Dynamically generating multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on object attribute values

• US 20050149539A1
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Robertson, George G., Cameron, Kim, Brown, Mark R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/96 Object-relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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

Abstract

The described systems and methods dynamically generate a data polyarchy from information received from a data store (e.g., a directory or database). The data polyarchy represents multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on values of attributes of the objects. These multiple hierarchies are generated and represented in a manner that is independent of object naming and predetermined static hierarchical data structures.

Claims

1. In a distributed computing environment, a computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data from a data store, the data corresponding to a plurality of objects; and

responsive to receiving the data, dynamically generating multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships based on values of attributes of the objects, the multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships being a data polyarchy.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data store comprises a directory or a database.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data polyarchy comprises intersecting hierarchies of inter-object relationships.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data polyarchy comprises an elastic inter-object relationship.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein dynamically generating multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships further comprises:

identifying a dimensional relationship of one or more dimensional relationships between a first and second object of the objects; and

inserting the first object into the second object such that the first object is represented in the second object with respect to the dimensional relationship.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein first and second objects of the objects are respectively represented in the data polyarchy as separate entities, and wherein dynamically generating multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships further comprises:

identifying a dimensional relationship of one or more dimensional relationships between the first object and the second object; and

inserting a link to the first object in the second object with respect to the dimensional relationship.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the link is a jump gate.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple hierarchies of inter-object relationships are represented independent of object naming and independent of a predetermined hierarchical data structure.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the inter-object relationships represent mono-directional object relationships and bi-directional object relationships.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data polyarchy comprises a membership hierarchy that provides for de-referenced dimensional navigation of a many-to-many object relationship.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the data polyarchy further comprises:

relating a first and a second object of the objects to a third object of the objects to facilitate de-referenced dimensional navigation of a many-to-many object relationship between the first, second, and third objects.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising naming an inter-object relationship in the data polyarchy with a natural language.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the data polyarchy further comprises establishing, for individual ones of the objects, a plurality of predicates to indicate how to access the individual ones of the objects.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the data polyarchy further comprises establishing for individual ones of the objects a plurality of domain properties to index the individual ones of the objects.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the domain properties comprise a data type, a data precision indication, a scale indication, and a nullability indication.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the data polyarchy further comprises determining the relative distribution of attributes of the objects to establish a strategy to present or search for objects that comprise the attributes.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the data polyarchy further comprises:

determining the relative distribution of attributes of the objects to establish a strategy to present or search for objects that comprise the attributes, and wherein the strategy comprises one or more of the following operations;

a first operation to find a default search object of the objects;

a second operation to locate a particular object of the objects;

a third operation to obtain a default hierarchy of data relationships that correspond to a particular object of the objects;

a fourth operation to obtain a particular hierarchy of data relationships that correspond to a particular object of the objects;

a fifth operation to identify at least one subset of a plurality of hierarchies of data relationships that correspond to a particular object of the objects; and

a sixth operation to obtain multiple hierarchies of data relationships that correspond to a particular object of the objects.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the strategy comprises a recursive access strategy or a linear scan access strategy.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the domain properties comprise a logical domain property comprising a distinguishing domain, a locating domain, or a classifying domain.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein each object further comprises one or more respective attributes, and wherein generating the data polyarchy further comprises:

identifying a plurality of distinguishing attributes, each distinguishing attribute representing a respective object of the objects that is a root of a hierarchy, each distinguishing attribute being from a substantially unique distribution of similar attributes across the objects;

identifying one or more locating attributes for narrowing a search for an object of the objects;

each locating attribute being from a relatively large distribution of similar attributes across the objects; and

identifying one or more classifying attributes for filtering out objects from a search for an object, each classifying attribute being from a relatively small distribution of similar attributes across the objects.