Global query correlation attributes

• US 20040088292A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dettinger, Richard D., Stevens, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,096,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• 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 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture for accessing data are disclosed. In general, data access is facilitated by a query configured with a correlation criterion or criteria. The presence of the correlation criteria facilitates the introduction of additional correlation logic to be applied to conditions of the query. In general, correlation criteria are contemplated which support correlation of entities based on time, physical location and age, for example.

Claims

1. A method of providing attributes configured to add query logic to a query generated from an abstract query defined by one or more logical fields, the method comprising:

specifying which of a plurality of correlation attributes are supported for a particular logical field; and

specifying a definition for computing a value of the correlation attributes supported for the particular logical field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying which of the plurality of correlation attributes are supported comprises specifying two or more correlation attributes for the particular logical field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the value may be one of an age value, a time value and a location value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the value may be one of a color value, a weight value, a volume value, a length value and a width value.

5. A method of providing attributes configured to add query logic to a query generated from an abstract query defined by one or more logical fields, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of logical fields, specifying which of a plurality of correlation attributes are supported for a particular logical field; and

for each of a plurality of logical fields, specifying a definition for computing a value of the correlation attributes supported for the particular logical field;

wherein at least two of definitions for computing a value of a particular correlation attribute, specified for two different logical fields, are different.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein specifying which of the plurality of correlation attributes are supported comprises specifying two or more correlation attributes for the particular logical field.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the value may be one of an age value, a time value and a location value.

8. A method of adding query logic to a query generated from an abstract query defined by one or more logical fields, the method comprising:

for each condition of the abstract query;

building an executable query contribution; and

determining whether the abstract query includes at least one of a plurality of correlation criterions which applies to a logical field of the condition, wherein each of the plurality of correlation criterion have a corresponding correlation attribute definition for calculating a value, and wherein at least two different corresponding correlation attribute definitions are defined for a given correlation criterion.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, if the abstract query includes at least one of the plurality of correlation criterions which applies to the logical field of the condition, building a query predicate from the correlation criterion and the correlation attribute definition.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein building the executable query contribution comprises building a query predicate according to an access method defined for the logical field of the condition and specifying a method of accessing physical data.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the value may be one of an age value, a time value and a location value.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that a span correlation criterion applies to logical fields of two conditions of the abstract query; and

building an expression to compute a difference between each value calculated by the correlation attribute definitions defined for the logical fields and corresponding to the span correlation criterion.

13. A computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation of adding query logic to a query generated from an abstract query defined by one or more logical fields, the operation comprising:

for each condition of the abstract query;

building an executable query contribution; and

determining whether the abstract query includes at least one of a plurality of correlation criterions which applies to a logical field of the condition, wherein each of the plurality of correlation criterion have a corresponding correlation attribute definition for calculating a value, and wherein at least two different corresponding correlation attribute definitions are defined for a given correlation criterion.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising, if the abstract query includes at least one of the plurality of correlation criterions which applies to the logical field of the condition, building a query predicate from the correlation criterion and the correlation attribute definition.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein building the executable query contribution comprises building a query predicate according to an access method defined for the logical field of the condition and specifying a method of accessing physical data.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the value may be one of an age value, a time value and a location value.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that a span correlation criterion applies to logical fields of two conditions of the abstract query;

building an expression to compute a difference between each value calculated by the correlation attribute definitions defined for the logical fields and corresponding to the span correlation criterion.

18. A computer-readable medium, comprising information stored thereon, the information comprising:

a query specification comprising a plurality of logical fields for defining abstract queries;

at least one correlation attribute definition specified for at least one of the plurality of logical fields, wherein the correlation attribute definition comprises a name and a definition for calculating a value of the correlation attribute correlation attribute definition; and

a runtime component executable to perform an operation in response to receiving an abstract query issued against the data, wherein the abstract query is defined according to the query specification and is configured with the at least one logical field for which the at least one correlation attribute definition is specified, the operation comprising;

calculating the correlation attribute value for the at least one logical field.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of mapping rules which map the plurality of logical fields to physical entities of data.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the value is one of an age value, a time value and a location value.

21. A computer-readable medium, comprising information stored thereon, the information comprising:

a query specification comprising a plurality of logical fields for defining abstract queries;

a plurality of correlation attribute definitions specified for at least two of the plurality of logical fields, wherein each correlation attribute definition comprises a name and a definition for calculating a value of the correlation attribute correlation attribute definition; and

a runtime component executable to perform an operation in response to receiving an abstract query issued against the data, wherein the abstract query is defined according to the query specification and is configured with the at least one logical field for which the at least one correlation attribute definition is specified, the operation comprising;

calculating the correlation attribute value for the at least one logical field.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the value is one of an age value, a time value and a location value.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of mapping rules which map the plurality of logical fields to physical entities of data.