Method of and system for data aggregation employing dimensional hierarchy transformation
First Claim
1. In a database system comprising data having at least one dimension logically organized into multiple hierarchies of items, a method for transforming the multiple hierarchies of items into a single hierarchy that is functionally equivalent to the multiple hierarchies, the method comprising the step of:
- linking a given child item with a parent item in the single hierarchy when no other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item.
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Abstract
An improved method of and apparatus for aggregating data having at least one dimension logically organized into multiple hierarchies of items, whereby such multiple hierarchies of items are transformed into a single hierarchy that is functionally equivalent to the multiple hierarchies. In the hierarchy transformation process, a given child item is linked with a parent item in the single hierarchy when no other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item. In the event that at least one other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item, the given child item is not linked with the parent item in the single hierarchy. The improved data aggregation mechanism of the present invention achieves a significant increase in system performance (e.g. deceased access/search time). Moreover, the improved data aggregation mechanism of the present invention may be integrated into a standalone data aggregation server supporting an OLAP system (one or more OLAP servers and clients), or may be integrated into a database management system (DBMS), thus achieving improved user flexibility and ease of use. The improved DBMS system of the present invention can be used to realize an improved Data Warehouse for supporting on-line analytical processing (OLAP) operations or to realize an improved informational database system, operational database system, or the like.
80 Citations
14 Claims
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1. In a database system comprising data having at least one dimension logically organized into multiple hierarchies of items, a method for transforming the multiple hierarchies of items into a single hierarchy that is functionally equivalent to the multiple hierarchies, the method comprising the step of:
linking a given child item with a parent item in the single hierarchy when no other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A data aggregation engine comprising:
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a hierarchy transformation module that identifies at least one dimension of data logically organized into multiple hierarchies of items, and transforms the multiple hierarchies of items into a single hierarchy (that is functionally equivalent to the multiple hierarchies) by linking a given child item with a parent item in the single hierarchy when no other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item;
an aggregation module that aggregates the data based upon the single hierarchy. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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- 6. The OLAP system of claim 6, wherein the network includes the infrastructure of the Internet.
Specification