Dynamically generated schema representing multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships

• US 20030177139A1
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Robertson, George G., Cameron, Kim, Booth, James H., Clement, Luc, MacLeod, Stewart P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,944,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/103R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/81 Indexing, e.g. XML tags; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99947 Object-oriented database structure reference

Abstract

The described arrangements and procedures provide for interfacing (e.g., managing, presenting, etc.) with complex and often elastic inter-object relationships between objects in a data polyarchy. Specifically, a schema is dynamically generated by a server to represent multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships between objects in a data polyarchy. The schema indicates or lists each attribute or element of interest in the data polyarchy. The schema further indicates any of one or more dimensions of inter-object relationships within which objects that comprise at least a subset of the listed the elements of interest participate. Thus, the schema indicates how to interface with the data polyarchy, which represents multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on the values of attributes of the represented objects.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method comprising dynamically generating a schema to represent multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships between a plurality of objects in a data polyarchy, the schema being generated based on values of attributes of the objects.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the inter-object relationships comprise a flat relationship, a hierarchical relationship, and multiple intersecting hierarchies of relationships.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, where the objects comprise enterprise resource planning (ERP) objects, directory based objects, or database objects.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the schema further comprises:

identifying a plurality of attributes of interest based on values of attributes of the objects;

identifying one or more dimensions of inter-object relationships within which objects that comprise at least a subset of the attributes of interest participate.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the schema is designed to provide access control to organizational resources.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising communicating the schema to a client, the schema identifying how the client can access objects in the data polyarchy.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a client based on the schema; and

responsive to receiving the request;

accessing an object of the objects based on the request;

transforming the object into transformed data that expresses any inter-object relationship between the object and any other object of the objects based on the request; and

issuing the transformed data to the client.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the transformed data expresses the inter-object relationships with respect to other objects in a same dimension or other objects in a different dimension, the same and/or the different dimension being indicated by the request.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the request comprises a limiting attribute to limit the transformed data by presenting the one or more objects only with respect to the limiting attribute.

10. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the request queries for information corresponding to an object in the data polyarchy with respect to one or more particular dimensions.

11. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the request comprises a dimension indicator to specify one or more hierarchies within which the data is to be presented in the transformed data.

12. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the request further comprises a distinguishing attribute, a classifying attribute, or a locating attribute.

13. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the request comprises a dimension information modifier to specify a particular direction and a particular depth to retrieve information from the data polyarchy.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the dimension information modifier is a siblings indication to retrieve all objects with a same parent as a current object in the data polyarchy.

15. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the request indicates that at least one subset of the objects comprise a similar attribute;

and wherein accessing one or more objects further comprises;

retrieving the one or more objects in a manner that is independent of any hierarchical data relationship between the data objects in the at least one subset.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the similar attribute comprises a logical domain selected from a distinguishing domain, a locating domain or a classifying domain.

17. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the request corresponds to at least a first and second subset of the objects, the request comprising a logical modifier that specifies an operation, and wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receiving the request, identifying at least a portion of the first and second subsets of directory objects in the polyarchical data set; and

wherein transforming the one or more objects further comprises performing the operation on the first and second subsets.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the logical modifier is a Boolean modifier.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the operation comprises any combination of filtering, union, intersection, join, and/or exclusion operations.

20. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein accessing the object further comprises accessing the object in a manner that is independent of any inter-object relationship between the object and any other object of the objects in a manner that is independent of any definition of a hierarchy in the data polyarchy.

21. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein accessing the object further comprises querying the data polyarchy for the object.

22. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein accessing the object further comprises managing, manipulating, or modifying the object or a relationship between the object and one of more of the other objects.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

dynamically generating a schema to represent multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships between a plurality of objects in a data polyarchy, the schema being generated based on values of attributes of the objects, the schema indicating each attribute of interest in the data polyarchy, the schema further indicating any of one or more dimensions of inter-object relationships within which objects that comprise at least a subset of the attributes of interest participate.

24. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the inter-object relationships comprise a flat relationship, a hierarchical relationship, and multiple intersecting hierarchies of relationships.

25. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, where the objects comprise enterprise resource planning (ERP) objects, directory based objects, or database objects.

26. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, further comprising computer-executable instructions for communicating the schema to a client to indicate how the client is to interface with the objects in the data polyarchy.

27. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, further comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving a request from a client based on the schema;

responsive to receiving the request;

accessing at least one object in the data polyarchy based on the request;

transforming the at least one object into transformed data that expresses any inter-object relationship between the at least one object and any other objects of the objects based on the request; and

issuing the transformed data to the client.

28. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the transformed data expresses the inter-object relationships with respect to other objects in a same dimension or other objects in a different dimension, the same and/or the different dimension being indicated by the request.

29. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the request comprises a limiting attribute to limit the transformed data by presenting the one or more objects only with respect to the limiting attribute.

30. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the request queries for information corresponding to an object in the data polyarchy with respect to one or more particular dimensions.

31. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the request comprises a dimension indicator to specify one or more hierarchies within which the data is to be presented in the transformed data.

32. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the request further comprises a distinguishing attribute, a classifying attribute, or a locating attribute.

33. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the request comprises a dimension information modifier to specify a particular direction and a particular depth to retrieve information from the data polyarchy.

34. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the dimension information modifier is a siblings indication to retrieve all objects with a same parent as a current object in the data polyarchy.

35. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27 wherein the request indicates that at least one subset of the objects comprise a similar attribute;

and wherein the computer-executable instructions for accessing one or more objects further comprise instructions for;

retrieving the one or more objects in a manner that is independent of any hierarchical data relationship between the data objects in the at least one subset.

36. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the similar attribute comprises a logical domain selected from a distinguishing domain, a locating domain or a classifying domain.

37. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the request corresponds to at least a first and second subset of the objects, the request comprising a logical modifier that specifies an operation, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

responsive to receiving the request, identifying at least a portion of the first and second subsets of directory objects in the polyarchical data set; and

wherein transforming the one or more objects further comprises performing the operation on the first and second subsets.

38. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 37, wherein the logical modifier is a Boolean modifier.

39. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 37, wherein the operation comprises any combination of filtering, union, intersection, join, and/or exclusion operations.

40. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein accessing the at least one object further comprises accessing the at least one object in a manner that is independent of any inter-object relationship between the at least one object and any other object of the objects in a manner that is independent of any definition of a hierarchy in the data polyarchy.

41. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein accessing the at least one object further comprises querying the data polyarchy for the at least one object.

42. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 27, wherein accessing the at least one object further comprises managing, manipulating, or modifying the at least one object or a relationship between the at least one object and one of more different objects of the objects.

43. A computer comprising:

a memory comprising the computer-executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to fetch and execute the computer-executable instructions for;

dynamically generating a schema to represent multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships between a plurality of objects in a data polyarchy, the schema being generated based on values of attributes of the objects, the schema indicating each attribute of interest in the data polyarchy, the schema further indicating any of one or more dimensions of inter-object relationships within which objects that comprise at least a subset of the attributes of interest participate.

44. A computer as recited in claim 43, wherein the inter-object relationships comprise a flat relationship, a hierarchical relationship, and multiple intersecting hierarchies of relationships.

45. A computer as recited in claim 43, where the objects comprise enterprise resource planning (ERP) objects, directory based objects, or database objects.

46. A computer as recited in claim 43, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for communicating the schema to a client to indicate how the client is to interface with the objects in the data polyarchy.

47. A computer as recited in claim 43, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

receiving a request from a client based on the schema;

responsive to receiving the request;

accessing one or more objects in the data polyarchy based on the request;

transforming the one or more of the objects into transformed data that expresses any inter-object relationships based on the request; and

issuing the transformed data to the client.

48. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein the transformed data expresses the inter-object relationships with respect to other objects in a same dimension or other objects in a different dimension, the same and/or the different dimension being indicated by the request.

49. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein the request comprises a limiting attribute to limit the transformed data by presenting the one or more objects only with respect to the limiting attribute.

50. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein the request queries for information corresponding to an object in the data polyarchy with respect to one or more particular dimensions.

51. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein the request comprises a dimension indicator to specify one or more hierarchies within which the data is to be presented in the transformed data.

52. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein the request further comprises a distinguishing attribute, a classifying attribute, or a locating attribute.

53. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein the request comprises a dimension information modifier to specify a particular direction and a particular depth to retrieve information from the data polyarchy.

54. A computer as recited in claim 53, wherein the dimension information modifier is a siblings indication to retrieve all objects with a same parent as a current object in the data polyarchy.

55. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein the request indicates that at least one subset of the objects comprise a similar attribute;

and wherein the computer-executable instructions for accessing one or more objects further comprise instructions for;

retrieving the one or more objects in a manner that is independent of any hierarchical data relationship between the data objects in the at least one subset.

56. A computer as recited in claim 55, wherein the similar attribute comprises a logical domain selected from a distinguishing domain, a locating domain or a classifying domain.

57. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein the request corresponds to at least a first and second subset of the objects, the request comprising a logical modifier that specifies an operation, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

responsive to receiving the request, identifying at least a portion of the first and second subsets of directory objects in the polyarchical data set; and

wherein transforming the one or more objects further comprises performing the operation on the first and second subsets.

58. A computer as recited in claim 57, wherein the logical modifier is a Boolean modifier.

59. A computer as recited in claim 57, wherein the operation comprises any combination of filtering, union, intersection, join, and/or exclusion operations.

60. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein accessing the one or more objects further comprises accessing the one or more objects in a manner that is independent of any inter-object relationship between the one or more objects and any other object of the objects in a manner that is independent of any definition of a hierarchy in the data polyarchy.

61. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein accessing the one or more objects further comprises querying the data polyarchy for the one or more objects.

62. A computer as recited in claim 47, wherein accessing the one or more objects further comprises managing, manipulating, or modifying the one or more objects or a relationship between an object of the one or more objects and one of more different objects of the objects.

63. A computer comprising:

processing means for dynamically generating a schema to represent multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships between a plurality of objects in a data polyarchy, the schema being generated based on values of attributes of the objects, the schema indicating each attribute of interest in the data polyarchy, the schema further indicating any of one or more dimensions of inter-object relationships within which objects that comprise at least a subset of the attributes of interest participate.

64. A computer as recited in claim 63, wherein the inter-object relationships comprise a flat relationship, a hierarchical relationship, and multiple intersecting hierarchies of relationships.

65. A computer as recited in claim 63, where the objects comprise enterprise resource planning (ERP) objects, directory based objects, or database objects.

66. A computer as recited in claim 63, further comprising processing means for communicating the schema to a client to indicate how the client is to interface with the objects in the data polyarchy.

67. A computer as recited in claim 63, further comprising processing means for:

receiving a request from a client based on the schema;

responsive to receiving the request;

accessing one or more objects in the data polyarchy based on the request;

transforming the one or more of the objects into transformed data that expresses any inter-object relationships based on the request; and

issuing the transformed data to the client.

68. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the transformed data expresses the inter-object relationships with respect to other objects in a same dimension or other objects in a different dimension, the same and/or the different dimension being indicated by the request.

69. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the request comprises a limiting attribute to limit the transformed data by presenting the one or more objects only with respect to the limiting attribute.

70. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the request queries for information corresponding to an object in the data polyarchy with respect to one or more particular dimensions.

71. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the request comprises a dimension indicator to specify one or more hierarchies within which the data is to be presented in the transformed data.

72. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the request further comprises a distinguishing attribute, a classifying attribute, or a locating attribute.

73. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the request comprises a dimension information modifier to specify a particular direction and a particular depth to retrieve information from the data polyarchy.

74. A computer as recited in claim 73, wherein the dimension information modifier is a siblings indication to retrieve all objects with a same parent as a current object in the data polyarchy.

75. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the request indicates that at least one subset of the objects comprise a similar attribute;

and wherein the means for accessing one or more objects further comprise means for;

retrieving the one or more objects in a manner that is independent of any hierarchical data relationship between the data objects in the at least one subset.

76. A computer as recited in claim 75, wherein the similar attribute comprises a logical domain selected from a distinguishing domain, a locating domain or a classifying domain.

77. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the request corresponds to at least a first and second subset of the objects, the request comprising a logical modifier that specifies an operation, and wherein the processing means further comprise means for:

responsive to receiving the request, identifying at least a portion of the first and second subsets of directory objects in the polyarchical data set; and

wherein transforming the one or more objects further comprises performing the operation on the first and second subsets.

78. A computer as recited in claim 77, wherein the logical modifier is a Boolean modifier.

79. A computer as recited in claim 77, wherein the operation comprises any combination of filtering, union, intersection, join, and/or exclusion operations.

80. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the means for accessing the one or more objects further comprises means for accessing the one or more objects in a manner that is independent of any inter-object relationship between the one or more objects and any other object of the objects in a manner that is independent of any definition of a hierarchy in the data polyarchy.

81. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the means for accessing the one or more objects further comprises querying the data polyarchy for the one or more objects.

82. A computer as recited in claim 67, wherein the means for accessing the one or more objects further comprises means for managing, manipulating, or modifying the one or more objects or a relationship between an object of the one or more objects and one of more different objects of the objects.

83. A polyarchical query language data structure comprising:

a first data field to specify a particular schema, the particular schema indicating how to meaningfully present or manage a plurality of objects in a data polyarchy based on values of attributes in the objects; and

a second data field to indicate an attribute of interest; and

a third data field to indicate how one or more objects comprising the attribute of interest are to be presented or managed with respect to one or more participating dimensions of inter-object relationships which are based on the schema.

84. A polyarchical query language data structure as recited in claim 83 further comprising a fourth data field to indicate a physical access strategy with respect to the data polyarchy, the physical access strategy being identified by indicating that the attribute of interest belongs to a distinguishing domain, a classifying domain, or a locating domain.

85. A polyarchical query language data structure as recited in claim 83, wherein the third data field further comprises a modifier to limit the one or more objects.

86. A polyarchical query language data structure as recited in claim 83, wherein the third data field further comprises a logical modifier to limit the one or more objects.

87. A polyarchical query language data structure as recited in claim 83, wherein the third data field further comprises a dimension information indicator for specifying a dimension within which to present the one or more objects.

88. A polyarchical query language data structure as recited in claim 83, wherein the third data field further comprises a dimension information indicator for specifying a particular direction and a particular depth within which to present a data relationship between a complex object of the one or more objects and one or more different objects of the one or more objects.

89. A polyarchical query language data structure as recited in claim 83, wherein each data field is expressed in an XML data format.

90. A polyarchical query language data structure as recited in claim 83, wherein the particular schema provides access to only a first subset of the objects to provide access control to the objects.

91. A computer-readable medium comprising a polyarchical query language data structure as recited in claim 83.