Entity-relationship modeling with provenance linking for enhancing visual navigation of datasets

摘要

A method of data analysis is enabled by receiving raw data records extracted from one or more data sources, and then generating from the data records an entity-relationship model. The entity-relationship model comprises more entity instances, and one or more relationships between those entity instances. Data analysis of the model is facilitated using one or more provenance links. A provenance link associates raw data records and one or more entity instances. Using a visual explorer that displays a set of entity instances and relationships from a selected entity-relationship model, a user can display details for an entity instance, and see relationships between and among entity instances. By virtue of the underlying linkage provided by the provenance links, the user can also display source records for an entity instance, and display entity instances for a source record. The technique facilitates Big Data analytics.

主权项

1. A method of data analysis, comprising
receiving raw data source records extracted from one or more data sources; generating from the received raw data source records at least one entity-relationship model, the entity-relationship model comprising one or more entity instances, and one or more relationships between those entity instances; generating entity-to-source record index entries that relate entity instances with the source records that contribute to those entity instances; combining the entity-to-source record index entries into an entity-to-source record index and co-locating the entity-to-source record index in a first data store that stores the source records; generating source record-to-entity index entries that relate source records to the entity instances to which the source records contribute; combining the source record-to-entity index entries into a source record-to-entity index and co-locating the source record-to-entity index in second data store that stores the entity instances and relationships, the second data store being distinct from the first data store; identifying and displaying a set of one or more source records of interest during visual exploration of the entity-relationship model using the entity-to-source record index; and identifying and displaying a set of one or more entities and relationships during visual exploration of source records using the source records-to-entity index.