being associated with a user;

send the data query to a second computer system, which is configured to process the data query;

receive results of the data query from the second computer system, the results indicating;

one or more data elements that are stored at a first data source to which the user has access, and that are relevant to the one or more search criteria;

an identity of a second data source to which the user currently lacks access that stores one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria; and

one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries, the one or more supplemental data elements including supplemental information relating to at least one of the one or more data elements that are stored at the first data source and the one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria, the supplemental information comprising at least one of lineage information, container information, or user-provided annotations, wherein the one or more supplemental data elements are provided by a metadata catalog; and

display at a user interface (i) a first indication of the one or more data elements that are accessible to the user, (ii) a second indication of the identity of the second data source to which the user currently lacks access, the second indication being associated with one or more steps that are to be taken in order for the user to authenticate to the second data source, wherein the one or more steps to be taken are displayed at the user interface along with the second indication of the identity of the second data source, and (iii) a third indication of the one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries.

2. The computer system of claim 1, the computer-executable instructions also including instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to:

receive a second input, wherein the second input corresponds to at least one of the one or more steps to authenticate to the second data source;

perform the one or more steps indicated by the received second input; and

access at least one of the one or more additional data elements from the second data source.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the steps performed comprises providing user authentication credentials.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user interface displays an option to initiate a data access workflow to access resources at the second data source.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein one or more data managers are notified upon determining that the data access workflow has been initiated.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein upon determining that the data access workflow has been initiated, the data access workflow automatically initiates a first of one or more workflow steps that, upon successful completion, allow the user to access the one or more additional data elements.

7. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the data access workflow accesses a metadata catalog to determine how to connect to the second data source, the metadata catalog being configured to store metadata that maps data elements to data sources.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the data query is processed using data from a plurality of different data sources.

9. The computer system of claim 1, the computer-executable instructions also including instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to receive an input indicating that the data query is to be processed, the input providing the one or more search criteria.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the additional steps to be taken to access the second data source are provided by the computer system.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the one or more steps to be taken are displayed at the user interface upon the occurrence of a specified event.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more data elements comprises a container that includes a child data element hosted within a parent data element.

13. A computer system comprising the following:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computer system to generate and display a user interface that allows access to supplemental query data that is relevant to a search query, the computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to perform at least the following;

receive data query results in response to a data query from a user that includes one or more search criteria, the data query results indicating;

one or more data elements that are stored at a first data source to which the user has access, and that are relevant to the one or more search criteria;

an identity of a second data source to which the user currently lacks access that stores one or more currently inaccessible additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria; and

one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries, the one or more supplemental data elements including supplemental information relating to at least one of the one or more data elements that are stored at the first data source and the one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria, the supplemental information comprising at least one of lineage information, container information, or user-provided annotations, wherein the one or more supplemental data elements are provided by a metadata catalog;

generate a user interface (UI) that shows (i) a first indication of the one or more data elements that are accessible to the user, (ii) a second indication of the identity of the second data source to which the user currently lacks access, the second indication being associated with one or more steps that are to be taken in order for the user to authenticate to the second data source, wherein the one or more steps to be taken are displayed at the UI along with the second indication of the identity of the second data source, and (iii) a third indication of the one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries;

receive at the UI an input corresponding to at least one of the one or more steps that are to be taken to authenticate to the second data source; and

upon determining that the input received at the UI allows access to the second data source, send the received input to the second data source to retrieve the one or more additional data elements.

14. The computer system of claim 13, the computer-executable instructions also including instructions that are executable to configure the computer system to:

receive the identified additional data elements from the second data source; and

display the received additional data elements in the UI.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the UI includes a generic interface to request data from a plurality of different data sources of multiple different data source types.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein a client application is provided which allows users to share links to data objects stored in the one or more specified data sources.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the client application accesses one or more portions of information including user inputs, heuristics and data source data accesses, and updates one or more internal processes based on the accessed information.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the client application prompts for user inputs based on the updated internal processes.

19. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes at least one processor, for providing access to supplemental query data that is relevant to a data query, the method comprising:

generating a data query according to one or more search criteria received in an input, the data query being associated with a user;

sending the data query to a second computer system, which is configured to process the data query;

receiving the results of the data query from the second computer system, the results indicating;

one or more data elements that are stored at a first data source to which the user has access, and that are relevant to the one or more search criteria;

an identity of a second data source to which the user currently lacks access that stores one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria; and

one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries, the one or more supplemental data elements including supplemental information relating to at least one of the one or more data elements that are stored at the first data source and the one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria, the supplemental information comprising at least one of lineage information, container information, or user-provided annotations, wherein the one or more supplemental data elements are provided by a metadata catalog; and

displaying at a first user interface (i) a first indication of the one or more data elements that are accessible to the user, (ii) a second indication of the identity of the second data source to which the user currently lacks access, the second indication being associated with one or more steps that are to be taken in order for the user to authenticate to the second data source, wherein the one or more steps to be taken are displayed at the user interface along with the second indication of the identity of the second data source, and (iii) a third indication of the one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries.

20. A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computing system to configure the computing system to provide access to supplemental query data that is relevant to a data query, the computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to configure the computing system to perform at least the following:

generate a data query according to one or more search criteria received in an input, the data query being associated with a user;

send the data query to a second computing system, which is configured to process the data query;

receive results of the data query from the second computing system, the results indicating;

one or more data elements that are stored at a first data source to which the user has access, and that are relevant to the one or more search criteria;

an identity of a second data source to which the user currently lacks access that stores one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria; and

one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries, the one or more supplemental data elements including supplemental information relating to at least one of the one or more data elements that are stored at the first data source and the one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria, the supplemental information comprising at least one of lineage information, container information, or user-provided annotations, wherein the one or more supplemental data elements are provided by a metadata catalog; and

display at a user interface (i) a first indication of the one or more data elements that are accessible to the user, (ii) a second indication of the identity of the second data source to which the user currently lacks access, the second indication being associated with one or more steps that are to be taken in order for the user to authenticate to the second data source, wherein the one or more steps to be taken are displayed at the user interface along with the second indication of the identity of the second data source, and (iii) a third indication of the one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries.

21. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or more processors, for generating and displaying a user interface that allows access to supplemental query data that is relevant to a search query, the method comprising:

receiving data query results in response to a data query from a user that includes one or more search criteria, the data query results indicating;

one or more data elements that are stored at a first data source to which the user has access, and that are relevant to the one or more search criteria;

an identity of a second data source to which the user currently lacks access that stores one or more currently inaccessible additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria; and

one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries, the one or more supplemental data elements including supplemental information relating to at least one of the one or more data elements that are stored at the first data source and the one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria, the supplemental information comprising at least one of lineage information, container information, or user-provided annotations, wherein the one or more supplemental data elements are provided by a metadata catalog; and

generating a user interface (UI) that shows (i) a first indication of the one or more data elements that are accessible to the user, (ii) a second indication of the identity of the second data source to which the user currently lacks access, the second indication being associated with one or more steps that are to be taken in order for the user to authenticate to the second data source, wherein the one or more steps to be taken are displayed at the UI along with the second indication of the identity of the second data source, and (iii) a third indication of the one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries;

receiving at the UI an input corresponding to at least one of the one or more steps that are to be taken to authenticate to the second data source; and

upon determining that the input received at the UI allows access to the second data source, sending the received input to the second data source to retrieve the one or more additional data elements.

22. A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computing system to configure the computing system to, generate and display a user interface that allows access to supplemental query data that is relevant to a search query the computer-executable instructions including instructions that are executable to configure the computing system to perform at least the following:

receive data query results in response to a data query from a user that includes one or more search criteria, the data query results indicating;

one or more data elements that are stored at a first data source to which the user has access, and that are relevant to the one or more search criteria;

an identity of a second data source to which the user currently lacks access that stores one or more currently inaccessible additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria; and

one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries, the one or more supplemental data elements including supplemental information relating to at least one of the one or more data elements that are stored at the first data source and the one or more additional data elements that are also relevant to the one or more search criteria, the supplemental information comprising at least one of lineage information, container information, or user-provided annotations, wherein the one or more supplemental data elements are provided by a metadata catalog; and

generate a user interface (UI) that shows (i) a first indication of the one or more data elements that are accessible to the user, (ii) a second indication of the identity of the second data source to which the user currently lacks access, the second indication being associated with one or more steps that are to be taken in order for the user to authenticate to the second data source, wherein the one or more steps to be taken are displayed at the UI along with the second indication of the identity of the second data source, and (iii) a third indication of the one or more supplemental data elements for exposing other relevant data items or search queries;

receive at the UI an input corresponding to at least one of the one or more steps that are to be taken to authenticate to the second data source; and

upon determining that the input received at the UI allows access to the second data source, send the received input to the second data source to retrieve the one or more additional data elements.