Patent ID: 8051094
Filing Date: 2011-11-01
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer program product for accessing metadata from a plurality of data servers accessible from a federated database management system, the computer program product comprising: a computer readable medium, wherein said computer readable medium is tangible; first program instructions to receive, from a client application, a first application request for metadata by said federated database management system, wherein said first application request for metadata requests at least one table name of at least one database table accessible from said federated database management system; second program instructions to identify a plurality of data servers accessible from said federated database management system, said plurality of data servers comprising a first data server and a second data server, said first data server being a first relational database management system, said second data server being a second relational database management system, said first relational database management system comprising at least one first database table, said second relational database management system comprising at least one second database table; third program instructions to, for said each data server of said plurality of data servers, retrieve first metadata in accordance with said first application request to produce retrieved first metadata, said retrieved first metadata for said first data server comprising at least one first table name of said at least one first database table, respectively, of said first relational database management system, and said retrieved first metadata for said second data server comprising at least one second table name of said at least one second database table, respectively, of said second relational database management system, wherein a metadata adapter for said each data server generates a source metadata request to retrieve said first metadata based on a first application request and a source metadata application programming interface associated with said each data server, and said metadata adapter for said each data server invokes said source metadata request; fourth program instructions to aggregate said retrieved first metadata from said each data server to produce a first aggregated result, said first aggregated result comprising said at least one first table name and a name of said first data server, and also comprising said at least one second table name and a name of said second data server in a first uniform format; and fifth program instructions to provide said first aggregated result; wherein said first, second, third, fourth and fifth program instructions are stored on said computer readable medium.