<?php
class IndexController extends Zend_Controller_Action
{
  public function indexAction()
  {

		$data = '{"node_id":"977","identification":{"inactive_status":"off","locked_status":"on","node_name":"Budget Version 1","owner":"Dsfa","summary":""},"dates":{"startDate":"2010-03-10","endDate":"2010-11-27","calendars":[{"calendarName":"new Calendar1","selectedDates":[]}]},"productivity":{"workingHours":0,"availability":0,"productivity":0},"currencies":{"baseCurrency":"CAD","forex":[]}}';
		$put_data = Zend_Json::decode(Zend_Json::encode($data));
    Zend_Debug::dump($put_data);

    $put_data = Zend_Json::decode($data);
    Zend_Debug::dump($put_data);
    exit;

  }

}

outout:
string(379) "{"node_id":"977","identification":{"inactive_status":"off","locked_status":"on","node_name":"Budget Version 1","owner":"Dsfa","summary":""},"dates":{"startDate":"2010-03-10","endDate":"2010-11-27","calendars":[{"calendarName":"new Calendar1","selectedDates":[]}]},"productivity":{"workingHours":0,"availability":0,"productivity":0},"currencies":{"baseCurrency":"CAD","forex":[]}}"

array(5) {
  ["node_id"] => string(3) "977"
  ["identification"] => array(5) {
    ["inactive_status"] => string(3) "off"
    ["locked_status"] => string(2) "on"
    ["node_name"] => string(16) "Budget Version 1"
    ["owner"] => string(4) "Dsfa"
    ["summary"] => string(0) ""
  }
  ["dates"] => array(3) {
    ["startDate"] => string(10) "2010-03-10"
    ["endDate"] => string(10) "2010-11-27"
    ["calendars"] => array(1) {
      [0] => array(2) {
        ["calendarName"] => string(13) "new Calendar1"
        ["selectedDates"] => array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
  ["productivity"] => array(3) {
    ["workingHours"] => int(0)
    ["availability"] => int(0)
    ["productivity"] => int(0)
  }
  ["currencies"] => array(2) {
    ["baseCurrency"] => string(3) "CAD"
    ["forex"] => array(0) {
    }
  }
}