Federated information management architecture and system

Claim 2

A computer data network controlling and directing the transmission of a user generated global data request to individual ones of a plurality of nodes and associated databases and for receiving and integrating the requested data received from the databases through the nodes into a single response and for transmitting the integrated single response to the requesting user (12), characterized by: - a plurality of nodes, each having associated therewith a database containing data; - a communication medium connecting the nodes with a plurality of users (12), each capable of generating a global data request for accessing and retrieving data from the databases through their associated nodes in accord with a single query protocol; - a smart data dictionary (SDD) node (16) connected to the computer data network and controlling input/output access to a database of data representing schema, data distribution, local site configuration and inter-site relationships of data among the nodes and their associated databases in the network, for each node and associated database in the network; - a data information manager (DIM) controller (14) communicating both with said smart data dictionary (SDD) node (16) to retrieve data therefrom, and with said user (12) to receive said global data query therefrom and to transmit responsive data thereto, for decomposing the global data query into a local-site execution plan (LEP) for retrieval of data from each database through its associated node, said database having data responsive to the global data query in accord with the data contained in said database associated with said smart data dictionary (SDD) node (16), and for transmitting that portion of said local-site execution plan (LEP) to be executed to the appropriate node and associated database for execution, and receiving data therefrom responsive to said local-site execution plan; - a plurality of local information manager (LIM) controllers (22), each communicating with said data information manager (DIM) controller (14) and said smart data dictionary (SDD) node (16) for controlling data flow to and from a specified database in the network in response to that portion of said local-site execution plan (LEP) received from said data information manager (DIM) controller (14) and for transmitting retrieved data responsive to that portion of said local-site execution plan (LEP) to said data information manager (DIM) controller (14), - each said local information manager (LIM) controller (22) further adapted for generating, in accord with the data contained in said database associated with said smart data dictionary (SDD) node (16), a data retrieval request for execution by another local information manager (LIM) controller (22) and for receiving data therefrom in response thereto, in order to complete that portion of said local-site execution plan (LEP) received by it for execution.

Claim 3

The network of claim 1 or 2, characterized by at least one local information manager (LIM) controller (22) controlling data flow to and from at least two local databases and adapted to decompose that portion of said local site execution plan (LEP) received from said data information manager (DIM) (14) into a sub-local site execution plan for retrieval of data responsive to that portion of said local site execution plan (LEP) received from said data information manager (DIM) (14) from each of said controlled local databases.

Claim 4

The network of any of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that said data information manager (DIM) (14) comprises a syntactic and semantic parser (SSP) device (18) interfacing with said smart data dictionary (SDD) (16) for retrieving data representing local schema information and the inter-relationships among data, and for parsing and validating the syntax of the global data request using such data retrieved from said smart data dictionary (SDD) (16).

Claim 5

The network of any of claims 1 - 4, characterized in that said data information manager (DIM) (14) comprises a data optimizer unit (14a) interfacing with said smart data dictionary (SDD) (16) for retrieving data representing local schema information and the inter-relationsships among data, and for minimizing the amount of data needed to be transferred among local site databases and for choosing the appropriate local site database for processing each portion of the local site execution plan (LEP).

Claim 6

The network of any of claims 1 - 5, characterized in that said data information manager (DIM) (14) comprises local site execution plan (LEP) control controller interfacing with each of said local site databases to send each local site database that portion of said local site execution plan (LEP) necessary to extract responsive data from each said local site database.

Claim 7

The network of any of claims 1 - 6, characterized in that said local information manager (LIM) (22) further includes a local controller (LC) (22a) for controlling the execution of that portion of the local site execution plan (LEP) sent by the data information manager (DIM) (14) by coordinating all internal operations.

Claim 8

The network of claim 1, characterized by: - said data information manager (DIM) means (14) including syntactic and semantic parser (SSP) means (18) interfacing with said smart data dictionary (SDD) means (16) for retrieving data representing local schema information and the inter-relationships among data, and for parsing and validating the syntax of the global data request using such data retrieved from said smart data dictionary (SDD) means (16); - data information manager (DIM) means (14) further including optimizer means (14a) interfacing with said smart data dictionary (SDD) means (16) for retrieving data representing local schema information and the inter-relationsships among data, and for minimizing the amount of data needed to be transferred among local site databases and for choosing the appropriate local site database for processing each portion of the local site execution plan (LEP); - said data information manager (DIM) means (14) also including local site execution plan (LEP) control means interfacing with each of said local site databases to send each local site database that portion of said local site execution plan (LEP) necessary to extract responsive data from each said local site database; - at least one local information manager (LIM) means (22) controlling data flow to and from at least two local databases and adapted to decompose that portion of said local site execution plan (LEP) received from said data information manager (DIM) means (14) into a sub-local site execution plan for retrieval of data responsive to that portion of said local site execution plan received from said data information manager (DIM) means (14) from each of said controlled local databases; and - said local information manager (LIM) means (22) further includes local controller (LC) means (22a) for controlling the execution of that portion of the local site execution plan sent by the data information manager (DIM) means (14) by coordinating all internal operations.

Claim 9

The network of any of claims 1 - 8, characterized in that said local controller (LC) (22a) operates synchronously.

Claim 10

The network of any of claims 1 - 8, characterized in that said local controller (LC) (22a) operates asynchronously.

Claim 12

The method of claim 11, characterized by the steps of: - creating for each of said local site databases a plurality of local information manager (LIM) means (22), each communicating with said smart data dictionary (SDD) local site database profile for controlling data flow to and from a specified local site database in the network in response to that portion of said local-site execution plan (LEP) received by the local site database; and - generating, in accord with the data contained in said smart data dictionary (SDD) means, a data retrieval request for execution by any other local site databases necessary to complete that portion of said local-site execution plan received by it for execution.

Claim 13

The method of claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the step of decomposing the global query further comprises: - parsing and validating the syntax of the global query; - identifying the appropriate local site database containing the requested data by interfacing with the smart data dictionary (SDD) database to retrieve information about the local query protocol and data semantic schema established for each individual local site database and generating a plurality of local site database queries for retrieving responsive data from each of the local site databases containing such responsive data; - optimizing the plurality of local site queries to generate a local site execution plan (LEP) that optimizes that total time for executing the global query by minimizing the amount of data needed to be transferred among local sites and by choosing the appropriate home local site for processing the local site execution plan (LEP); - coordinating the execution of that portion of the local site execution plan (LEP) that applies to each of the local site databases by: (a) sending each local information manager (LIM) means (22) that portion of said local site execution plan (LEP) applicable to data requests from its associated local site database; (b) sending each local information manager (LIM) means (22) a request to execute a local reduction plan; (c) sending each local information manager (LIM) means (22) a request to replicate relevant responsive data fragments; (d) sending each local information manager (LIM) means (22) a request to execute unsynchronously a local data query on its associated local site database; (e) sending each local information manager (LIM) (22) except the local information manager (LIM) (22) for the home site database, a request to synchronously send data responsive to the local data query request to the local information manager (LIM) (22) for the home site; and (f) archiving the received data for transmission to the requesting user (12).