Federated Table Migration Preserving Mapping Rules

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Solution Overview

Problem

Enterprises face challenges in rapidly combining data from different database platforms, especially during mergers and acquisitions, where data needs to be formatted for reporting across various database platforms, requiring efficient data migration while preserving complex logical relationships.

Innovation Solution

An analytics module is configured to create federated tables in a multi-source universe database environment, using an Information Design Tool (IDT) with data source references and mapping rules, allowing for the migration of data from a single-source to a multi-source database universe while conserving previous efforts in defining logical relationships.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If data is migrated from a single-source database environment to a multi-source database environment, then the ability to access and report data from multiple database platforms is improved, but the complexity of defining and maintaining logical relationships between data sources increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to access and report data from multiple database platformsVSAvoidcomplexity of defining and maintaining logical relationships

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the data model by generating a target data model that replicates the source data model's structure and relationships. This virtual copy allows the system to work with multiple data sources without requiring direct manipulation of their complex interconnections, thereby reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a data model as an intermediary layer between multiple data sources and the reporting system. This intermediary abstracts the complexity of direct relationships between data sources, providing a unified interface that simplifies logical relationship definition while enabling access to multiple platforms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If mapping rules are created to define relationships between target tables and source data, then data integration accuracy is improved, but the time and effort required to maintain these mappings increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integration accuracyVSAvoidtime and effort required to maintain mappings

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by automatically generating mapping rules based on pre-defined templates and patterns. The system proactively creates and maintains mappings before data migration issues arise, reducing the need for ongoing manual adjustment and maintenance while ensuring accurate data integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements self-service capabilities where the system automatically detects, generates, and maintains mapping rules without requiring continuous manual intervention. The data model self-updates and self-maintains its relationships with source data, reducing the time and effort needed for maintenance while preserving integration accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If federated tables are created in a multi-source universe, then data from multiple platforms can be unified for reporting, but the complexity of the database environment increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata unification capabilityVSAvoiddatabase environment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the database environment into distinct layers: source data layers, a virtual data model layer, and a reporting layer. This segmentation isolates complexity to specific layers while maintaining simplicity in others, allowing data unification without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal data model that serves multiple functions: it represents data from different sources, defines relationships between them, and provides a interface for reporting. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise be separate complex components into a single unified structure, reducing overall environmental complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9563650B2Migrating federated data to multi-source universe database environment

Publication Date: 2017.02.07 SAP SE

AI summary

Embodiments relate to reporting data of project artifacts in a multi-source universe database environment. In embodiments, an analytics module is configured to receive as input, data in target tables of a data federator. With reference to a file, the analytics module creates a federated table in a federator layer of an Information Design Tool (IDT) in a multi-source universe database environment. The federator layer may also include data source references, objects, and mapping rules. This migration process allows the IDT to preserve with the federated tables, previously created mapping rules defining the complex logical relationship between the target tables and the underlying database data. These mapping rules are used in creating project-based reports of the federated table data in the multi-source database universe environment. In this manner, data can be migrated to a multi-source database universe, while conserving previous effort to define logical relationships between federated data and the database.