Universal drill-down system for coordinated presentation of items in different databases

• US 20040034615A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Business Objects SA (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Thomson, Neil, Chow, Gordon, Gould, Dave, Paiement, Andre, Donnelly, Brian, Peticlerc, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2465 Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3334 Selection or weighting of terms from queries, including natural language queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A system for capturing the context of, and translating, or mapping, from data in an originating database presentation, or in an originating format, to data in a target database presentation, or target format. The translation uses the context of the originating report/query in terms of the originating database as a basis for the translation. The originating context is translated to the target context and is used to accurately map data from one presentation to another. By using a context and a translation map, which define specifics of the translation between contexts against different data sources, the invention is able to achieve a mapping engine that can efficiently map data between databases of different types. The translation map includes rules set automatically by the system, or set by a human administrator. The rules permit special treatment of different mapping scenarios. For example, specified types of mappings can be prevented so that selected users will be denied the ability to access restricted target information. Member exceptions are used that permit mapping between different data models, as, for example, where rows or columns in an originating data source (e.g. OLAP) are not present in a target data source (e.g. Relational). Other aspects of the invention include using supplemental member translations, translating items in an OLAP level to more than one translation object, delegating data items in cases where there is little or no correspondence between data models, translating a data item to a plurality of data items, translating a data item to a range, and additional aspects. An administrator interface is provided to create, modify, monitor and manage a mapping system.

Claims

1. A method for presenting data, wherein a user operates a computer system that displays a first data item in a first context, the method comprising

using a processor to receive signals from a user input device indicating that the user selected the first data in the first context;

translating the first context into a second context;

using the second context to identify a second data item associated with the first data item; and

presenting the second data to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selects the first context.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first context is determined automatically by a processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is in a first database and wherein the second data is in a second database different from the first database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first database is accessed using OLAP methods and wherein the second database is accessed using relational methods.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing translation according to a predetermined criterion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of preventing translation includes a substep of accepting signals from an administrator interface to allow a human administrator to designate non-permitted translations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is qualified by one or more parent objects.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising

using a processor to select at least one of the parent objects;

and

generating a parent translation object by using the selected parent objects.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein member exceptions are permitted.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first data item resides in a database system using dimensions, wherein a third data item and the first data item are members of the same dimension, the method further comprising

using a supplemental member translation to permit the first and third data items to be translated differently.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data item resides in an OLAP database having levels, the method further comprising

translating items in an OLAP level to more than one translation object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data item resides in an OLAP database having levels, wherein the second data item resides in a relational database having columns, wherein the first data item is associated with a level that does not have a corresponding column in the relational database, the method further comprising

delegating the first data item to a relational value.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of translating includes a substep of

using a translation map.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the translation map includes an indication of whether a dimension is a Parent/Child dimension.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data item translates to a plurality of data items.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data item translates to a range of data items.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising

providing an administrator interface to allow a human administrator to define the operation of the translation step.

19. In a database system displaying a first data item in a first context, a system for enabling selective drill-through to supporting data and presenting said supporting data in a second context, said system comprising:

A universal drill-through data model for sending and receiving drill-through context from a first data source to a second data source;

A first query tool operating on a first computer for enabling a user to select a data element in a first report;

A second query tool operating on said first computer for providing data, related to said selected element, in a second report; and

Means for automatically building a target report compatible with said second query tool.

20. The database system of claim 19, further comprising

providing an off-line means for defining the operation of the translation step.

21. The database system of claim 19 wherein said first data source is an OLAP data source and said second data source is a relational data source.

22. The database system of claim 19 wherein said first data source is an OLAP data source and said second data source is a OLAP data source.

23. The database system of claim 19 wherein said first data source is a relational data source and said second data source is an OLAP data source.

24. In a database system for accurately mapping data from one presentation to another comprising:

means for capturing and transmitting the context of an original report based on an originating data source such that it preserves the organization of the query and variable levels of context “

fidelity”

;

said means further including translation means for translating the context of the originating report in terms of the originating data source to a target context for presentation of a target report based on a target data source; and

a translation model having a translation map and a set of rules for controlling the translation of different mapping scenarios.

25. The database system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for identifying selected types of mappings and preventing drill-through of irrelevant information or information that can'"'"'t be mapped.

26. The database system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for generating member exceptions for mapping between different data values at one level in an originating data source to alternate values in another level in a target data source.

27. The database system of claim 26 wherein said first data source is an OLAP data source and said second data source is a relational data source.

28. The database system of claim 26 wherein said first data source is an OLAP data source and said second data source is a OLAP data source.

29. The database system of claim 26 wherein said first data source is a relational data source and said second data source is an OLAP data source.

30. The database system of claim 26 wherein said first data source is an OLAP data source and said second data source is a multi-dimensional database.

31. The database system of claim 26 wherein said first data source is a relational data source and said second data source is a multi-dimensional database.

32. The database system of claim 26 further comprising means for defining translation maps for accessing cube metadata if said first or second data source is an OLAP data source and relational metadata if said first or second data source is a relational data source and providing the originating and target data source metadata in response to a user request to drill-through on a selected member of said first data source;

and

means for assigning drill-through target reports to the translation map.