Converting data objects from multi- to single-source database environment

• US 9,971,794 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Balasubramanian, Makesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US14/326,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 707705, 707706, 707707, 707769, 707802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/213 with details for schema evolution support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/214 Database migration support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/215 Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/254 Extract, transform and load [ETL] procedures, e.g. ETL data flows in data warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion

Abstract

Embodiments relate to converting data object(s) from a multi-source database environment into a single-source database environment. Such a conversion may be desirable to increase performance and/or reduce consumption of processing resources. An engine is configured to receive a multi-source database universe from a repository. The engine analyzes that universe to identify details thereof for conversion, e.g., connections, tables, views, alias tables, etc. A new single-source connection is registered, and then the single-source universe is re-generated through a universe conversion algorithm, an automatic function mapping algorithm, and a query generation algorithm. Embodiments avoid labor intensive manual re-creation of the universe, and may be implemented as an automatic conversion wizard also updating dependent report queries per new single-source query patterns. Particular embodiments converting from multi-source database environment available from SAP AG, may utilize a Software Design Kit (SDK) to create a migration plug-in as part of an Information Design Tool (IDT).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising providing a processor configured to cause:

an engine to receive an existing multi-source universe database comprising a plurality of details;

the engine to analyze the existing multi-source universe database referencing a configuration file in order to identify a detail to be changed including vendor and version information, wherein the detail comprises a vendor-specific syntax of a join operation;

the engine to register a new single-source connection with a repository; and

the engine to reference the configuration file to create a new single-source universe database including the single-source connection and the changed detail by removing a qualifier and an alias table name, and by generating a business layer compatible with the single-source universe database and further comprising a derived table used to generate a native query of the single-source universe database including the join operation updated with a new column name and a new table name.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein:

the existing multi-source universe database is analyzed to identify a data object by a database function; and

the new single-source universe database comprises a corresponding native function.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein creating the new single-source universe database further comprises generating the business layer including a new object definition compatible with the new single-source universe database.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the configuration file is from a data federator.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the configuration file comprises an XML file.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein creating the new single-source universe database further comprises generating the data foundation from a software development kit available from a vendor of the single-source universe database.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a computer program for performing a method, said method comprising providing a processor configured to cause:

an engine to receive an existing multi-source universe database comprising a plurality of details;

the engine to analyze the existing multi-source universe database referencing a configuration file in order to identify a detail to be changed including vendor and version information, the existing multi-source universe analyzed to identify a data object by a database function, wherein the detail comprises a vendor-specific syntax of a join operation;

the engine to register a new single-source connection with a repository;

the engine to reference the configuration file to create a new single-source universe database including the single-source connection and the changed detail by removing a qualifier and an alias table name, and by generating a business layer compatible with the single-source universe database and further comprising a derived table used to generate a native query of the new single-source universe database including the join operation updated with a new column name and a new table name, the new single-source universe database comprising a native function corresponding to the database function.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 7 wherein creating the new single-source universe database further comprises generating the business layer including a new object definition compatible with the new single-source universe database.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 7 wherein creating the new single-source universe database further comprises generating the data foundation from a software development kit available from a vendor of the single-source universe database.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 7 wherein the configuration file is from a data federator.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 7 wherein the configuration file comprises an XML file.

13. A computer system as in claim 11 wherein creating the new single-source universe database further comprises generating the business layer including a new object definition compatible with the new single-source universe database.

14. A computer system as in claim 11 wherein creating the new single-source universe database further comprises generating the data foundation from a software development kit available from a vendor of the new single-source universe database.

12. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

a software program, executable on said computer system, the software program configured to;

cause an engine to receive an existing multi-source universe database comprising a plurality of details;

cause the engine to analyze the existing multi-source universe database referencing a configuration file from a data federator in order to identify a detail to be changed including vendor and version information, the existing multi-source universe analyzed to identify a data object by a database function, wherein the detail comprises a vendor-specific syntax of a join operation;

cause the engine to register a new single-source connection with a repository;

cause the engine to reference the configuration file to create a new single-source universe database including the single-source connection and the changed detail by removing a qualifier and an alias table name, and by generating a business layer compatible with the new single-source universe database and further comprising a derived table used to generate a native query of the new single-source universe database including the join operation updated with a new column name and a new table name, the new single-source universe database comprising a native function corresponding to the database function.