System and method for translating between relational database queries and multidimensional database queries

• US 20070027904A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Simba Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Simba Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Eckstein, Darryl, Chow, George, Johnston, Bruce
• Application Number:
  US11/473,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2452 Query translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP

Abstract

A method for mapping a data source of an unknown configuration to that of a known configuration, comprising the steps of submitting a request for metadata to the data source of the unknown configuration; generating a relational schema from the known configuration based on the metadata received from the data source of the unknown configuration; and returning the metadata of the generated relational schema which maps the data source of the unknown configuration to the known configuration. In a preferred embodiment data source of the unknown configuration is a multidimensional database and the known configuration is a star or snowflake relational schema.

Claims

1. A method for mapping a data sources of an unknown configuration to that of a known configuration, comprising the steps of:

a. submitting a request for metadata to said data source;

b. generating a relational schema of said known configuration based on the metadata received from said data sources; and

c. returning the metadata of said generated relational schema, the returned metadata mapping the data source to the known configuration.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, said data source of an unknown configuration being a multidimensional database.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, said known configuration being a star or snowflake schema.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, including the steps of:

a. receiving, from a data consumer, a query for data against said generated relational schema;

b. translating the received query to one or more queries supported by the data sources for retrieval of data from the data sources; and

c. returning the data retrieved from said data sources to the data consumer.

6. A method as defined in claim 3, said query being a Structured Query Language (SQL) query and said data source being a multidimensional database.

7. A method as defined, in claim 4, said multidimensional database supporting a Multi Dimensional expression language (MDX).

9. A method as defined in claim 3, said data sources being a collection of cubes.

10. A method as defined in claim 3, said query being an SQL query against said star/snowflake.

12. A method as defined in claim 9, said query being a structured query language (SQL) query and said data source being a multidimensional database.

13. A method as defined, in claim 10, said data source supporting language being Multi Dimensional Expression language (MDX).

15. A method as defined in claim 12, said query being an SQL query against said star/snowflake.

5. A method for translating a query submitted to a data source, wherein the query is in an unsupported language of the data source, said method comprising:

a. receiving a query from a data consumer, the query based on a relational schema of a known configuration, wherein the schema maps the data sources to the known configuration;

b. translating the received query to one or more queries supported by the data sources for retrieval of data from the data sources; and

c. returning the data retrieved from said data sources to the data consumer.

8. A method as defined in claim 5, said known configuration being a star or snowflake.

11. A method for translating a query, issued by a data consumer in an unsupported language of the data sources, to that of the data source supporting language, said method comprising:

a. presenting a data consumer with a relational schema of a known configuration;

b. using a transform algorithm to present the data consumer with said data source in said known configuration.

c. reading a metadata model containing model objects that represent the data sources;

d. receiving a query against said known configuration.; and

e. returning the data retrieved from said data sources to the data consumer.

14. A method as defined in claim 11, said known configuration being a star/snowflake.

17. A an adapter as defined in claim 14, said adapter being an SQL driver including one of an ODBC driver, an JDBC driver or an OLE-DB provider.

16. An adapter for translating a query, issued by a data consumer in an unsupported language of a data sources, to that of the data source supporting language, said adapter comprising:

a. means for generating a relational schema of a known configuration;

b. an interface for receiving a query against said known configuration;

c. a metadata model containing model objects that represent the data sources;

d. a transform algorithm for presenting the data consumer with said data source in said known configuration.