Service desk data transfer interface

#The present invention relates to data import and export management, and more particularly to automated user-customizable generation of service applications that manage data import and export operations.

#Distributed computer systems in general are well known. A typical system comprises a computer and database at a local location, and a computer and database at a remote location. Further, each computer might comprise a CPU, and RAM and allow various software programs to be used. Software programs which might be used include, among others, databases, word processors, and spreadsheets. These software programs can be referred to as user applications.

#Databases are also well known and will not be described in detail. Briefly, a database is a group of related information. Typically the related information is organized into records or rows. For simplicity, the term row is used hereinafter. Each row may include one or many fields, each field containing information content in a particular data format. The term information content, as used herein, refers to raw information which is not in any format, whereas the term data refer to information in a particular format, such as, ASCII text. Information content is entered into the fields of a database using a form. A form defines parameters for each field in a particular row in the database, for instance, whether the field accepts numbers, letters or both. A database may contain rows originating from a number of different forms. A database has a natural representation for its data which may be different for different databases. In a relational database, for instance, the natural representation for the data is a table with each row of the table representing a different row of the database and each column a different field of the row. In other databases, the contents may be examined in a number of different “views.” A view sorts the rows within a database based on the information content of a particular field within the form with which the row was created. Further, a view may present fields from more than one form and need not present all fields within a form.

#FIG. 1 is a representation of a customer relationship application architecture according to one embodiment.

#FIG. 2 shows a representative hardware environment that may be associated with the workstations of FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment.

#FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a process for importing data in a network-based customer relationship application according to one embodiment.

#FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative customer relationship application architecture 100 according to one embodiment. As shown, the architecture 100 includes a database tier 102, which includes one or more data servers, such as one or more Structured Query Language (SQL) servers 104 and one or more Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) 106. The database tier 102 is in communication with a business logic tier 108 that delivers customizable business rules and application executables, preferably as a set of Component Object Model (COM) objects that are managed by Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS). A presentation/client tier 110 is also in communication with the business logic tier 108. The presentation/client tier 110 provides web communication and presentation services, which can consist of Active Server Pages that deploy on Microsoft's Internet Information Server 112 for example. Several workstations 114 are coupled to the Information Server 112. Note that this architecture is provided by way of example only and represents only one possible configuration of the architecture 100. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the various components described above may be removed, interchanged and/or added to without straying from the scope and spirit of the various possible embodiments enabled herein. Further, it should be noted that the customer relationship application may include any type of application used to perform any customer-related task. For example, the customer relationship application can be a service desk application, a customer contact application, etc.

#FIG. 2 shows a representative hardware environment associated with the workstations 114 of FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment. Such figure illustrates a typical hardware configuration of the workstation having a central processing unit 210, such as a microprocessor, and a number of other units interconnected via a system bus 212.

#The workstation shown in FIG. 2 includes a Random Access Memory (RAM) 214, Read Only Memory (ROM) 216, an I/O adapter 218 for connecting peripheral devices such as disk storage units 220 to the bus 212, a user interface adapter 222 for connecting a keyboard 224, a mouse 226, a speaker 228, a microphone 232, and/or other user interface devices such as a touch screen and a digital camera (not shown) to the bus 212, communication adapter 234 for connecting the workstation to a communication network 235 (e.g., a data processing network) and a display adapter 236 for connecting the bus 212 to a display device 238.