Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-26
2001-02-27
Black, Thomas G. (Department: 2771)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195662
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system and method for importing, transforming and exporting data between distributed heterogeneous computer systems and in particular to a system of script processing utilizing metadata to control data transformation within the system and data movement into and out of the system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Data exchange between distributed heterogeneous computer systems has been problematic in the industry. Businesses frequently use disparate data formats and data storage types within a corporate structure. As well, business partners almost invariably use different data formats. To permit data exchange when different formats are used, a static inter-communication facility must be maintained for each pair of disparate data formats and/or data storage types. Changes to data formats or data storage types force the re-engineering of the corresponding facility.
A data import/export system is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,491 which issued on Mar. 5, 1996 to Mitchell et al. That patent describes a system and method for importing and exporting data between an external object oriented computing environment. The system and method requires a datalist object for each field to be moved from the external object oriented computing environment to the external computing environment. A metadata object is required for each datalist object. The system is therefore complex and resource-use intensive. Furthermore, it is only capable of moving data from an object-oriented to some other computer environment. The system is therefore inflexible and unsuitable for use in many applications where import/export must be performed between two computer systems that do not use object oriented data formats.
Therefore, what is needed is a distributed system and method that is capable of transforming data from a source computer system into data usable by a computer system which stores data in a different format. This system must provide a simple means for specifying the transformation definitions and for controlling the flow of data from an input data source to an output data target. Configuration management of the system must be dynamic to respond to the changing business environment and non-intrusive to minimize the effects of changing data formats or data storage types.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a system and method for data transformation and data exchange between distributed heterogeneous computer systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a script processing language that defines operations to control data transformation within the system and data movement into and out of the distributed system, utilizing metadata definitions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a format control language that defines the transformation of an external data source into data bags and of the internal data bags to an external data target.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a means of configuration management that allows a user of the system to define scripts, import data connections, export data connections, data bags, and rule set definitions and to store them in a metadata database.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a means of executing scripts in order to control the distributed transformation system.
According to the invention, there is provided a system for transforming and exchanging datastore data between heterogeneous computer systems using different datastore formats for storing similar information, the system comprising: means for transforming and processing import datastore data into generic format data according to predetermined import transformation rules and functions; means for converting the generic format data into export datastore data according to predetermined export transformation rules and functions; and interface to communications means for receiving the import datastore data and for transmitting the export datastore data.
A datastore refers to the storing of any type of data in a persistent storage system, such as on magnetic media like a disk drive. The types of data stored could include text or binary.
As will be shown below, the present invention can be used to create import data definitions, data bag storage, data bag transformation definitions or rule sets, export data definitions and scripts to control the usage of all those definitions in the process of transforming and exchanging data between dissimilar computer systems.
A generic format data bag contains both the data to be manipulated and the data structure definitions, in a generic format. The present invention will use the title ‘data bag’ to indicate a generic format data bag.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5497491 (1996-03-01), Mitchell et al.
patent: 5729733 (1998-03-01), Sharif-Askary
patent: 5799310 (1998-08-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 5970490 (1999-10-01), Morgenstern
patent: 5988862 (1999-11-01), Kacyra et al.
patent: 6047291 (2000-04-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 6078925 (2000-06-01), Anderson et al.
IEEE publication, “The HERMES Language for Work Session Specification” by Manolis Marazakis et al., Institute of Computer Science, FORTH, Greece, pp. 542-547, Aug. 1998.
Doyle Michael
Ellis Darin
Black Thomas G.
Hardaway/Mann IP Group Nexsen Pruet Jacobs & Pollard, LLP
Juxtacomm Technologies Inc.
Mizrahi Diane D.
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