Automated software code generation from a metadata-based repository

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , wherein said entity structure of said data repository is independent of the construct of the data source.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 , wherein said entity structure of said data repository comprises plural entities, each of said plural entities corresponding to a different aspect of a generic model data source, and each having atomic elements corresponding to the metadata attributes of a generic entity, whereby said plural entities collectively define the metadata characteristics of a generic model data source.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 , wherein said step of analyzing includes: obtaining, from the data source, those elements of source data which correspond to the metadata attributes of the configured data repository entities; and recording the obtained elements of source data in said data repository, each in association with their corresponding metadata attribute.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 , wherein said step of analyzing further includes: inferring selected aspects of the data source structure on the basis of said recorded elements of source data, and recording the inferred data source aspects in said data repository; presenting said inferred data source aspects for review by an operator; and modifying said inferred data source aspects in response to command of the operator.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 , wherein said data repository entities include at least one each of a database entity, a table entity, and a column entity, each thereof having plural metadata attributes, and each thereof having an associated child property entity, each said child property entity being capable of receiving therein additional metadata attributes to be associated with its parent entity, as provided by an operator, thereby permitting modification of the parent entity attributes without altering said data repository entity structure.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 , wherein: said step of obtaining includes retrieving, as available from the data source, those elements of source data corresponding to the attributes of each of said database entity, said table entity, and said column entity.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 , wherein said step of obtaining further includes: recording, in a first area of said data repository, those elements of source data received in said step of retrieving, and inferring therefrom the data source schema.

Claim 10

The method of claim 3 wherein: said data repository entities include at least one each of a database analysis entity, a table analysis entity, and a column analysis entity; and wherein said step of analyzing includes, acquiring, by elemental examination of the data source schema, those elements of source data corresponding to the metadata attributes of one or all of said database analysis entity, said table analysis entity, and said column analysis entity; recording, in said data repository, those elements of source data received in said step of acquiring, and inferring therefrom the data source schema.

Claim 11

The method of claim 9 , wherein said defining comprises: creating, within said repository, a migration specification utility comprising a plurality of mapping expressions, each of said mapping expressions defining the functional relationships between the attributes of a generic data source and those of a generic EDM application database; entering into the migration specification utility the attributes of each data source as determined by its associated source metadata, and the attributes of the user defined EDM application database, to define an EDM application transformation expression which identifies the steps necessary to present data from each data source to the EDM application database; and generating the executable software program code for the EDM application in accordance with the EDM application transformation expression.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10 , wherein said generating includes: using an extract, transform, and load (ETL) utility to generate the executable software program code directly from said EDM application transformation expression.

Claim 13

The method of claim 11 , wherein: said plurality of entities of said data repository further include entities which define the metadata characteristic of a generic ETL utility.

Claim 16

Apparatus for providing executable software program code for use in an enterprise data management (EDM) application of the type which presents data from one or more data sources to an EDM application database, for use therein in response to user commands, and in a manner defined by the EDM application, comprising: a graphical user interface (GUI), responsive to commands entered by a user; and an analysis signal processor, responsive to said GUI, and adapted for connectivity to each data source, said analysis signal processor having a memory medium for storing signals, including program signals; said analysis signal processor, in response to said program signals: creating, within said memory medium, a data repository having an entity structure with a plurality of entities which collectively define the metadata characteristics of a generic model data source, and configuring, within the repository, one or more individual constructs of the entities, each in accordance with the construct of an associated one of the data sources; analyzing each data source in response to the repository configured entities of their individual constructs to obtain the source metadata for each data source; and defining the executable software program code to present data from each data source in the manner defined by the EDM application, and with a data content determined by the source metadata obtained for each data source.

Claim 17

Apparatus for providing executable software program code for use in an enterprise data management (EDM) application of the type which presents data from one or more data sources to an EDM application database, for use therein in response to user commands, and in a manner defined by the EDM application, comprising: a graphical user interface (GUI), responsive to commands entered by a user; and an analysis signal processor, responsive to said GUI, and adapted for connectivity to each data source, said analysis signal processor having a memory medium for storing signals, including program signals; said analysis signal processor, in response to said program signals: creating, within said memory medium, a data repository having an entity structure with a plurality of entities which collectively define the metadata characteristics of a generic model data source, and configuring, within the repository, one or more individual constructs of the entities, each in accordance with the construct of an associated one of the data sources; analyzing each data source in response to the repository configured entities of their individual constructs to obtain the source metadata for each data source; and defining the executable software program code to present data from each data source in the manner defined by the EDM application, and with a data content determined by the source metadata obtained for each data source.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said entity structure of said data repository is independent of the construct of the data source.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said entity structure of said data repository comprises plural entities, each of said plural entities corresponding to a different aspect of a generic model data source, and each having atomic elements corresponding to the metadata attributes of a generic entity, whereby said plural entities collectively define the metadata characteristics of a generic model data source.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said step of analyzing includes: obtaining, from the data source, those elements of source data which correspond to the metadata attributes of the configured data repository entities; and recording the obtained elements of source data in said data repository, each in association with their corresponding metadata attribute.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said data repository entities include at least one each of a database entity, a table entity, and a column entity, each thereof having plural metadata attributes, and each thereof having an associated child property entity, each said child property entity being capable of receiving therein additional metadata attributes to be associated with its parent entity, as provided by an operator, thereby permitting modification of the parent entity attributes without altering said data repository entity structure.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said defining comprises: creating, within said repository, a migration specification utility comprising a plurality of mapping expressions, each of said mapping expressions defining the functional relationships between the attributes of a generic data source and those of a generic EDM application database; entering into the migration specification utility the attributes of each data source as determined by its associated source metadata, and the attributes of the user defined EDM application database, to define an EDM application transformation expression which identifies the steps necessary to present data from each data source to the EDM application database; and generating the executable software program code for the EDM application in accordance with the EDM application transformation expression.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said generating includes: using an extract, transform, and load (ETL) utility to generate the executable software program code directly from said EDM application transformation expression.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein: said plurality of entities of said data repository further include entities which define the metadata characteristic of a generic ETL utility.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said generating includes: providing the EDM application transformation expression in the protocol of the ETL utility.