Data tracking arrangement for improving the quality of data stored in a database
First Claim
1. A method of processing data records, each of said data records being assembled by a plurality of data processors each for inserting data received from at least one source of data into particular fields of said data records, said method comprising the steps oflabeling selected ones of said data records as said records are received from said source and supplying said data records in sequence to said data processors, said data processors processing each of said data records in sequence beginning with a first one of said processors,receiving from each of said data processors copies of said labeled data records as said labeled data records are processed by said data processors and forming said copies into respective series of copies associated with respective ones of said labeled records, andfor each of said series of copies identifying as errors differences in the data inserted in corresponding fields of adjacent ones of said copies, andis determining, as a function of said errors, an error rate between the processors that processed said adjacent ones of said copies.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A facility is provided for improving the quality of data that is stored in a data base. Such improved quality is achieved by tracking the operation of various processes controlling respective data processors, which assemble/modify a data record that is ultimately stored in the data base such that random ones of the data records are marked prior to supplying them to a first one of the processors and then obtaining from each of the processors a copy of a marked data record that it processes. Copies of respective data records are then analyzed to determine which of the processes may be corrected to improve the quality of the data that is stored in the data base.
33 Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A method of processing data records, each of said data records being assembled by a plurality of data processors each for inserting data received from at least one source of data into particular fields of said data records, said method comprising the steps of
labeling selected ones of said data records as said records are received from said source and supplying said data records in sequence to said data processors, said data processors processing each of said data records in sequence beginning with a first one of said processors, receiving from each of said data processors copies of said labeled data records as said labeled data records are processed by said data processors and forming said copies into respective series of copies associated with respective ones of said labeled records, and for each of said series of copies identifying as errors differences in the data inserted in corresponding fields of adjacent ones of said copies, and is determining, as a function of said errors, an error rate between the processors that processed said adjacent ones of said copies.
-
3. A method of processing data records, each of said data records being assembled by a plurality of data processors each for inserting data received from at least one source of data into particular fields of said data records, said method comprising the steps of
labeling selected ones of said data records as said records are received from said source and supplying said data records, in sequence to said data processors, said data processors processing each of said data records in sequence beginning with a first one said processors, receiving from each of said data processors copies of said labeled data records as said labeled data records are processed by said data processors and forming said copies into respective series of copies associated with respective ones of said labeled records, and for each of said series of copies identifying as errors differences in the data inserted in corresponding fields of adjacent ones of said copies, and determining, as a function of said errors, an error rate between the processors that processed said adjacent ones of said copies, and wherein said method further comprises the step of appending to each of said labeled data records a first field for entering at least a time of day that an associated labeled record is received by an individual one of said data processors and a second field for entering at least a time of day that said one data processor outputs to a next one of said data processors said associated labeled record.
-
6. Apparatus for processing data records, each of said data records being assembled by a plurality of data processors each for inserting data into particular fields of said data records, said apparatus comprising:
-
preprocessor means for selecting on a random basis individual ones of said data records and for labeling each of said selected records and supplying said data records in turn to a first one of said data processors so that said records are processed by all of said processors in a predetermined order beginning with said first processor, and means for receiving from each of said data processors copies of said selected data records as said selected data records are processed by each of said data processors and for identifying any difference in the data inserted in corresponding fields of copies of the same labeled record received from respective ones of said processors, marking such difference as an error and associating said error with the data processors that caused that difference to occur. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
-
-
9. Apparatus for processing data records, each of said data records being assembled by a plurality of dater processors each for inserting data into particular fields of said data records, said apparatus comprising:
-
preprocessor means for selecting on a random basis individual ones of said data records and for labeling each of said selected records and supplying said data records in turn to a first one of said data processors so that said records are processed by all of said processors in a predetermined order beginning with said first processor, and means for receiving from each of said data processors copies of said selected data records as said selected data records are processed by each of said data processors and for identifying any difference in the data inserted in corresponding fields of copies of the same labeled record received from respective ones of said processors, marking such difference as an error and associating said error with the data processors that caused that difference to occur, and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for appending to each of said selected data records a first field for entering at least a time of day that said selected records are received by one of said data processors and a second field for entering at least a time of day that said one data processor outputs each of said data records to a next one of said data processors. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
-
Specification