Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-22
2001-06-26
Breene, John (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C345S215000, C709S227000, C709S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253213
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a method and system for automatically maintaining data consistency across various databases. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for creating a single file to drive all translation, extraction, verification and promotion operations for maintaining data consistency across various databases in an automated fashion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, circuit design data for integrated circuits is created utilizing several different databases. Because of the need to interface to various software programs, it is often necessary to manually translate the original data in a particular database to other data forms. Additionally, as the circuit design matures, it is frequently necessary to modify certain elements of the original design database. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure that whatever change is made to the original database is propagated to the derived views. This problem becomes complicated when the original data is comprised of a plurality of individually alterable data records or cell views related to each other in a multiple hierarchical database system. Changes to anyone of the individual data records or cell views may have consequences that impact the integrity of the given hierarchy in which the changed data element of a cell view resides, or to a different but related hierarchical data set. It is frequently the case that a designer involved in a change to one or more data elements is unaware of the full consequences of this change.
In addition, it is desirable to know the quality of the data within a hierarchical database. Standards have been developed and encoded for use in quality control in the form of various software validation routines. However, when the database is changed, it is necessary to re-run these validation routines to ensure that no errors or undesirable qualities resulting in inconsistencies within the database has been introduced.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide an improved method and system which is able to run independent of any operator intervention that guarantees data consistency across databases and activates software verification routines and performs the tasks necessary to indicate the quality of the data. The present invention solves all of these problems in a new and unique manner that has not been previously known in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for automatically maintaining data consistency across various databases.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system that activates software verification routines and performs the tasks necessary to indicate the quality of the data as that is maintained across various databases.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for creating a single file to drive all translation, extraction, and verification and promotion operations for maintaining data consistency across various databases in an automated fashion.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. A method and system for automatically maintaining data consistency across two or more hierarchically arranged databases is disclosed. A master list and an environmental variable file are created for use in maintaining the data consistency of a cell view. A cell view in a selected database is then checked to see if it has been modified by performing date-time stamp shadowing. If the cell view is modified, the cell view is then retrieved by derivative lists created from the master list and the environmental variable file and translated based on criteria from the environmental variable file. Verification is then performed on the translated cell view once again based on criteria from the environmental variable file. This verification creates a signature for the translated cell view. Signatures are then checked for being out of date with respect to any dependency listing contained internally. Any signature found to be out of date triggers an automatic re-verification of the pertinent data file. The translated and verified cell view is then checked to see if it or any of its dependencies have been altered by performing an audit based on criteria from the environmental variable file using the signature. The translated and verified cell view is then promoted to a higher quality database based on the results of the audit.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.
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Design Data Management in a CAD Framework Environment, By Lung-Chun Liu, Jun. 24-28, 1990, 27th ACM/IEEE 0738.
Ali Mohammad
Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
Breene John
International Business Machines - Corporation
Salys Casimer K.
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