Job Report Persistence via XML Conversion and On-Demand PDF Generation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing storage system management applications face challenges in efficiently modeling, persisting, and presenting job reports, particularly in managing large and complex job results, which require significant storage and formatting efforts, and lack efficient document generation capabilities.

Innovation Solution

The method involves creating job report objects as Java objects, converting them into XML, persisting them as text in a database, and then generating reports on demand using a .pdf data exporter, allowing for flexible document types like .pdf, word documents, or excel spreadsheets, with an internal model of strongly typed TypeScript objects and untyped JavaScript objects for document generation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If job reports are persisted as formatted documents, then report generation is straightforward, but storage requirements increase and bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereport generation easeVSAvoidstorage requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent stores job report data as structured text (XML/JSON) rather than formatted documents, creating a lightweight copy of the essential information. This allows the original detailed data to be persisted efficiently while generating formatted reports on-demand when needed, reducing overall storage requirements while maintaining report generation capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary data preparation by converting job results to structured text format during the job execution phase. This preliminary structuring enables efficient storage and facilitates rapid on-demand report generation later, eliminating the need to store pre-formatted reports for every possible scenario.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If job reports are persisted as formatted documents, then reports are ready for delivery, but storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereport readiness timeVSAvoidstorage requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic report generation where formatted reports are created on-demand based on user requests rather than being pre-generated and stored continuously. The structured text data is persisted permanently, while formatted reports are generated periodically when needed, reducing storage requirements while maintaining quick report availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Quantity of substance

If structured text format is used for job report data, then storage requirements reduce and searchability improves, but report generation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage requirementsVSAvoidreport generation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a universal structured text format (XML/JSON) that serves multiple functions: efficient storage, easy searchability, and as a source for generating multiple types of formatted reports (PDF, HTML, etc.). This single structured representation replaces the need for separate processing logic for each report format, actually reducing overall system complexity despite the added generation step.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The structured text format acts as an intermediary layer between the job execution system and various report output formats. This intermediary representation simplifies the overall architecture by providing a single standardized interface that can be converted to different formats as needed, reducing complexity compared to maintaining multiple separate processing paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Ease of operation

If formatted reports are pre-generated and stored, then bandwidth consumption is high, but report availability is immediate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereport availabilityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates lightweight text copies of job report data for persistent storage instead of storing full formatted reports. When reports are requested, formatted versions are generated on-demand from these compact copies, delivering only the necessary formatted output to users and minimizing bandwidth consumption while maintaining immediate report availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11880707B2Modeling, persisting, and presenting job reports in a storage system management application

Publication Date: 2024.01.23 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

Job report objects (Java objects) are created by task executors in connection with implementation of a job on a storage system. The Java objects are passed to a job report service that converts the Java objects into XML objects using an XML encoder/decoder. The XML objects are persisted by the job report service as text in a database. If a job report is requested, the job report service retrieves a job record for the corresponding report from the database, creates Java objects, and passes the Java objects to a storage system management client. The client creates an internal model of the report containing a corresponding set of strongly typed TypeScript objects. The TypeScript objects are passed to a pdf data exporter that converts the internal TypeScript objects into untyped JavaScript objects. The untyped JavaScript objects are input to a .pdf generator which generates the requested report as a .pdf document.