Federated Search for Heterogeneous Data Sources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data analytics tools face challenges in efficiently collecting and integrating information from multiple heterogeneous external data sources, requiring manual effort and lacking seamless integration across disparate data models.
Innovation Solution
A federated search method and system that translates client search calls from a data analytics tool into external search calls across various data sources, using data connectors to parse, translate, receive, reformulate, and merge results into a unified data model for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual data gathering and integration methods are used across multiple heterogeneous data sources, then data analysts can collect information from diverse sources, but the manual effort and time required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a federated search system as an intermediary layer between data analysts and heterogeneous external data sources. This mediator automatically translates search queries across different data models and protocols, eliminating the need for manual data gathering while maintaining access to diverse sources. The system handles the complexity of interfacing with multiple data sources, allowing analysts to focus on analysis rather than data collection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data analysts manually integrate information from multiple external data sources, then comprehensive data coverage is achieved, but the complexity of integration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The federated search system implements a universal interface that can connect to multiple heterogeneous data sources through standardized protocols. The system provides multi-functional capabilities to handle different data models, search formats, and response structures through a single unified platform, reducing integration complexity while maintaining broad data coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary that abstracts the complexity of heterogeneous data source integration. By introducing this middle layer, the patent eliminates the need for analysts to manually handle the complexity of integrating different data models, protocols, and formats, while still achieving comprehensive data coverage from multiple sources.
3Ease of operation
If federated search translates queries across multiple data models, then seamless integration is achieved, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining data model mappings and connection configurations for external data sources. By establishing these translation rules and connections in advance, the system reduces the computational overhead during actual search operations, making the translation process more efficient while maintaining seamless integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A method enables federated search of a plurality of heterogeneous external data sources from a data analytics tool. With a mapping of one or more identified data connectors, a client search call, as formulated in a first data model, is translated to one or more external search calls formulated in one or more alternate data models of the heterogeneous external data sources. With the mappings of the one or more identified connectors, each response to the one or more external search calls is reformulated from the one or more alternate data models to the first data model to yield one or more client search result objects. The client search result objects are merged to a data warehouse. The client search call, as formulated in the first data model, is executed against the data warehouse. Results of the executed client search call are sent to the data analytics tool.