Cross objects de-duplication

An apparatus for identifying duplicate records in a database object, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
• perform de-duplication on a first object to identify a first group of duplicate sets of records within the first object and on a second object to identify a second group of duplicate sets of records within the second object, each object having a plurality of different data fields;
• combine the records from the first group of duplicate sets of records with the records from the second group of duplicate sets of records to generate a third object by mapping fields of the records of the first object to corresponding fields of the records of the second object having matching information and adding filler values for fields of records of the first and second groups that lack matching information, the filler values enabling the records from the first and the second groups to have a consistent structure in the third object;
• associate an indicator field value to each record in the third object, the indicator field value identifying the corresponding object each of the first and second records originate from;
• perform de-duplication on the third object to identify duplicate record sets in the third object, the duplicate record sets in the third object being a combined group of duplicate sets;
• and
• identify from the combined group of duplicate sets, at least one duplicate record set associated with both the first object and the second object based on the identified duplicate record set having at least one record with an indicator field value associated with the first object and at least one record with an indicator field value associated with the second object.

A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions to:

• perform de-duplication on a first object to identify a first group of duplicate sets of records within the first object and on a second object to identify a second group of duplicate sets of records within the second object, each object having a plurality of different data fields;
• combine the records from the first group of duplicate sets of records with the records from the second group of duplicate sets of records to generate a third object by mapping fields of the records of the first object to corresponding fields of the records of the second object having matching information and adding filler values for fields of records of the first and second groups that lack matching information, the filler values enabling the records from the first and the second groups to have a consistent structure in the third object;
• associate an indicator field value to each record in the third object, the indicator field value identifying the corresponding object each of the first and second records originate from;
• perform de-duplication on the third object to identify duplicate record sets in the third object, the duplicate record sets in the third object being a combined group of duplicate sets;
• and
• identify from the combined group of duplicate sets, at least one duplicate record set associated with both the first object and the second object based on the identified duplicate record set having at least one record with an indicator field value associated with the first object and at least one record with an indicator field value associated with the second object.