Custom Driver System for Unsupported Data Source Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Customers face difficulties in accessing data from data sources not supported by their existing software, requiring extensive coding and lacking easy integration.

Innovation Solution

A custom driver system comprising a design-time and run-time component, utilizing pre-defined application programming interfaces (APIs) to enable data retrieval from any data source, allowing customers to define and retrieve data fields through a standardized interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If customers use existing packaged applications with pre-supported data sources, then data access is simplified and requires minimal coding, but the system cannot access data from unsupported data sources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata source compatibilityVSAvoiddata access simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The driver system is segmented into two distinct components: a design-time driver for defining data structures and a run-time driver for executing data retrieval. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the design-time component handling customization and the run-time component ensuring efficient execution, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a standardized interface as an intermediary between the reporting system and custom data sources. This interface acts as a mediator that translates between the system's internal data formats and the external data source formats, enabling data access from unsupported sources while maintaining system simplicity through a unified interaction layer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If customers write extensive custom code to access unsupported data sources, then data access flexibility is achieved, but development time and complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata source access capabilityVSAvoiddevelopment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The design-time driver performs preliminary actions by pre-defining data structures, fields, and retrieval logic before actual data access is needed. This upfront configuration eliminates the need for extensive coding during deployment, reducing development time while maintaining flexibility in accessing different data sources

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The driver system is designed as a universal framework that can access multiple types of data sources through a common interface. The standardized interface and reusable driver components provide multi-functionality, allowing customers to access various data sources without writing separate custom code for each source, thereby reducing overall development time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If a standardized interface is used for all data sources, then ease of operation is improved, but the system cannot handle data sources with different formats and structures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface uniformityVSAvoiddata source format flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

While maintaining a standardized uniform interface at the system level, the design-time driver allows customization of local qualities specific to each data source. Each data source can have its own field definitions, data types, and retrieval parameters configured locally, enabling the system to handle different formats and structures while presenting a consistent interface to the user

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS7831633B1Methods and apparatus for implementing a custom driver for accessing a data source

Publication Date: 2010.11.09 OPEN TEXT CORPORATION

AI summary

Methods and apparatus for supporting an additional data source in a system adapted for processing data from one or more data sources are disclosed. A design-time driver for the additional data source is obtained, where the design-time driver supports the definition of data including one or more fields of the additional data source to retrieve from the additional data source. In addition, a run-time driver for the additional data source is obtained, where the run-time driver supports retrieval of data corresponding to the one or more fields from the additional data source and where the run-time driver has a second application programming interface. The design-time driver is executed via a first application programming interface, where the first application programming interface enables definition of the data including the one or more fields to be retrieved from the additional data source. The data is then retrieved from the additional data source via the run-time driver using the second application programming interface.