Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1995-06-07
2001-07-17
Kolik, Paul V. (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263341
ABSTRACT:
COPYRIGHT© 1992 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to the field of computer system and software, and more particularly to an information repository system and method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the advent of the Information Age, data collection and maintenance play a vital role in the operation of any enterprise regardless of the nature of its business. An enterprise may use computer application software to collect and manage data from such diverse areas as human resource management, manufacturing, planning and control, financial planning, product marketing, and customer relations. As a result, a tremendous amount of information are collected and stored in numerous diverse and often disjoint computer systems and databases. Because the physical as well as the logical linkages between pieces of data and among databases are typically inadequate to interrelate them, critical business and management decisions are often made based on an incomplete set of information.
Efforts in the industry have been made to attempt to address this problem. These include bill-of-materials, data dictionary, directory management, software configuration management systems, and some specialized decision support systems. However, conventional systems attempt to identify specific areas of enterprise information, define relationships that exist therebetween, identify ways to implement those relationships, and then implement a system to represent them. Since each application performs this task independently of the others, there is duplicated effort in building the data definitions and relations. Often the data themselves are modeled more than once by different applications. Most of these applications require trained MIS (management information system) personnel to formulate the queries for accessing desired data.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a generic framework or information repository for shared enterprise information and data modelling. The information repository is capable of integrating all enterprise data and information and furthermore providing easy data access and navigation by non-MIS personnel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, information repository system and method are provided which substantially eliminate or reduce disadvantages and problems associated with prior systems and methods.
In one aspect of the present invention, a method for modelling data in an information repository comprises the steps of identifying and defining a plurality of data objects containing data of interest and formulating relationships between the data objects. Physical storage information for each of the data objects are further defined. The data objects, relationships and physical storage information are then stored as a network where the data objects are a plurality of nodes and the relationships therebetween are connectivities between the data objects.
In another aspect of the present invention, a data model for an information repository system is provided. Data of interest are modeled as a plurality of objects and data interdependencies are modeled as relationships interconnecting the plurality of objects.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of an information repository comprises at least one database storing and maintaining a collection of enterprise data. The collection of enterprise data includes objects containing data of interest, relationships between the objects, physical storage information of the objects, and accessibility information of the objects. A navigator connected to the database is also provided for enabling a user to browse among the objects and relationships.
An important technical advantage of the present invention enables the incorporation of legacy data, which are defined as existing database applications, as well as new applications being developed and yet to be developed, into a generic information repository regardless of their technology, platform or format. In addition, the present information repository data model accomplishes this tremendous task without requiring a large number of data storage files or databases.
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Kolik Paul V.
Telecky , Jr. Frederick J.
Texas Instruments Incorporated
Troike Robert L.
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