Method of and system for searching unstructured data stored in a database

• US 20050108212A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Puri, Srinivasulu, Durgada, Savita, Akella, Ravindra, Karimisetty, Srikanth, Singh, Charanjeet
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect

Abstract

A method of and system for searching unstructured data stored in a database. In one embodiment the method comprises storing a plurality of electronic records in a common repository of electronic records in the database that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system where each electronic record comprises unstructured data stored in a character large-object (CLOB) format in a column of a table of the database; creating a security protocol that protects the electronic records against unauthorized access; and creating a query designed to identify electronic records in the database that meet criteria designated in the query. The method further comprises modifying the query in accordance with the security protocol to create a modified query prior to executing the query and running the modified query against the unstructured data. In one particular implementation, the unstructured data comprises a well-formed XML document stored within a column of a table stored in the database.

Claims

1. A method of searching unstructured data stored in a database, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of electronic records in a common repository of electronic records in the database that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system, wherein each electronic record comprises unstructured data stored in a character large-object (CLOB) format in a column of a table of the database;

creating a security protocol that protects the electronic records against unauthorized access;

creating a query designed to identify electronic records in the database that meet criteria designated in the query;

prior to executing the query, modifying the query in accordance with the security protocol to create a modified query; and

running the modified query against the unstructured data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the security protocol comprises a plurality of security rules and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

allowing a user to identify elements in the unstructured data as indexed elements; and

allowing a user to create use the indexed elements to create the plurality of security rules

3. The method of claim 1 wherein access to electronic records in the common repository is automatically granted unless the security protocol restricts such access and wherein the security protocol comprises a plurality of security rules that restricts access to the electronic records within the database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein access to electronic records in the common repository is automatically denied unless security protocol grants such access and wherein the security protocol comprises a plurality of security rules that grant access to the electronic record within the database.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic records are generated from multiple data sources.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein fields of the electronic record are filled with XML data based on a predefined mapping to multiple data sources.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the unstructured data is stored in character large object (CLOB) format.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the unstructured data comprises well-formed XML documents stored within a column of a table stored in the database.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing a user to enable and disable the security protocol.

10. A computer system for searching unstructured data stored in a database, the computer system comprising:

a processor;

a database; and

a computer-readable memory coupled to the processor, the computer-readable memory configured to store a computer program;

wherein the processor is operative with the computer program to;

(i) store a plurality of electronic records in a common repository of electronic records in the database that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system, wherein each electronic record comprises unstructured data stored in a character large-object (CLOB) format in a column of a table of the database;

(ii) create a security protocol that protects the electronic records against unauthorized access;

(iii) create a query designed to identify electronic records in the database that meet criteria designated in the query;

(iv) modify the query in accordance with the security protocol to create a modified query prior to executing the query; and

(v) run the modified query against the unstructured data.

11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further operative with the computer program to allow a user to identify elements in the unstructured data as indexed elements;

and allow a user to create use the indexed elements to create the plurality of security rules.

12. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further operative with the computer program to automatically grant access to electronic records in the database is unless security protocol restricts such access and wherein the security protocol comprises a plurality of security rules that restricts access to the electronic records within the database.

13. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further operative with the computer program to automatically deny access to electronic records in the database unless security protocol grants such access and wherein the security protocol comprises a plurality of security rules that grant access to the electronic records within the database.

14. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of electronic records are generated from multiple data sources.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein fields of the electronic record are filled with XML data based on a predefined mapping to multiple data sources.

16. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the unstructured data is stored in character large object (CLOB) format.

17. The computer system of claim 16 wherein the unstructured data comprises well-formed XML documents stored within a column of a table stored in the database.

18. A computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium for searching unstructured data stored in a database, the computer program comprising:

code for storing a plurality of electronic records in a common repository of electronic records in the database that provides an audit trail that cannot be altered or disabled by users of the system, wherein each electronic record comprises unstructured data stored in a character large-object (CLOB) format in a column of a table of the database;

code for creating a security protocol that protects the electronic records against unauthorized access;

code for creating a query designed to identify electronic records in the database that meet criteria designated in the query;

code for modifying the query in accordance with the security protocol to create a modified query prior to executing the query; and

code for running the modified query against the unstructured data.

19. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the program further comprises code for allowing a user to identify elements in the unstructured data as indexed elements;

and

code for allowing a user to create use the indexed elements to create the plurality of security rules.

20. The computer program of claim 19 wherein the program further comprises code for automatically granting access to electronic records in the database is unless security protocol restricts such access, wherein the security protocol comprises a plurality of security rules that restricts access to the electronic records within the database.

21. The computer program of claim 19 wherein the program further comprises code for automatically denying access to electronic records in the database unless security protocol grants such access, wherein the security protocol comprises a plurality of security rules that grant access to the electronic records within the database.

22. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the plurality of electronic records are generated from multiple data sources.

23. The computer program of claim 18 wherein fields of the electronic record are filled with XML data based on a predefined mapping to multiple data sources.

24. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the unstructured data is stored in character large object (CLOB) format.

25. The computer program of claim 18 wherein the unstructured data comprises well-formed XML documents stored within a column of a table stored in the database.