US 7,743,078 B2Granted

Database management

AssigneeBritish Telecommunications public limited company

InventorsBehnam Azvine, Trevor P Martin

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method of operating a database management system for integrating data from a plurality of data sources comprising steps of: (a) selecting initial attributes for first and second data sources; (b) selecting a candidate matching function relating to a possible mapping between data in said first and second data sources; (c) applying said candidate matching function to data in said first data source to create possible data for said second data source; (d) deriving a disparity measure relating to an amount of disparity therebetween; (e) selecting different candidate matching functions and repeating steps (c) and (d); (f) designating a candidate matching function having a disparity measure indicative of the lowest amount of disparity as a probable candidate matching function; (g) selecting further attributes and performing steps (b) to (f) in respect thereof; and (h) determining a probable correspondence between data objects of said first and second data sources.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of operating a database management system for integrating data from a plurality of data sources, said data sources being at least partially structured and comprising data objects each comprising data relating to one or more attributes of an entity;

said method comprising steps of:
(a) selecting, for each of a first and a second data source, an initial attribute or combination of attributes;
(b) automatically selecting, in respect of said attributes or combinations of attributes of said first and second data sources, a candidate matching function from a set of possible matching functions, said matching functions relating to possible mappings between data relating to one or more attributes in said first data source and data relating to one or more attributes in said second data source;
(c) applying said candidate matching function to data relating to said selected attribute or combination of attributes in said first data source to create possible data relating to said selected attribute or combination of attributes in said second data source;
(d) deriving, from said possible data and from actual data in said second data source a disparity measure relating to an amount of disparity therebetween;
(e) automatically selecting one or more different candidate matching functions from said set of possible matching functions, and repeating steps (c) and (d) in respect thereof;
(f) establishing, from said candidate matching functions, a candidate matching function having a disparity measure indicative of the lowest amount of disparity, and designating said candidate matching function as a probable candidate matching function;
(g) selecting, for each of said first and second data sources, one or more further attributes or combinations of attributes, and performing steps (b) to (f) in respect thereof whereby to establish probable candidate matching functions in respect thereof;
and
(h) determining, with reference to one or more of said established probable candidate matching functions, a probable correspondence between data objects of said first data source and data objects of said second data source.

7 more elements

A database management system for integrating data from a plurality of data sources, said data sources being at least partially structured and comprising data objects each comprising data relating to one or more attributes of an entity;

said system comprising:
(a) means for selecting, for each of a first and a second data source, an initial attribute or combination of attributes;
(b) means for automatically selecting, in respect of selected attributes or combinations of attributes of said first and second data sources, a candidate matching function from a set of possible matching functions, said matching functions relating to possible mappings between data relating to one or more attributes in said first data source and data relating to one or more attributes in said second data source;
(c) means for applying a selected candidate matching function to data relating to said selected attribute or combination of attributes in said first data source to create possible data relating to said selected attribute or combination of attributes in said second data source;
(d) means for deriving, from said possible data and from actual data in said second data source a disparity measure relating to an amount of disparity therebetween;
(e) means for automatically selecting one or more different candidate matching functions from said set of possible matching functions, and arranging for the or each of said different candidate matching functions to be treated by means (c) and (d);
(f) means for establishing, from said candidate matching functions, a candidate matching function having a disparity measure indicative of the lowest amount of disparity, and designating said candidate matching function as a probable candidate matching function;
(g) means for selecting, for each of said first and second data sources, one or more further attributes or combinations of attributes, and arranging for the or each of said further attributes or combinations of attributes to be treated by means (b) to (f) whereby to establish probable candidate matching functions in respect thereof;
and
(h) means for determining, with reference to one or more of said established probable candidate matching functions, a probable correspondence between data objects of said first data source and data objects of said second data source.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.