Anonymized Schema Mapping Repository for Secure Reuse

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing software solutions face challenges in securely reusing schema mappings across different customers due to security and privacy restrictions, requiring tedious manual processes and trained experts for data migration, which can lead to reverse engineering of customer-specific data structures.

Innovation Solution

The system employs anonymization and encryption techniques to transform schema mappings into privacy-preserving representations, allowing secure reuse across customers while preventing reverse engineering, using cryptographically secure one-way functions and symmetric cryptosystems to ensure confidentiality and privacy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If schema mappings are stored in a repository for reuse, then productivity is improved by avoiding manual creation, but security and privacy are worsened due to risk of reverse engineering customer-specific data structures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveschema mapping reuse efficiencyVSAvoidreverse engineering risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates anonymized copies of schema mappings that preserve the structural transformation logic while removing customer-specific identifiers and sensitive data elements. These copies can be stored and reused without exposing the original customer data structures, thus enabling productivity improvement while mitigating reverse engineering risks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an anonymization layer as an intermediary between the original schema mappings and the repository storage. This intermediary process transforms the mappings into a protected format that prevents direct reverse engineering while maintaining usability for data migration purposes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If manual schema mapping creation is performed by trained experts, then manufacturing precision is improved through expert knowledge, but loss of time is worsened due to the tedious manual process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveschema mapping accuracyVSAvoidmapping creation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary anonymization and validation of schema mappings during the import phase, preparing them for future reuse. This preliminary processing ensures that when mappings are retrieved from the repository, they are ready to use without requiring time-consuming manual intervention, thus reducing loss of time while maintaining precision through pre-validated expert-created mappings

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables the system to automatically retrieve and apply anonymized schema mappings from the repository without requiring manual expert intervention for each new data migration project. The automated matching and application processes allow the system to serve itself, significantly reducing the time loss associated with manual expert creation while maintaining mapping accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2241986B1Privacy and confidentiality preserving schema mapping repository for mapping reuse
Publication Date: 2019.06.19 SAP SE
  • EP2241986B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2241986B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2241986B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Described herein are systems and methods for importing and retrieving schema mappings while preserving privacy and confidentiality so that existing mappings can be reused across different customers without allowing reverse engineering of the original schemas. The disclosed embodiments provide different levels of mapping anonymity and correspondingly, available structural information in the retrieved mappings, in accordance with the security and privacy requirements.