Systems, methods, and computer program products to manage the display of data entities and relational database structures

• US 20040117379A1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tomlyn, Craig R., Khatchatrian, Suzanna
• Granted Patent: US 7,467,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer products that present typically large amounts of entity information with a graphical display that efficiently maps the display of a large number of OLAP objects to related relational database tables thereby retaining contextual information about the data associated with the objects and tables. The efficient mapping is enabled by the use of areas that contain and include objects. The preferred embodiment of the present invention enhances analysis, by OLAP techniques, of the objects and the associated relational database information. An embodiment of the present invention further operates in a recursive manner by enabling the objects to include and contain additional objects.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for retaining contextual information about data, said computer having a graphical display and at least one entity that represents said data, said method comprising:

mapping said at least one entity to at least one object;

representing said at least one object in said graphical display; and

associating said at least one object with at least one area, thereby retaining said contextual information about said data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including a relational database having at least one table in said computer; and

associating said at least one object with said at least one relational database table, thereby retaining said contextual information about said data and said associated at least one relational database table.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising including another said at least one area in said at least one object.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising including another said at least one object in said another at least one area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising said data representing OLAP data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising said at least one object representing a facts object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising said at least one object representing a dimension object.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising said graphical display representing a star schema configuration.

9. A computer system for retaining contextual information about data, said computer having a graphical display and at least one entity that represents said data, comprising:

said at least one entity that is mapped to at least one object;

said at least one object that is represented in said graphical display; and

said at least one object that is associated with at least one area, thereby retaining said contextual information about said data.

10. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

a relational database having at least one table in said computer; and

said at least one object that is associated with said at least one relational database table, thereby retaining said contextual information about said data and said associated at least one relational database table.

11. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising another said at least one area that is included in said at least one object.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising another said at least one object that is included in said another at least one area.

13. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising said data that represents OLAP data.

14. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising said at least one object that represents a facts object.

15. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising said at least one object that represents a dimension object.

16. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising said graphical display that represents a star schema configuration.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a program usable medium embodying one or more instructions executable by said computer for retaining contextual information about data, said computer having a graphical display and at least one entity that represents said data, wherein:

said computer usable instructions map said at least one entity to at least one object;

said computer usable instructions represent said at least one object in said graphical display; and

said computer usable instructions associate said at least one object with at least one area, thereby retaining said contextual information about said data.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein:

said computer usable instructions include a relational database having at least one table in said computer; and

said computer usable instructions associate said at least one object with said at least one relational database table, thereby retaining said contextual information about said data and said associated at least one relational database table.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein said computer usable instructions include another said at least one area in said at least one object.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein said computer usable instructions include another said at least one object in said another at least one area.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein said computer usable instructions represent OLAP data by said data.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein said computer usable instructions represent a facts object by said at least one object.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein said computer usable instructions represent a dimension object by said at least one object.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein said computer usable instructions represent a star schema configuration by said graphical display.