Data retrieval across multiple models

• US 10,157,206 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation), Microsoft Technology Limited, LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Zhen, Mak, Chiu Chun Bobby, Wang, Ning, Huynh, Yet Luong, Zhou, Chunxing
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Cheyne D
• Application Number:
  US14/549,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20160019259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 707810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases

Abstract

Model queries that identify and direct to retrieve from one or more logical data models. A model query engine interprets the model queries, and interacts accordingly with the identified logical data model(s) specified in the respective model query. The interaction may be in the form of respective logical data model queries to the respective logical data models, and results are returned in the modeling notation of that respective logical data model. The model query engine may then use the results to interact with a physical data model, after potentially translating the modeling notation into a common notation used by a physical data model. The interaction with the physical data model may be in the form of a physical data model query, with the results therefrom being assembled into a result set. Accordingly, queriers may formulate queries by referencing models, without having to understand the schema of the data source.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system, the computer-executable instructions cause the computer system to operate a model query engine configured to;

identify a plurality of logical data models that are each configured to retrieve data from a particular data storage system;

interpret one or more received model queries that each identify at least one logical data model of the plurality of logical data models and direct to retrieve data from the at least one identified logical data model of the plurality of logical data models;

in response to interpreting the one or more received model queries, interact with the at least one identified logical data model;

in response to interacting with the at least one identified logical data model, receive a query result from the at least one identified logical data model, the received logical data model result comprising a first modeling notation associated with the at least one identified logical data model;

convert the received logical data model result from the first modeling notation into a common modeling notation that is both different than the first modeling notation and used by the particular data storage system; and

based on the converted logical data model result, formulate a query against the particular data storage system using the common modeling notation.

2. The computer system in accordance with claim 1, the interacting occurring for a first set of the at least one of the plurality of logical data models using a different modelling notation than the interacting that occurs for a second set of the at least one of the plurality of logical data models.

3. The computer system in accordance with claim 1, the model query engine further configured to:

interact with a physical data model using one or more results of interacting with the at least one identified logical data model to access one or more resulting data sets.

4. The computer system in accordance with claim 3, the interacting with the physical data model comprising the following for each of one or more of the at least one identified logical data model:

convert results of interaction with the logical data model from the modelling notation used by the logical data model into a modelling notation used by a physical data model mapped to the logical data model.

5. The computer system in accordance with claim 1, the model query engine configured to interpret set expressions in the model query in order to identify sets of logical data model entities corresponding to the query.

6. The computer system in accordance with claim 1, the interacting with the at least one identified logical data model comprising the following for each of the at least one identified logical data model;

formulate a logical data model query corresponding to that portion of the model query that corresponds to the specific logical data model; and

submit the logical data model query to the corresponding logical data model.

7. The computer system in accordance with claim 6, the formulating of a logical data model query further comprising the following for each of one or more of the at least one identified logical data model:

identify a modelling notation corresponding to the logical data model; and

formulate the logical data model query using the identified modelling notation.

8. The computer system in accordance with claim 6, the formulation of the query against a data storage system that is used by each of the plurality of logical data models, comprising for at least one physical data model mapping to one or more of the at least one identified logical data model:

use the received query result to formulate a physical data model query corresponding to the particular physical data model;

submit the physical data model query to the particular physical data model; and

receive results of the physical data model query from the particular logical data model.

9. The computer system in accordance with claim 1, the data storage system comprising a hybrid data storage system comprising a plurality of constituent data storage systems, at least some of which being of different types.

10. The computer system in accordance with claim 1, each of the model queries having a common schema across the plurality of logical models.

11. A method, implemented at one or more processors of a computer system, for a model query engine to operate upon received model queries, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of logical data models that are each configured to retrieve data from a particular data storage system;

interpreting one or more received model that each identify at least one logical data model of the plurality of logical data models and direct to retrieve data from the at least one identified logical data model of the plurality of logical data models;

in response to interpreting the one or more received model queries, interacting with the at least one identified logical data model;

in response to interacting with each of the at least one identified logical data model, receiving a query result from the at least one identified logical data model, the received logical data model result comprising a first modeling notation associated with the at least one identified logical data model;

converting the received logical data model result from the first modeling notation into a common modeling notation that is both different than the first modeling notation and used by the particular data storage system; and

based on the converted logical data model result, formulating a query against the particular data storage system using the common modeling notation.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, the method further comprising:

interpreting a second model query identifying a particular subset of the plurality of logical models that is different than the at least one logical model;

interacting with each of the particular subset of the one or more identified logical data models;

in response to interacting with each of the particular subset of the one or more identified logical models, accessing one or more data sets in the data storage system that are being targeted by the second model query.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, the at least one identified logical data model including at least a first logical data model, the particular subset of the plurality of logical data models including at least a second logical data model,

interacting with the first logical data model being performed using a first modelling notation, and

interacting with the second logical data model being performed using a second modelling notation.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11, the at least one identified logical data model including at least a first and second logical data model,

interacting with the first logical data model being performed using a first modelling notation, and

interacting with the second logical data model being performed using a second modelling notation.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising:

interacting with a physical data model using the query result from interacting with each of the at least one identified logical model.

16. A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to operate a model query engine configured to:

identify a plurality of logical data models that are each configured to retrieve data from a particular data storage system;

interpret one or more received model queries that each identify at least one logical data model of the plurality of logical data models and direct to retrieve data from the at least one identified logical data model of the plurality of logical data models;

in response to interpreting the one or more received model queries, interact with the at least one identified logical data model; and

in response to at interacting with the at least one identified logical data model, receive a query result from the at least one identified logical data model, the received logical data model result comprising a first modeling notation associated with the at least one identified logical data model;

convert the received logical data model result from the first modeling notation into a common modeling notation that is both different than the first modeling notation and used by the particular data storage system; and

based on the converted logical data model result, formulate a query against the particular data storage system using the common modeling notation.

17. The computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the model query engine is further configured to:

interpret a new model query identifying a particular subset of the plurality of logical data models;

interact with each of the identified particular subset of the plurality of logical data models; and

in response to interacting with each of the identified particular subset of the plurality of logical data models, accessing a set of one or more data sets in the data storage system that are being targeted by the new model query.

18. The computer program product in accordance with claim 17, the at least one identified logical data model of the plurality of logical data models including at least a first logical data model, the identified particular subset of the plurality of logical data models including at least a second logical data model,

interacting with the first logical data model being performed using a first modelling notation, and

interacting with the second logical data model being performed using a second modelling notation.

19. The computer program product in accordance with claim 17, the at least one identified logical model including at least a first and second logical data model,

interacting with the first logical data model being performed using a first modelling notation, and

interacting with the second logical data model being performed using a second modelling notation.

20. The computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the model query engine is further configured to:

interact with a physical data model using the query result; and

access a first set of one or more data sets response to interacting with the physical data model.