Method and system for mapping datasources in a metadata model

1. A method of providing metadata models for use in a reporting component of a business intelligence system the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a metadata model;

defining a logical datasource within said metadata model;

creating a datasource connection, the datasource connection being external to the metadata model;

incorporating connecting information of a physical datasource into the datasource connection;

associating said logical datasource with the datasource connection;

mapping said logical datasource to the physical datasource using mapping information incorporated within said datasource connections associated with said logical datasource; and

providing the metadata model to connect to the physical datasource for generating a business intelligence report.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the datasource connection provides security to the physical datasource by limiting user access.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the physical datasource has a plurality of datasource connections.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of limiting access to a physical datasource by user and/or user group.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of associating a user credential with the datasource connection.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of prompting a user to select a single source connection when two or more datasource connections are accessible.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of defining a datasource name-binding structure to enable an application to handle local variances in database element names for a connection.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the physical datasource mapping information includes server name and port numbers.

9. A business intelligence system for generating a business intelligence report, the system comprising:

means for establishing a metadata model;

means for defining a logical datasource within said metadata model;

means for creating a datasource connection, the datasource connection being external to the metadata model;

means for incorporating connecting information of a physical datasource into the datasource connection;

means for associating said logical datasource with the datasource connection;

means for mapping said logical datasource to the physical datasource using mapping information incorporated within said datasource connections associated with said logical datasource; and

means for providing the metadata model to connect to the physical datasource for generating a business intelligence report.

10. A storage medium readable by a computer encoding a computer program for execution by the computer to carry out a method for providing metadata models for use in a reporting component of a business intelligence system, the computer program comprising:

code means for establishing a metadata model;

code means for defining a logical datasource within said metadata model;

code means for creating a datasource connection, the datasource connection being external to the metadata model;

code means for incorporating connecting information of a physical datasource into the datasource connection;

code means for associating said logical datasource with the datasource connection;

code means for mapping said logical datasource to the physical datasource using mapping information incorporated within said datasource connections associated with said logical datasource; and

code means for providing the metadata model to connect to the physical datasource for generating a business intelligence report.