Discovering a reporting model from an existing reporting environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9582782-B2
Application number	US-201213438903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2012
Priority date	Apr 4, 2012
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

Computer software is disclosed for discovering and representing a reporting model of an existing reporting environment. For each report in a plurality of reports, the software searches metadata of the report for descriptive information and dependencies on other reports. The software depicts, in a graphical representation, each report and relationships between the reports.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying a first report in a plurality of reports;
extracting, from the first report, a first set of dependencies;
extracting, from the first report, a first metadata, wherein the first metadata includes, at least:
a first set of attributes that describe the first report, and
a first set of filters that define a relationship between the first set of dependencies and the first set of attributes;

identifying a second report in the plurality of reports based, at least in part, on a first dependency in the first set of dependencies;
extracting, from the second report, a second metadata, wherein the second metadata includes, at least, a second set of attributes;
importing, to the first metadata, a subset of the second set of attributes based, at least in part, on the first dependency and the first set of filters; and
generating a graphical representation of, at least, the first dependency, wherein:
the first report is represented as a first node annotated with the first metadata,
the second report is represented as a second node annotated with the second metadata, and
the first dependency is represented as a first edge between the first node and the second node;

wherein:
at least identifying the first report in the plurality of reports is performed by computer software running on computer hardware.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first dependency is a dynamic link;
at least one of the first report or the second report is unexecuted;
the first set of attributes includes a chart type, which is a bar graph; and
the second set of attributes includes a chart type, which is a line graph.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including:
extracting, from the second report, a second set of dependencies;
identifying a third report in the plurality of reports based, at least in part, on a second dependency in the second set of dependencies;
extracting, from the third report, a third metadata, wherein the third metadata incudes, at least, a third set of attributes;
wherein:
the second metadata, further includes, at least a second set of filters that define a relationship between the second set of dependencies and the second set of attributes.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including:
extracting, from a third report, a third dependency, wherein the third dependency refers alternatively to any of a sub-plurality of reports in the plurality of reports.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including:
extracting, from the plurality of reports, a fourth set of dependencies;
wherein:
the graphical representation further includes the plurality of reports, represented as a plurality of nodes; and
the graphical representation further includes the fourth set of dependencies, represented as a set of edges among the plurality of nodes.

6. The method of claim 5 , further including:
displaying, from the graphical representation, only the first report, the second report, and the first dependency; and
receiving an input to display a different portion of the graphical representation.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
a fourth report in the plurality of reports does not have any dependencies; and
no report in the plurality of reports has a dependency on the fourth report.

8. A computer program product comprising:
a computer readable tangible storage device having stored thereon:
first instructions executable by a device to cause the device to identify a first report in a plurality of reports;
second instructions executable by a device to cause the device to extract, from the first report, a first set of dependencies;
third instructions executable by a device to cause the device to extract, from the first report, a first metadata, wherein the first metadata includes, at least:
a first set of attributes that describe the first report, and
a first set of filters that define a relationship between the first set of dependencies and the first set of attributes;

fourth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to identify a second report in the plurality of reports based, at least in part, on a first dependency in the first set of dependencies;
fifth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to extract, from the second report, a second metadata, wherein the second metadata includes, at least, a second set of attributes;
sixth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to import, to the first metadata, a subset of the second set of attributes based, at least in part, on the first dependency and the first set of filters; and
seventh instructions executable by a device to cause the device to generate a graphical representation of, at least, the first dependency, wherein:
the first report is represented as a first node annotated with the first metadata,
the second report is represented as a second node annotated with the second metadata, and
the first dependency is represented as a first edge between the first node and the second node.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein:
the first dependency is a dynamic link;
at least one of the first report or the second report is unexecuted;
the first set of attributes includes a chart type, which is a bar graph; and
the second set of attributes includes a chart type, which is a line graph.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , further including:
eighth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to extract, from the second report, a second set of dependencies;
ninth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to identify a third report in the plurality of reports based, at least in part, on a second dependency in the second set of dependencies;
tenth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to extract, from the third report, a third metadata, wherein the third metadata incudes, at least, a third set of attributes;
wherein:
the second metadata, further includes, at least a second set of filters that define a relationship between the second set of dependencies and the second set of attributes.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , further including:
eighth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to extract, from a third report, a third dependency, wherein the third dependency refers alternatively to any of a sub-plurality of reports in the plurality of reports.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , further including:
eighth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to extract, from the plurality of reports, a fourth set of dependencies;
wherein:
the graphical representation further includes the plurality of reports, represented as a plurality of nodes; and
the graphical representation further includes the fourth set of dependencies, represented as a set of edges among the plurality of nodes.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , further including:
ninth instructions executable by a device to cause the device to display, from the graphical representation, only the first report, the second report, and the first dependency; and
receiving an input to display a different portion of the graphical representation.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein:
a fourth report in the plurality of reports does not have any dependencies; and
no report in the plurality of reports has a dependency on the fourth report.

15. A computer system comprising:
a processor set; and
a computer readable tangible storage device;
wherein:
the processor set is structured, located, connected, and/or programmed t

Assignees

• Bhide Manish A
• Gupta Ajay K
• Mohania Mukesh K
• Negi Sumit
• IBM

Inventors

• Bhide Manish A
• Gupta Ajay K
• Mohania Mukesh K
• Negi Sumit

Classifications

• G06Q10/0639 Primary

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