Search Mediator for Cross-Repository Information Retrieval
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In knowledge-based environments, finding and accessing specific information across disparate repositories with multilevel hierarchical structures is challenging due to increased complexity, making it difficult to identify and address issues within complex IT solutions.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that leverages multilevel hierarchical associations to search for relevant information across multiple repositories, using metadata to link relevant data and facilitate information sharing, allowing for the identification of problem sources and associated resolutions within complex IT solutions, and enabling automatic notification and updating of affected systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If information is organized in multilevel hierarchical structures across multiple repositories, then information completeness and structure are improved, but information accessibility and search efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a search mediation system that acts as an intermediary between users and the multilevel hierarchical repositories. The mediator translates user queries into targeted searches across multiple repositories using metadata associations, preventing information loss while maintaining search efficiency by avoiding manual navigation through complex hierarchical structures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple disparate repositories are used to store knowledge, then information organization and control are improved, but information integration and analysis capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal search interface that can access multiple disparate repositories through standardized metadata queries. This universal access layer maintains the independence and organizational flexibility of individual repositories while providing integrated search capability, allowing the system to handle various repository types without increasing integration complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A search mediation layer serves as an intermediary between users and disparate repositories, translating unified search queries into repository-specific queries using metadata associations. This mediator enables information integration across repositories without requiring direct complex integration between them, preserving organizational flexibility while achieving analysis capability.
3Loss of information
If metadata associations are used to link repositories, then information sharing across repositories is improved, but search complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-processes and stores metadata associations between repositories during system initialization or periodic updates. By preparing these associations in advance, the system can quickly resolve cross-repository queries during actual searches without performing complex real-time analysis, thus improving information sharing while minimizing additional processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The search process is segmented into multiple stages: initial query processing, metadata association lookup, and targeted repository searching. By dividing the search into discrete segments rather than performing a single comprehensive search across all repositories, the system improves information sharing through metadata links while reducing overall processing time through efficient staged execution.
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism for locating information about a target entity in disparate multilevel hierarchical knowledge repositories. Upon occurrence of an event associated with a target entity comprising an information technology solution, disparate multilevel hierarchical knowledge repositories are searched for metadata about the target entity. A determination is made from the metadata about the target entity whether the repositories comprise entities related to the target entity. If so, links in the metadata are used to search the repositories to locate the related entities. Upon locating a resolution to the event in the repositories, a link to the resolution is stored in the metadata. The repositories are also searched to determine owners of the target entity and related entities, and these owners are then notified of the event and the resolution to the event.