SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACCESSING DATA IN DISPARATE INFORMATION SOURCES

• US 20100114952A1
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alex Miller, Brad Wright, Randall Hauch, Robert Scanlon, Steven Wolfangel
• Original Assignee: Alex Miller, Brad Wright, Randall Hauch, Robert Scanlon, Steven Wolfangel
• Inventors: Wolfangel, Steven, Scanlon, Robert, Miller, Alex, Wright, Brad, Hauch, Randall
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (10) for generating and maintaining virtual and physical metadata layers in a MetaBase metadata repository (110b) in order to simplify and optimize the retrieval of data from a plurality of disparate information sources (130a-130c). The system stores in a physical metadata layer of a MetaBase metadata repository a plurality of physical metadata elements, wherein each one of the physical metadata elements corresponds to the metadata elements in the plurality of information sources. Logical metadata elements are stored in the virtual metadata layer and are linked to the physical metadata elements in order to maintain the relationships therebetween. By maintaining the relationships between the physical metadata elements, users can initiate a data query request for data corresponding to a logical metadata element, and the system is configurated to retrieve the desired data from the relevant information sources, even in the event that relevant information sources maintain the data in fields having different data field names, that the information sources employ incompatible data formats, and that the relevant information sources employ different query languages.

Claims

1. A system for accessing data in an information source, said system, comprising:

an information source having storage spaces, each said storage space configured to store types of data defined by physical metadata elements;

a metadata repository configured to store two sets of metadata elements, wherein a first set of said metadata elements comprises said physical metadata elements of said information source, and wherein said second set of metadata elements comprises logical metadata elements, each of which correspond to at least one physical metadata element of said first set; and

a MetaMatrix server coupled to said metadata repository and to said information source, wherein said MetaMatrix server is configured to receive a query request for a logical metadata element from a user via an application programming interface, and to retrieve from said information source the data defined by the corresponding physical metadata element.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second information source having storage spaces configured to store data defined by physical metadata elements, wherein said physical metadata elements of said second information source are also stored in said first set of metadata elements in said metadata repository,

and wherein, upon receiving from a user said query request for a logical metadata element, said MetaMatrix server is configured to retrieve from both the first and second information sources the data defined by the corresponding physical metadata element.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said second set of said metadata repository further comprises a logical rule, element comprising a rule and which correspond to one of said logical metadata elements of said second set, and wherein said data retrieved by said MetaMatrix server is transformed in accordance with said rule.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein a logical metadata element of said second set corresponds to at least two physical metadata elements of said first set,

and wherein said second set of said metadata repository also comprises a logical rule element comprising a rule and which also corresponds to said logical metadata element, and wherein said data retrieved by said MetaMatrix server is selected from one of said at least two physical metadata elements in accordance with said rule.

5. A method for accessing data in an information source, said method comprising the steps of:

storing, in storage spaces defined by an information source, types of data defined by physical metadata elements;

storing, in a metadata repository, two sets of metadata elements, wherein a first set of said metadata elements comprises said physical metadata elements of said information source, and wherein said second set of metadata elements comprises logical metadata elements, each of which correspond to at least one physical metadata element of said first set; and

receiving, at a MetaMatrix server coupled to said metadata repository and to said information source, a query request for a logical metadata element form a user via an application programming interface; and

retrieving from said information source the data defined by the corresponding physical metadata element.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

storing, in storage spaces defined by a second information source, data defined by physical metadata elements;

storing said physical metadata elements of said second information source in said first set of metadata elements in said metadata repository; and

upon receiving from said user said query request for a logical metadata element, said MetaMatrix server retrieving from both the first and second information sources the data defined by the corresponding physical metadata element.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

storing in said second set of said metadata repository a logical rule element comprising a rule;

linking said logical rule element to one of said logical metadata elements of said second set; and

transforming said data retrieved by said MetaMatrix server in accordance with said rule.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

corresponding a logical metadata element of said second set to at least two physical metadata elements of said first set;

storing in said second set of said metadata repository a logical rule element comprising a rule;

linking said logical rule element to said logical metadata element; and

selecting the data from one of said at least two physical metadata elements in accordance with said rule.

9. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of:

upon receiving said query request for a logical metadata element from a user, generating a query plan for retrieving said data from said information source.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said query plan comprises a plurality of operations to be performed by said MetaMatrix server.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein one of said plurality of operations to be performed by said MetaMatrix server comprises joining data from a first and a second information source to form a single new information source.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of joining data from a first and a second information source further comprises the step of generating said new information source as a data table with a plurality of data columns, said plurality of data columns comprising data columns in said first and second information sources, and further comprising data columns corresponding to a data table name of said first and second information sources.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein one of said plurality of operations to be performed by said MetaMatrix server comprises pivoting data in first information source storing data in a first format to form a second information source storing said data in a second format.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a query request for data in said first data format requires multiple query terms, while said query request for data in said second data format requires a single query term.

15. A method for accessing data in an information source, said method comprising the steps of:

a user providing, to a MetaMatrix server via a client application programming interface, a query request;

parsing said query request provided by said user so as to generate a global query object;

converting said global query object into a plurality of information source-specific query requests;

retrieving, with said information source-specific query requests, data from a plurality of disparate information sources;

generating a set of information source-specific results;

converting said set of information source-specific results into a global result object;

delivering said global result object to said user.