Method and apparatus for remotely managed data extraction

A computer program product for data extraction comprising:

• a plurality of instructions that are part of a client data extractor (CDE) module for execution by a first computer system and are executable by a processor to (1) provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for access by a user, wherein the GUI is configured to (i) receive scheduling information from the user, and (ii) interface the scheduling information from the user with a separate scheduling application that is configured to define a scheduled basis for the CDE module to initiate a communication with a second computer system in response to the scheduling information, (2) initiate, by the first computer system, a communication with the second computer system on the scheduled basis, wherein the second computer system is remote from the first computer system, (3) after initiation, receive, at the first computer system, a query string and a connection string from the second computer system, (4) connect to a data source within the first computer system based on the received connection string, (5) query the data source based on the received query string, the query string configured to define the data sought to be extracted and a translation of the data sought to be extracted from a format of the data source to a format of a destination, (6) receive data from the data source in response to the query, (7) translate the received data to the format of the destination based on the received query string, (8) assemble the translated data into a data structure, (9) send the data structure to the destination, and (10) repeat the initiate, string receive, connect, query, data receive, translate, assemble, and send operations for a plurality of new data extractions from the data source such that the first computer system is not required to locally manage the query strings and the connection strings;
• and
• wherein the plurality of instructions are resident on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

An apparatus for data extraction comprising:

• a processor resident on a first computer system, the processor configured to execute a client data extractor (CDE) module, wherein execution of the CDE module causes the processor to (1) provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for access by a user, wherein the GUI is configured to (i) receive scheduling information from the user, and (ii) interface the scheduling information from the user with a separate scheduling application that is configured to define a scheduled basis for the CDE module to initiate a communication with a second computer system in response to the scheduling information, (2) initiate a communication with the second computer system on the scheduled basis, wherein the second computer system is remote from the first computer system, (3) after initiation, receive a query string and a connection string from the second computer system, (4) connect to a data source within the first computer system based on the received connection string, (5) query the data source based on the received query string, the query string configured to define the data sought to be extracted and a translation of the data sought to be extracted from a format of the data source to a format of a destination, (6) receive data from the data source in response to the query, (7) translate the received data to the format of the destination based on the received query string, (8) assemble the translated data into a data structure, (9) send the data structure to the destination, and (10) repeat the initiate, string receive, connect, query, data receive, translate, assemble, and send operations for a plurality of new data extractions from the data source such that the first computer system is not required to locally manage the query strings and the connection strings.

A computer-implemented data extraction method comprising:

• providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for access by a user, wherein the providing step is performed by a client data extractor (CDE) module executed by a processor resident within a first computer system;
• the GUI receiving scheduling information from the user;
• the GUI interfacing the scheduling information from the user with a separate scheduling application;
• and
• the separate scheduling application defining a scheduled basis for the CDE module to initiate communication with a second computer system in response to the scheduling information;
• the client data extractor (CDE) module executing on the first computer system to perform a data extraction from a database of the first computer system, wherein the CDE module executing step comprises:
• the CDE module determining whether a data extraction is to be performed according to the scheduled basis;
• and
• in response to determining that a data extraction is to be performed on the scheduled basis the CDE module (1) sending a request to a second computer system, (2) obtaining configuration data from the second computer system in response to the sent request, wherein the configuration data comprises a plurality of query strings and a plurality of connection strings for use in the data extraction, each connection string associated with a query string and defining a connection to a database of the first computer system, (3) for each query string and its associated connection string within the configuration data, (i) using the connection string associated with that query string, connecting to the database corresponding to that associated connection string, and (ii) extracting data from that connected database using that query string, wherein the extracting step includes translating the extracted data from a format of that connected database to a format of a destination during extraction at a query string level based on data within that query string, (4) assembling the extracted data into a data structure, and (5) sending the assembled data structure to a destination.

A system for data extraction, the system comprising:

• a first computer system;
• and
• a second computer system for communication with the first computer system via a network;
• wherein the first computer system comprises a data source and a processor, the processor configured to execute a client data extractor (CDE) module to perform a data extraction from the data source;
• wherein the second computer system comprises at least one server and a memory, wherein memory is configured to store configuration data in association with a plurality of identifiers, the configuration data comprising a plurality of query strings and a plurality of connection strings, a plurality of the query strings being configured to define (1) the data sought to be extracted and (2) a translation of the data sought to be extracted from a format of a data source to a format of a destination;
• wherein the CDE module is configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for access by a user, wherein the GUI is configured to (i) receive scheduling information from the user, and (ii) interface the scheduling information from the user with a separate scheduling application that is configured to define a scheduled basis for the CDE module to initiate a communication with a second computer system in response to the scheduling information
• wherein the CDE module is further configured to (1) determine whether a data extraction is to be performed according to the scheduled basis, and (2) in response to a determination that a data extraction is to be performed on the scheduled basis (1) send a request to the second computer system, the request comprising a request for configuration data and an identifier;
• wherein the at least one server is configured to (1) receive the request for configuration data, and (2) in response to the received request, automatically (i) access the memory to identify the configuration data associated with the identifier within the received request, and (ii) communicate the identified configuration data to the first computer system;
• wherein the CDE module is configured to (1) obtain the communicated configuration data from the second computer system, the communicated configuration data comprising a query string and a connection string for use in the data extraction, (2) connect to the data source based on the connection string, (3) extract data from the connected data source based on the query string, wherein the extracting operation is configured to translate the extracted data from a format of the data source to a format of a destination during extraction at a query level based on data within the query string, (4) assemble the extracted data into a data structure, and (5) send the assembled data structure to the second computer system;
• and
• wherein the at least one server is further configured to (1) receive the sent data structure, and (2) in response to the received data structure, automatically store the extracted data within the received data structure in the memory.