Metadata management for a data abstraction model

• US 20060074953A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kolz, Daniel P., Dettinger, Richard D., Tenner, Jeffrey W., Wenzel, Shannon E., Stevens, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/832 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• 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 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A method, system and article of manufacture for managing metadata associated with a data abstraction model abstractly describing data in a database. One embodiment provides a method of managing metadata describing objects of a data abstraction model with logical fields that define abstract views of physical data in a database. The method comprises traversing a logical tree structure representing the data abstraction model. The logical tree structure has a plurality of nodes, each representing a logical field or a category of logical fields of the data abstraction model. The method further comprises identifying metadata describing logical fields or categories represented by the plurality of nodes. The identified metadata is stored in a queryable database. A user is allowed to query the database to identify objects in the data abstraction model that may be used to construct an abstract query.

Claims

1. A method of managing metadata describing objects of a data abstraction model with logical fields that define abstract views of physical data in a database, comprising:

traversing a logical tree structure representing the data abstraction model, the logical tree structure having a plurality of nodes, each representing a logical field or a category of logical fields of the data abstraction model;

identifying metadata describing logical fields or categories represented by the plurality of nodes;

storing the identified metadata in a queryable database; and

allowing a user to query the database to identify objects in the data abstraction model that may be used to construct an abstract query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data abstraction model is adapted for transforming logical fields of abstract queries into a form consistent with the physical data in the database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the identified metadata in a queryable database comprises:

creating a first database table configured to allow unique identification of each node contained in the logical tree structure; and

creating a second database table configured to provide detail information for at least a portion of the nodes identified in the first database table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each node representing a category of logical fields is a parent node and is defined by a category specification of the data abstraction model; and

the method further comprises identifying metadata contained in the category specification.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein storing the identified metadata in a queryable database comprises:

creating a first database table configured to allow unique identification of each node contained in the logical tree structure;

creating a second database table configured to provide detail information for each node identified in the first database table and being associated with a logical field of the data abstraction model; and

creating a third database table configured to provide detail information for each node identified in the first database table and being associated with a category specification.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein creating the first database table comprises:

creating a row for each node contained in the logical tree structure, each row containing a field entry for at least;

(i) a node type indicating whether the respective node represents a logical field or a category specification;

(ii) an identifier of the respective node; and

(iii) left and right indicators used to delineate nested set hierarchy notation between nodes corresponding to different rows in the first database table.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a combination of the node type and the identifier forms a unique identifier of the respective node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

traversing the logical tree structure comprises traversing the logical tree structure according to a standard prefix traversal; and

the identified metadata comprises standard prefix information for corresponding nodes.

9. A method of identifying an object in a data abstraction model defining an abstract view of physical data in a database and including a plurality of objects comprising one or more category specifications and a plurality of logical fields, each logical field defining an abstract view of a specific set of the physical data, the method comprising:

receiving a query against one or more database tables containing metadata describing some or all of the plurality of objects, the query configured to identify one or more objects by specifying one or more conditions based on the metadata; and

returning a query result identifying one or more objects that satisfy the one or more conditions.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

accessing a first database table configured to allow unique identification of each logical field and each category specification contained in the data abstraction model;

for each of the one or more objects, determining whether the object is a logical field or a category specification;

for each object being a logical field;

accessing a second database table configured to provide detail information for each logical field of the data abstraction model; and

retrieving detail information for the object; and

for each object being a category specification;

accessing a third database table configured to provide detail information for each category specification of the data abstraction model; and

retrieving detail information for the object; and

wherein the retrieved detail information defines the query result.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first database table comprises:

a row for each object contained in the data abstraction model, each row containing a field entry for at least;

(i) a node type indicating whether the respective object represents a logical field or a category specification;

(ii) an identifier of the respective object; and

(iii) left and right indicators used to delineate nested set hierarchy notation between objects corresponding to different rows in the first database table.

12. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs operations for managing metadata describing objects of a data abstraction model with logical fields that define abstract views of physical data in a database, the operations comprising:

traversing a logical tree structure representing the data abstraction model, the logical tree structure having a plurality of nodes, each representing a logical field or a category of logical fields of the data abstraction model;

identifying metadata describing logical fields or categories represented by the plurality of nodes;

storing the identified metadata in a queryable database; and

allowing a user to query the database to identify objects in the data abstraction model that may be used to construct an abstract query.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the data abstraction model is adapted for transforming logical fields of abstract queries into a form consistent with the physical data in the database.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein storing the identified metadata in a queryable database comprises:

creating a first database table configured to allow unique identification of each node contained in the logical tree structure; and

creating a second database table configured to provide detail information for at least a portion of the nodes identified in the first database table.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

each node representing a category of logical fields is a parent node and is defined by a category specification of the data abstraction model; and

the operations further comprise identifying metadata contained in the category specification.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein storing the identified metadata in a queryable database comprises:

creating a first database table configured to allow unique identification of each node contained in the logical tree structure;

creating a second database table configured to provide detail information for each node identified in the first database table and being associated with a logical field of the data abstraction model; and

creating a third database table configured to provide detail information for each node identified in the first database table and being associated with a category specification.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein creating the first database table comprises:

creating a row for each node contained in the logical tree structure, each row containing a field entry for at least;

(i) a node type indicating whether the respective node represents a logical field or a category specification;

(ii) an identifier of the respective node; and

(iii) left and right indicators used to delineate nested set hierarchy notation between nodes corresponding to different rows in the first database table.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein a combination of the node type and the identifier forms a unique identifier of the respective node.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein:

traversing the logical tree structure comprises traversing the logical tree structure according to a standard prefix traversal; and

the identified metadata comprises standard prefix information for corresponding nodes.

20. A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs operations for identifying an object in a data abstraction model defining an abstract view of physical data in a database and including a plurality of objects comprising one or more category specifications and a plurality of logical fields, each logical field defining an abstract view of a specific set of the physical data, the operations comprising:

receiving a query against one or more database tables containing metadata describing some or all of the plurality of objects, the query configured to identify one or more objects by specifying one or more conditions based on the metadata; and

returning a query result identifying one or more objects that satisfy the one or more conditions.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing a first database table configured to allow unique identification of each logical field and each category specification contained in the data abstraction model;

for each of the one or more objects, determining whether the object is a logical field or a category specification;

for each object being a logical field;

accessing a second database table configured to provide detail information for each logical field of the data abstraction model; and

retrieving detail information for the object; and

for each object being a category specification;

accessing a third database table configured to provide detail information for each category specification of the data abstraction model; and

retrieving detail information for the object; and

wherein the retrieved detail information defines the query result.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the first database table comprises:

a row for each object contained in the data abstraction model, each row containing a field entry for at least;

(i) a node type indicating whether the respective object represents a logical field or a category specification;

(ii) an identifier of the respective object; and

(iii) left and right indicators used to delineate nested set hierarchy notation between objects corresponding to different rows in the first database table.

23. A system, comprising:

a database;

a data abstraction model with logical fields that define abstract views of physical data in the database;

a logical tree structure representing the data abstraction model, the logical tree structure having a plurality of nodes, each representing a logical field or a category of logical fields of the data abstraction model; and

a data abstraction model metadata manager configured to;

traverse the logical tree structure;

identify metadata describing logical fields or categories represented by the plurality of nodes;

store the identified metadata in a queryable database; and

allow a user to query the database to identify objects in the data abstraction model that may be used to construct an abstract query.

24. A system, comprising:

a database;

a data abstraction model defining an abstract view of physical data in the database and including a plurality of objects comprising one or more category specifications and a plurality of logical fields, each logical field defining an abstract view of a specific set of the physical data;

one or more database tables containing metadata describing some or all of the plurality of objects; and

a data abstraction model metadata manager configured to;

receive a query against the one or more database tables, the query configured to identify one or more objects by specifying one or more conditions based on the metadata; and

return a query result identifying one or more objects that satisfy the one or more conditions.