RESOURCE STANDARDIZATION IN AN OFF-PREMISE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080082601A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Meijer, Henricus Johannes Maria, Larus, James R., Brumme, Christopher W., Gounares, Alexander G., Snyder, Ira L., Bergstraesser, Thomas F., Mishra, Debi P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A computing paradigm where information can be aggregated from multiple services/programs within a ‘cloud-based’ environment is provided. Thus, the system can provide a uniform interface that can combine computational tasks across the multiple services/programs. Thus, the innovation takes advantage of the computing device being a ‘thin client’ which affords greater user comfort to a user without sacrificing data processing capabilities. Accordingly, the mechanisms are disclosed that standardize and/or normalize data across the resources within the cloud.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates data management, comprising:

an interface component that receives a request for data; and

a data aggregation component that retrieves data from an ‘

off-premise’

resource and normalizes the data as a function of target format.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data normalizer component that translates the semantics of the data into the target format.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data normalizer component that translates the structure of the data into the target format.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data normalizer component that translates the semantics and the structure of the data into the target format.

5. The system of claim 1, the interface component at least one of authenticates and authorizes identity of a requestor of the data and regulates access to the normalized data as a function of the authentication.

6. The system of claim 5, the interface component comprises an identity component that establishes the identity of the requestor.

7. The system of claim 5, the interface component enables an access control list (ACL) to be configured, the ACL controls access to the data as a function of requester identity.

8. The system of claim 1, data aggregation component is extensible to enable normalization into a plurality of target formats.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plug-in that modifies the data aggregation component to normalize the data into a disparate target format.

10. The system of claim 1, the interface component enables installation of a plug-in that extends the normalization capabilities of the data aggregation component as a function of disparate target formats.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data analysis component that evaluates the data and determines at least one of a type, size, content and context associated with the data, the aggregation component normalizes the data as a function of the at least one of type, size, content and context.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analysis component that employs context to determine the target format for the normalized data.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a translation component that converts the data into the normalized data as a function of a format common to each of a plurality of resources.

14. The system of claim 1, the data aggregation component acquires data from a local resource, the normalized data is compatible with both off-premise and on-premise resources.

15. A computer-implemented method of standardizing data, comprising:

receiving a data request;

authenticating identity of the requester;

retrieving data from an on-premise or off-premise source as a function of the data request; and

normalizing the retrieved data in accordance with a format of a target format.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising normalizing the retrieved data in accordance with a disparate format.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising filtering the retrieved data based at least in part upon the identity of the requester.

18. A computer-executable system that facilitates standardization of data, comprising:

means for determining a data owner associated with a data request;

means for accessing data that corresponds to the data request; and

means for standardizing the data into a format compatible with a plurality of resources as a function a policy established by the data owner.

19. The computer-executable system of claim 18, further comprising means for authenticating identity of the requester, the means for standardizing employs result of the authentication to allow or deny standardization as a function of the policy.

20. The computer-executable system of claim 18, further comprising means for expanding capability of the means for standardizing to enable standardization into a plurality of disparate formats.