Method and system for performing processing data

• US 6,775,683 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Financial Assurance Holdings Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Financial Assurance Holdings Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kapur, Rajnish, Poddar, Ajay, Kabasakalian, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/683,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 707/514, 707/10, 707/103.R, 707/100, 707/203, 707/6, 707/1, 707/4, 707/104.1, 707/200, 701/208, 705/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for processing flat files for use in a relational database. The invention includes inputting a plurality of flat files wherein each of the flat files contains data. A parameters file is accessed to obtain processing parameters contained in the parameters file. The data in the flat files are checked based on the processing parameters. Thereafter, a logical record is assembled by processing the data in the flat files based on the processing parameters. An output file is generated. The output file contains the logical record and a portion of the data.

Claims

1. A method of processing flat files for use in a relational database, the method comprising:

inputting a plurality of flat files, each of the flat files containing data;

accessing a parameters file to obtain processing parameters, the parameters file containing the processing parameters;

checking the data in a plurality of the flat files based on the processing parameters;

assembling a logical record by processing the data in the flat files based on the processing parameters; and

generating an output file, the output file containing the logical record and a portion of the data; and

wherein checking the data in the plurality of flat files includes checking a respective processing date of each flat file against a calculated processing date.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing parameters includes mandatory file details and optional file details.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein checking the data in the plurality of flat files includes:

checking if mandatory files are present based on the mandatory file details; and

checking if optional files are present based on the optional file details.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if all mandatory files are not present, then, the method further including:

waiting for a predetermined time period; and

rechecking for the mandatory files.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein checking the data in the plurality of flat files includes checking that each mandatory file has one header and one trailer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the output file includes normalizing the data.

7. The method of claim 1, further including changing at least one of the processing parameters in the parameters file, the changing being performed prior to accessing the parameters file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing parameters include at least one selected from the group consisting of a target directory, a pager number and file format information.

9. The method of claim 1, further including outputting the output file to a shadow table.

10. The method of claim 1, further including generating an exception report if a processing date of a flat file is inconsistent with the calculated processing date.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the data in the flat files includes stripping the header and trailer from each flat file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters file is an INI file.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical record uses data from multiple physical records, the multiple physical records being generated from the data in the flat file.

14. A method of processing flat files for use in a relational database, the method comprising:

inputting a plurality of flat files, each of the flat files containing data;

providing a parameters file containing processing parameters;

changing at least one of the processing parameters in the parameters file;

accessing the parameters file to obtain the processing parameters, the processing parameters including mandatory file details and optional file details;

checking the data in the plurality of the flat files based on the processing parameters, the checking including determining if mandatory files are present based on the mandatory file details and determining if optional files are present based on the optional file details, wherein if all mandatory files are not present, then, the method further including waiting for a predetermined time period and rechecking for the mandatory files;

assembling a logical record by processing the data in the flat files based on the processing parameters; and

generating an output file, the output file containing the logical record and a portion of the data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the processing parameters include at least one selected from the group consisting of a target directory, a pager number and file format information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein checking the data in the plurality of flat files includes checking a respective processing date of each flat file against a calculated processing date.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the parameters file is an INI file.

18. A system for processing flat files for use in a relational database, the system comprising:

an input portion that inputs a plurality of flat files, each of the flat files containing data;

a parameters file access portion that accesses a parameters file to obtain processing parameters, the parameters file containing the processing parameters;

a data checking portion that checks the data in a plurality of the flat files based on the processing parameters;

a logical record generation portion that assembles a logical record by processing the data in the flat files based on the processing parameters; and

an output file generation portion that generates an output file, the output file containing the logical record and a portion of the data; and

wherein the data checking portion that checks the data in a plurality of the flat files checks if mandatory files are present based on mandatory file details and checks if optional files are present based on optional file details.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing parameters includes mandatory file details and optional file details.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the parameters file access portion provides for changing at least one of the processing parameters in the parameters file.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the parameters file access portion provides for a human user to change at least one of the processing parameters in the parameters file.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing parameters include at least one selected from the group consisting of a target directory, a pager number and file format information.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the data checking portion checks the data in the plurality of flat files by checking a respective processing date of each flat file against a calculated processing date.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the data checking portion generates an exception report if a processing date of a flat file is inconsistent with the calculated processing date.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing of the data in the flat files performed by the logical record generation portion includes stripping the header and trailer from each flat file.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the parameters file is an INI file.

27. A system for processing flat files for use in a relational database, the system comprising:

an input portion that inputs a plurality of flat files, each of the flat files containing data;

a parameters file memory that contains a parameters file, the parameters file containing processing parameters, the processing parameters including mandatory file details and optional file details;

a parameters file access portion that accesses the parameters file to obtain the processing parameters, the parameters file access portion providing for a user of the system to change the processing parameters;

a data checking portion that checks the data in a plurality of the flat files based on the processing parameters, the data checking portion checking if mandatory files are present based on the mandatory file details and checking if optional files are present based on the optional file details;

a logical record generation portion that assembles a logical record by processing the data in the flat files based on the processing parameters; and

an output file generation portion that generates an output file, the output file containing the logical record and a portion of the data.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the processing parameters include at least one selected from the group consisting of a target directory, a pager number and file format information.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the parameters file is an INI file.

30. A system for processing flat files for use in a relational database, the system comprising:

means for inputting a plurality of flat files, each of the flat files containing data;

means for accessing a parameters file to obtain processing parameters, the parameters file containing the processing parameters;

means for checking the data in a plurality of the flat files based on the processing parameters;

means for assembling a logical record by processing the data in the flat files based on the processing parameters; and

means for generating an output file, the output file containing the logical record and a portion of the data; and

wherein checking the data in the plurality of flat files includes checking a respective processing date of each flat file against a calculated processing date.

31. A system of processing flat files for use in a relational database, the system comprising:

means for inputting a plurality of flat files, each of the flat files containing data;

means for providing a parameters file containing processing parameters;

means for changing at least one of the processing parameters in the parameters file;

means for accessing the parameters file to obtain the processing parameters, the processing parameters including mandatory file details and optional file details;

means for checking the data in the plurality of the flat files based on the processing parameters, the checking including determining if mandatory files are present based on the mandatory file details and determining if optional files are present based on the optional file details, wherein if all mandatory files are not present, then, the method further including waiting for a predetermined time period and rechecking for the mandatory files;

means for assembling a logical record by processing the data in the flat files based on the processing parameters; and

means for generating an output file, the output file containing the logical record and a portion of the data.