Methods, apparatus and computer programs for visualization and management of data organisation within a data processing system

• US 20050010458A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Holloway, Timothy N., Wallis, Graham D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Provided are methods, apparatus and computer programs for managing data organisation for computer programs. The method includes generating a reference taxonomy (information defining a first data organisation), accessing storage associated with a message broker to obtain a taxonomy of message topics used by the broker for routing of messages, and comparing the reference and topic taxonomies to identify matching and non-matching features within the taxonomies. The results of the comparison can then be used to generate, in response to selection of a preferred taxonomy, a modified taxonomy to replace either the reference taxonomy or the topic taxonomy. A GUI is provided to display the taxonomies and to facilitate user selections. A set of adapters provide access to the data storage of different programs and obtain taxonomy information for the different programs. A taxonomy engine compares taxonomies to identify differences and similarities, and can be used to generate a new taxonomy.

Claims

1. A method for managing distribution of subscription data within a network of publish/subscribe messaging systems, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining, in storage associated with a first messaging system, information representing a taxonomy of subscription topics of the first messaging system;

forwarding information representing at least a part of the taxonomy of subscription topics to a connected publish/subscribe messaging system;

comparing, using topic name matching, forwarded information with a taxonomy of subscription topics maintained for the connected publish/subscribe messaging system, to identify differences and similarities; and

in response to identification of differences between the taxonomies, using the forwarded information to generate a modified taxonomy of subscription topics for the connected publish/subscribe messaging system which increases consistency between the taxonomies.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining, in storage associated with the first messaging system, a change history recording changes to the taxonomy of subscription topics of the first messaging system;

forwarding at least a part of the change history to the connected publish/subscribe messaging system; and

generating the modified taxonomy by applying, to the taxonomy of subscription topics of the connected publish/subscribe messaging system, a part of the change history corresponding to the identified differences.

3. A data processing apparatus including a taxonomy manager for managing distribution of subscription data within a network of publish/subscribe messaging systems, said apparatus comprising:

means for accessing storage associated with a first publish/subscribe messaging system to obtain information maintained in said storage representing a taxonomy of subscription topics of the first publish/subscribe messaging system;

means for forwarding information representing at least a part of the taxonomy of subscription topics to a connected publish/subscribe messaging system;

means for comparing, using topic name matching, forwarded information with a taxonomy of subscription topics maintained for the connected publish/subscribe messaging system, to identify differences and similarities; and

means, responsive to identification of differences between the taxonomies, for using the forwarded information to generate a modified taxonomy of subscription topics for the connected publish/subscribe messaging system which increases consistency between the taxonomies.

4. A data processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for maintaining, in storage associated with the first publish/subscribe messaging system, a change history recording changes to the taxonomy of subscription topics of the first publish/subscribe messaging system;

wherein the means for forwarding enables forwarding of at least a part of the change history to the connected publish/subscribe messaging system; and

wherein the means for generating the modified taxonomy is adapted to apply, to the taxonomy of subscription topics of the connected publish/subscribe messaging system, a part of the change history corresponding to the identified differences.

5. A data processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for accessing storage comprises an adapter for interfacing to the first publish/subscribe messaging manager, and wherein the means for forwarding includes the publishing functions of the first publish/subscribe messaging system.

6. A data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus includes a listener component for identifying receipt of reference taxonomy information and triggering the taxonomy manager to process such received taxonomy information on behalf of the first publish/subscribe messaging system.

7. A computer program comprising program code for controlling the performance of operations on a data processing apparatus, to perform a method for managing distribution of subscription data within a network of publish/subscribe messaging systems, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

maintaining, in storage associated with a first messaging system, information representing a taxonomy of subscription topics of the first messaging system;

forwarding information representing at least a part of the taxonomy of subscription topics to a connected publish/subscribe messaging system;

comparing, using topic name matching, forwarded information with a taxonomy of subscription topics maintained for the connected publish/subscribe messaging system, to identify differences and similarities; and

in response to identification of differences between the taxonomies, using the forwarded information to generate a modified taxonomy of subscription topics for the connected publish/subscribe messaging system which increases consistency between the taxonomies.

8. A method for managing data organisation for a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a reference taxonomy representing the organisation of stored data for one or more computer programs of a computer system;

accessing storage associated with a message broker to obtain a taxonomy of message topics, the message topics having been stored for use by the broker for control of routing of messages to subscriber computer systems;

comparing the reference taxonomy with the taxonomy of message topics to identify matching and non-matching features within the reference taxonomy and the taxonomy of message topics; and

in response to a selection of a preferred taxonomy by reference to the matching and non-matching features, storing the preferred taxonomy as a replacement of at least one of the reference taxonomy and the taxonomy of message topics.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the reference taxonomy includes nodes representing data structures and information representing relationships between data structures and wherein the step of storing a preferred taxonomy in response to a selection of the preferred taxonomy further comprises:

generating a modified reference taxonomy which aggregates features of the compared reference taxonomy and features of the compared taxonomy of message topics such that the modified reference taxonomy includes at least one new node corresponding to a message topic of the compared taxonomy of message topics.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of generating a reference taxonomy further comprises:

receiving user inputs via a graphical user interface; and

interpreting user inputs to generate nodes representing data structures of a taxonomy and to generate information representing relationships between data structures.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of comparing further comprises comparing, using string matching, qualified node names for nodes of the reference taxonomy and topic names of the taxonomy of message topics.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of comparing the reference taxonomy with the taxonomy of message topics is repeated in response to a trigger condition.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the trigger condition is expiry of a predefined time period.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein said step of generating a reference taxonomy is performed on a first data processing apparatus and is followed by a step of sending at least a part of the reference taxonomy to a second data processing apparatus, and wherein the steps of comparing and storing a selected preferred taxonomy are performed on the second data processing apparatus.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of sending at least a part of the reference taxonomy is performed by a publish/subscribe messaging system.

16. A taxonomy manager for managing data organisation for computer programs, comprising:

means for generating a reference taxonomy representing the organisation of stored data for one or more computer programs;

an adapter program for accessing storage associated with a message broker computer program to obtain a taxonomy of message topics, the taxonomy of message topics having been stored for use by the broker for control of routing of messages to subscribers;

means for comparing the reference taxonomy with the taxonomy of message topics to identify matching and non-matching features of the compared taxonomies; and

means, responsive to a selection of a preferred taxonomy by reference to the matching and non-matching features, for storing the preferred taxonomy as a replacement of at least one of the reference taxonomy and the taxonomy of message topics.

17. A taxonomy manager according to claim 16, said manager further comprising a plurality of adapters, wherein each adapter enables accessing of storage associated with a computer program of a respective type and obtaining an application taxonomy comprising information defining the organisation of stored data items for the respective computer program.

18. A taxonomy manager according to claim 16, said manager further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) for generating a graphical representation of the reference taxonomy, the graphical representation including nodes representing data structures.

19. A taxonomy manager according to claim 18, wherein the GUI is responsive to user inputs to identify selection of a preferred taxonomy.

20. A taxonomy manager according to claim 16, wherein the adapter program for accessing storage associated with a message broker computer program provides an interface between the means for generating a reference taxonomy and a publish/subscribe message broker program to enable at least a part of the generated reference taxonomy to be sent to a second taxonomy manager via the publish/subscribe message broker program.

21. A taxonomy manager according to claim 20, said manager further comprising a listener component for identifying receipt of reference taxonomy information and triggering the taxonomy manager to process such received taxonomy information.

22. A computer program for managing data organisation, comprising:

program code for generating a reference taxonomy representing the organisation of stored data for one or more computer programs;

program code for accessing storage associated with a message broker computer program to obtain a taxonomy of message topics, the taxonomy of message topics having been stored for use by the broker for control of routing of messages to subscribers;

program code for comparing the reference taxonomy with the taxonomy of message topics to identify matching and non-matching features of the compared taxonomies; and

program code, responsive to a selection of a preferred taxonomy by reference to the matching and non-matching features, for storing the preferred taxonomy as a replacement of at least one of the reference taxonomy and the taxonomy of message topics.

23. A computer program according to claim 22, said program further comprising program code for providing a graphical user interface for displaying taxonomies to a user and for responding to user inputs to identify selection of a preferred taxonomy.

24. A data processing apparatus including:

a data processor;

data storage;

one or more computer programs for controlling the operation of the data processor to perform operations on data items stored in the data storage; and

a taxonomy manager for managing organisation of stored data in association with the one or more computer programs, the taxonomy manager comprising;

means for generating a reference taxonomy representing the organisation of stored data for one or more computer programs;

an adapter program for accessing storage associated with a message broker computer program to obtain a taxonomy of message topics, the taxonomy of message topics having been stored for use by the broker for control of routing of messages to subscribers;

means for comparing the reference taxonomy with the taxonomy of message topics to identify matching and non-matching features of the compared taxonomies; and

means, responsive to a selection of a preferred taxonomy by reference to the matching and non-matching features, for storing the preferred taxonomy as a replacement of at least one of the reference taxonomy and the taxonomy of message topics.