In-memory multi-dimensional dataset with interrogation mechanism for salesforce platform

• US 10,467,218 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2016
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Certinia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FinancialForce.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Willcock, Stephen Paul, Slater, Bradley West, Ruiz Medina, Carolina
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M
• Application Number:
  US15/271,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 707755
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2264 Multidimensional index structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include a computer-implemented method performed in a SALESFORCE application development platform. The method includes obtaining data items in the SALESFORCE application development platform. Each data item can include key-values for keys common to the data items and can include a data-item value. The method includes storing each of the data items in an in-memory multi-dimensional dataset of the SALESFORCE application development platform. The multi-dimensional dataset can have a dimension for each of the keys. The method further includes enabling an interrogation process in the SALESFORCE application development platform to read data included in the multi-dimensional dataset.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed in a SALESFORCE application development platform, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of data items in the SALESFORCE application development platform, each data item including a key-value for each of a plurality of keys common to the plurality of data items and including a data-item value;

creating a sub-map for each of the plurality of data items in the SALESFORCE application development platform, each sub-map including the data-item value and the key-values for the data item;

creating a composite key for each sub-map, each composite key being a data string including all the key-values of the sub-map;

storing each of the plurality of data items from the plurality of sub-maps in an in-memory multi-dimensional dataset of the SALESFORCE application development platform, the multi-dimensional dataset having a dimension for each of the plurality of keys;

storing each composite key of each sub-map in a main data map structure of the multi-dimensional dataset, each dimension of the multi-dimensional dataset having a minimal number of key-values representing all key-values for the key of the dimension, and each key-value being associated with the composite key for each sub-map that includes the key-value;

storing the data-item value for each sub-map in the main data map structure such that the data-item value is mapped to the composite key of the sub-map;

enabling an interrogation process in the SALESFORCE application development platform to read data included in the multi-dimensional dataset;

defining one or more groups and filters from keys of the plurality of keys;

creating an interrogation mechanism in the SALESFORCE application development platform, the interrogation mechanism including the one or more groups and filters; and

performing the interrogation process by reading all contents of the multi-dimensional dataset in accordance with the one or more groups and filters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more groups have a sequential order.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a report comprising data obtained by performing the interrogation process.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the report is rendered as a two-dimensional spreadsheet including a row for each data item and a plurality of columns, the plurality of columns including sequentially ordered columns corresponding to the sequentially ordered groups and a column for each key-value of the filter such that cells for each data item include key-values and a data-item value.

5. A computer system utilizing a SALESFORCE application development platform, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to;

obtain a plurality of data items in the SALESFORCE application development platform, each data item including a key-value for each of a plurality of keys common to the plurality of data items and including a data-item value;

create a sub-map for each of the plurality of data items in the SALESFORCE application development platform, each sub-map including the data-item value and the key-values for the data item;

create a composite key for each sub-map, each composite key being a data string including all the key-values of the sub-map;

store each of the plurality of data items from the plurality of sub-maps in an in-memory multi-dimensional dataset of the SALESFORCE application development platform, the multi-dimensional dataset having a dimension for each of the plurality of keys;

store each composite key of each sub-map in a main data map structure, the main data map structure being part of the multi-dimensional dataset;

store the data-item value for each sub-map in the main data map structure such that the data-item value is mapped to the composite key for a same sub-map;

enable an interrogation process in the SALESFORCE application development platform to read data included in the multi-dimensional dataset, wherein each dimension of the multi-dimensional dataset has a minimal number of key-values representing all key-values for the key of the dimension, and each key-value is associated with the composite key for each sub-map that includes the key-value;

define one or more groups and filters from keys of the plurality of keys;

create an interrogation mechanism in the SALESFORCE application development platform, the interrogation mechanism including the one or more groups and filters, and being operable on the multi-dimensional dataset; and

perform an interrogation process by reading all contents of the multi-dimensional dataset in accordance with the one or more groups and filters.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more groups have a sequential order.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer system to further caused to:

generate a report comprising data obtained by performing the interrogation process.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the report is rendered as a two-dimensional spreadsheet including a row for each data item and a plurality of columns, the plurality of columns including sequentially ordered columns corresponding to the sequentially ordered groups and a column for each key-value of the filter such that cells for each data item include key-values and a data-item value.

9. A computer-implemented method performed in a SALESFORCE application development platform, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of data items in the SALESFORCE application development platform, each data item including a key-value for each of a plurality of keys common to the plurality of data items and including a data-item value;

storing each of the plurality of data items in an in-memory multi-dimensional dataset of the SALESFORCE application development platform, the multi-dimensional dataset having a dimension for each of the plurality of keys;

creating a composite key for each data item, each composite key including all the key-values of the data item;

storing each composite key for each data item in a main data map structure that maps each composite key to a data-item value of the data item;

enabling an interrogation process in the SALESFORCE application development platform to read data included in the multi-dimensional dataset;

receiving a query including a queried key and a queried key-value;

interrogating the multi-dimensional dataset for the composite key by performing a first look-up operation for the queried key-value in a corresponding dimension;

interrogating the main data map for a data-item value by performing a second look-up based on the composite key; and

returning the data-item value or data derived from the data-item value in response to the query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each dimension of the multi-dimensional dataset has a minimal number of key-values required to represent all key-values for the key of the dimension.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to returning the data derived from the data-item value:

performing a function based on the data-item value to obtain the data derived from the data-item value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the function is a sum or average function including the data-item value.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the query is in a human-readable format.