Dataflow Lineage Control Values for Real-Time Data Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large organizations face challenges in detecting data anomalies, preventing data loss, and maintaining data quality due to the complexity of their IT infrastructure, which leads to difficulties in ensuring data integrity and accuracy across various databases and systems.

Innovation Solution

A dataflow control architecture that embeds lineage information within data itself, using a control value to track data transformations and integrity across databases, with a lineage server aggregating and inferring dataflow graphs to ensure real-time data integrity and quality control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual reconciliation and validation methods are used to ensure data integrity, then data quality control is improved, but time consumption and computing resources increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by having data elements automatically carry their own lineage information through control values embedded in the data structure itself. Each data element includes metadata about its origin, transformations, and flow path, eliminating the need for external manual reconciliation processes while ensuring data integrity throughout the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-embedding control values and lineage metadata into data elements at the point of creation. This preliminary attachment of quality information enables automatic tracking and validation without requiring subsequent manual reconciliation, reducing time consumption while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If comprehensive data tracking and validation systems are implemented, then data quality control is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata quality controlVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges data quality control functionality directly into the data structure itself by embedding control values within each data element. This integration combines tracking, validation, and lineage information into the data objects, eliminating the need for separate complex validation systems and reducing overall system complexity while improving data quality control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control values serve multiple functions simultaneously: they track data origin, monitor transformations, validate quality, and enable lineage tracing. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single unified mechanism, reducing system complexity while comprehensive data quality control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If automated data lineage tracking is implemented, then data integrity is improved, but implementation cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidimplementation cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by having data elements automatically carry their own lineage information through control values embedded in the data structure itself. Each data element includes metadata about its origin, transformations, and flow path, eliminating the need for external manual reconciliation processes while ensuring data integrity throughout the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies discarding and recovering by extracting lineage information from complex external tracking systems and recovering it within the data structure itself. The control values encapsulate what would otherwise require separate automated tracking infrastructure, reducing implementation cost while maintaining data integrity through automated lineage tracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS10621033B1System for generating dataflow lineage information in a data network
Publication Date: 2020.04.14 BANK OF AMERICA CORP
  • US10621033B1 patent drawing
  • US10621033B1 patent drawing
  • US10621033B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A system for aggregating dataflow lineage information is disclosed. The system receives one or more input data elements and determines a dataflow path for the one or more input data elements. The dataflow path includes at least a data storage node and a computation node. Then, the system identifies a lineage control value associated with the data storage node and a version control value associated with the computation node. The system generates an output lineage for the one or more input data elements by appending the lineage control value to the version control value.