System and method for semi-additive aggregation

• US 20050182703A1
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pasumansky, Mosha, Berger, Alexander, Gorbach, Irina, Conlon, Thomas, D'hers, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/244 Grouping and aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2448 for particular applications; for extensibility, e.g. user defined types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A simple interface may be provided that enables the user to define parameters for aggregation of a semi-additive measure. The interface may enable the user to designate a measure as a semi-additive measure and to pair the measure with an additive aggregation function. The interface may also enable the user to select non-additive dimensions and to pair each non-additive dimension with a corresponding aggregation function. One such aggregation function is a by account aggregation function, which enables each account in an account dimension to be aggregated across a corresponding non-additive dimension according to an associated account type.

Claims

1. A method for aggregating a measure over a non-additive dimension of a cube for a first account and a second account, the non-additive dimension having a parent member that includes at least one child member, the method comprising:

evaluating the parent member for the first account by aggregating the child members according to a first aggregation function; and

evaluating the parent member for the second account by aggregating the child members according to a second aggregation function that is different from the first aggregation function.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an interface that enables a user to designate the measure as a semi-additive measure.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an interface that enables a user to select an additive aggregation function with which to aggregate additive dimensions of the cube.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the non-additive dimension with a non-additive by account aggregation function.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with the first aggregation function.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with the first aggregation function comprises providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with the a first account type, the first account type being associated with the first aggregation function.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with one of an income account type, an expense account type, a flow account type, a balance account type, an asset account type, a liability account type, a statistical account type, and a missing account type.

8. The method of claim 5, comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with a null aggregation function.

9. The method of claim 5, comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with an average of children aggregation function.

10. The method of claim 5, comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with a first child aggregation function.

11. The method of claim 5, comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with a last child aggregation function.

12. The method of claim 5, comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with a first non-empty child aggregation function.

13. The method of claim 5, comprising providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with a last non-empty child aggregation function.

14. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

15. A method for aggregating a measure over a non-additive dimension of a cube, the non-additive dimension having a parent member that includes at least one child member, the method comprising:

providing an interface that enables a user to pair a non-additive aggregation function with the non-additive dimension; and

evaluating the parent member by aggregating the child members according to the non-additive aggregation function.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an interface that enables the user to designate the measure as a semi-additive measure.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an interface that enables the user to pair an additive aggregation function with additive dimensions of the cube.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising providing an interface that enables the user to pair a non-additive by account aggregation function with the non-additive dimension.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising providing an interface that enables the user to pair an average of children aggregation function with the non-additive dimension.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising providing an interface that enables the user to pair a first child aggregation function with the non-additive dimension.

21. The method of claim 15, comprising providing an interface that enables the user to pair a last child aggregation function with the non-additive dimension.

22. The method of claim 15, comprising providing an interface that enables the user to pair a first non-empty child aggregation function with the non-additive dimension.

23. The method of claim 15, comprising providing an interface that enables the user to pair a last non-empty child aggregation function with the non-additive dimension.

24. The method of claim 15, comprising providing an interface that enables the user to pair a null aggregation function with the non-additive dimension.

25. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 15.

26. A system for analytically modeling data, the system comprising:

a relational data source, an analytical data service, and a reporting client;

wherein the analytical data service includes a mechanism for aggregating a measure over a non-additive dimension of a cube, said mechanism comprising means for evaluating a parent member for a first account by aggregating child members according to a first aggregation function, and means for evaluating the parent member for a second account by aggregating the child members according to a second aggregation function that is different from the first aggregation function.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said mechanism further comprises means for providing an interface that enables a user to designate the measure as a semi-additive measure.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said mechanism further comprises means for providing an interface that enables a user to select an additive aggregation function with which to aggregate additive dimensions of the cube.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said mechanism further comprises means for providing an interface that enables a user to pair the non-additive dimension with a non-additive by account aggregation function.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein said mechanism further comprises means for providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with the first aggregation function.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein said mechanism further comprises means for providing an interface that enables a user to pair the first account with the a first account type, the first account type being associated with the first aggregation function.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first account type comprises one of an income account type, an expense account type, a flow account type, a balance account type, an asset account type, a liability account type, a statistical account type, and a missing account type.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the first aggregation function comprises one of a null aggregation function, an average of children aggregation function, a first child aggregation function, a last child aggregation function, a first non-empty child aggregation function, and a last non-empty child aggregation function.

34. A system for analytically modeling data, the system comprising:

a relational data source, an analytical data service, and a reporting client;

wherein the analytical data service includes a mechanism for aggregating a measure over a non-additive dimension of a cube, said mechanism comprising means for providing an interface that enables a user to pair a non-additive aggregation function with the non-additive dimension, and means for evaluating a parent member by aggregating child members according to the non-additive aggregation function.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said mechanism further comprises means for as a semi-providing an interface that enables the user to designate the measure additive measure.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein said mechanism further comprises means for providing an interface that enables the user to pair an additive aggregation function with additive dimensions of the cube.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the non-additive aggregation function comprises one of a non-additive by account aggregation function, an average of children aggregation function, a first child aggregation function, a last child aggregation function, a first non-empty child aggregation function, a last non-empty child aggregation function, and a null aggregation function.