Data audit system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and computer program product for auditing data based on server access of databases. In one embodiment, an expected rate is received, and a rate request is sent to a server, wherein the rate request promotes an entry of the rate request to access a database. A rate response is received from the server, wherein the rate response corresponds to the rate request and includes a specified rate. A sale request is sent to the server, wherein the sale request corresponds to the rate request and promotes an entry of the sale request to access the database. A sale response is received from the server, wherein the sale response corresponds to the sale request and includes a sale rate. A message is output based on the expected rate, the specified rate, and/or the sale rate.

1 . A system for data audits, the system comprising:
 a processor;   a memory; and   an audit component stored in the memory, wherein said audit component is executed by said processor and configured to:   a) send a request for data to a database system through a server, wherein said request for data promotes an entry of said request for data to access the database system;   b) receive a data response from said server, wherein said data response corresponds to said request for data and comprises a specified data;   c) send a request for a sale to said server, wherein said request for said sale corresponds to said request for data and promotes an entry of said request for sale to access said database system;   d) receive a sale response from said server, wherein said sale response corresponds to said request for said sale and comprises sale data;   e) compare said specified data and said sale data to determine whether the sale data is at least one of greater than, less than, or the same as the specified data; and   f) create a message in response to said determination, wherein said message indicates at least one of said specified data is incorrect, said sale data is incorrect, or said specified data and said sale data are correct.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said database comprises a plurality of databases. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said database comprises a rate database and a sale rate database. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said message includes an instruction to correct said database when at least one of said specified data is incorrect or said sale data is incorrect. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said request for data and said request for said sale comprises code that emulates a manual entry of a web service request when executed by said server. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein said code comprises extensible markup language (XML) code. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said request for data and said request for said sale comprises an identifier associated with a system user, and wherein at least one of said data response and said sale response is based on said identifier. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein said identifier enables at least one of said data response and said sale response to comprise information associated with at least one of products, services, travel packages, hotel reservations, rental car reservations, airline reservations, train reservations, bus reservations, and cruise reservations. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said request for data and said request for said sale comprise access information associated with a system user, and wherein said server responds to at least one of said request for data and said request for said sale based on said access information. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said request for data and said request for said sale comprise a request associated with a plurality of dates. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein said plurality of dates are associated with a plurality of months. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said data response and said sale response comprise a description of at least one of a product, a service, a travel package, a hotel reservation, a rental car reservation, an airline reservation, a train reservation, a bus reservation, and a cruise reservation. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said server comprises a global distribution system associated with at least one of a product, a service, a travel service, a hospitality service, a shipping service, a trucking service, a parcel delivery service, a healthcare provider, and an energy provider. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said database comprises at least one of a database accessed directly by said server and a remote database accessed indirectly by said server. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said database is associated with a computer reservation system that is associated with at least one of a travel reservation, a hotel reservation, a rental car reservation, an airline reservation, a train reservation, a bus reservation, a cruise reservation, a transportation service, a shipping service, a healthcare service, an energy service, and a hospitality service. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said sale response comprises a confirmation identifier, and wherein said message comprises said confirmation identifier. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein sending said request for said sale to said server promotes creation of a suspended-state sale. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein said audit component is further executed by said processor to send a release request to said server, wherein said release request promotes release of said suspended-state sale. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein sending said request for said sale to said server promotes creation of a sale and wherein said audit component is further executed by said processor to send a release request to said server, wherein said release request promotes release of said sale. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said audit component is further executed by said processor to enable a system user to schedule said audit component to execute on a scheduled basis. 
     
     
         21 . A method for rate audits, the method comprising:
 a) receiving expected data;   b) sending a request for data to a database through a server, wherein said request for data promotes an entry of said request for data to access the database;   c) receiving a data response from said server, wherein said data response corresponds to said data request and comprises specified data; and   d) auditing by an electronic processor said expected data and said specified data to determine whether the expected data is at least one of greater than, equal to, or less than the specified data; and   e) create a message in response to said determination, wherein said message indicates at least one of said specified data is incorrect, said expected data is incorrect, or said specified data and said expected data are correct.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein receiving said expected data comprises prompting a user for said expected data. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein receiving said expected data comprises:
 a) providing a user with a data form; and   b) parsing said expected data from said data form.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising storing said expected data in at least one of an expected data database and said database. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said data form comprises a request for proposal form. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein said expected data comprises a geographic area. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said geographic area is based on a specified distance and a geographic location, wherein at least one of said specified distance and said geographic location is selectable by a user. 
     
     
         28 . A tangible computer readable storage medium storing computer executable program code that, when executed by a processor, causes said computer executable program code to perform a method comprising:
 a) receiving an expected rate;   b) sending a request for a rate to a database through a server, wherein said rate request promotes an entry of said rate request to access the database;   c) receiving a rate response from said server, wherein said rate response corresponds to said request for said rate and comprises a specified rate;   d) sending a request for a sale rate to the database through said server, wherein said sale rate request corresponds to said rate request and promotes an entry of said sale rate request to access said database;   e) receiving a sale response from said server, wherein said sale response corresponds to said request for said sale rate and comprises the sale rate;   f) auditing said expected rate, said specified rate, and said sale rate to determine whether the expected rate is at least one of greater than the specified rate, equal to the specified rate, less than the specified rate, greater than the sale rate, equal to the sale rate, or less than the sale rate; and   g) creating a message in response to said determination, wherein said message indicates at least one of said specified rate is incorrect, said sale rate is incorrect, said expected rate is incorrect, or said specified rate and said sale rate are correct.   
     
     
         29 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 28  wherein said database comprises a remote database, and wherein creating said message comprises outputting said message to at least one of a user associated with a potential sale and a user associated said remote database. 
     
     
         30 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 28  wherein said method further comprises storing at least one of said rate response and said sale response as historical data in a database. 
     
     
         31 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 28  wherein said message indicates at least one of an absence of a confirmation identifier and a time delay beyond a threshold value in receiving said sale response from said server. 
     
     
         32 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 28  wherein said method further comprises:
 a) sending at least one of said request for said rate and said request for said sale rate to a plurality of servers that comprise said server; and 
 b) receiving at least one of said rate response and said sale response from said plurality of servers. 
 
     
     
         33 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 32  wherein creating said message comprises outputting a report based on receiving at least one of said rate response and said sale response from a combination of said plurality of servers. 
     
     
         34 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein said method further comprises enabling a user to customize said report. 
     
     
         35 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein said method further comprises storing said report as historical data in a database for comparison to subsequent reports. 
     
     
         36 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein said method further comprises comparing said report with historical data in a database. 
     
     
         37 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 28  wherein said method further comprises enabling a user to customize said message. 
     
     
         38 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 28  wherein said method further comprises sending at least one of said specified rate and send sale rate to said server prior to sending said rate request to said server. 
     
     
         39 . The tangible computer readable storage medium of  claim 28  wherein said message further sends corrective data to said server based on said determination.