Using multi-dimensional expression (MDX) and relational methods for allocation

• US 20070118516A1
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Xiaohong, Li, Baomin, Yan, Peiyuan
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24528 Standardisation; Simplification

Abstract

Data allocation is performed by translating a rule set to a query list. An allocation engine receives the rule set and the data and generates a query list. The query list may be in MDX or SQL syntax. After modifying the queries in the list into a list of physical queries that match the specific characteristic of the data store, a modeling abstraction layer provides the physical queries to the data store engine to perform the queries and provide the results to the allocation engine. The allocation engine allocates the data among existing or new hierarchical levels based on the query results. The allocated data may be stored in the same data store as the original data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for allocating values in hierarchically structured data in a business application, comprising:

receiving a request for allocating the data stored in a data space;

receiving a model associated with the data, wherein the model includes the data and a rule set associated with the allocation of the data;

translating the rule set to a list of queries; and

allocating the data based on executing the queries such that sub-spaces are generated within the data space for the allocated data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein allocating the data includes generating a new hierarchy level for the data that reports to an existing hierarchy level.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein allocating the data further includes distributing the data in the existing hierarchy level to the new hierarchy level according to one of:

an equal distribution scheme, a weighted distribution scheme, and a user-defined formula.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the rule set is provided to the model from one of:

a user interface and a business modeler application.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the rule set is translated to either a Multi-Dimensional expression (MDX) query statement or a Structured Query Language (SQL) query statement.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the queries to match a physical characteristic of the data space.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing the allocated data to a data store.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the allocated data is stored to a data store by a write-back manager.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data is multi-dimensional and the sub-space for the allocated data is a sub-cube.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the query list includes at least one query conforming to one of:

Multi-Dimensional eXpression (MDX) and Structured Query Language (SQL).

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein allocating the data includes distributing the data in an existing hierarchy level to a new hierarchy level that reports to the existing hierarchy level according to one of:

an equal distribution scheme, a weighted distribution scheme, and a user-defined formula.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising specifying the allocation request in an MDX-like high level language and storing the request as one of a rule and a rule set.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer instructions for allocating hierarchically structured data, the instructions comprising:

receiving a request for allocating the data stored in a data space;

receiving a rule set associated with the allocation of the data via a Modeling Abstraction Layer (MAL);

retrieving the data;

translating the first rule set to a query list;

executing the query list on the data space; and

allocating the data based on results of the query list execution such that a sub-space is generated within the data space for the allocated data.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the allocation is for at least one of:

planning, budgeting, and forecasting a scenario in a business application.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the data space is multi-dimensional.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the data is distributed from at least one leaf of an existing hierarchy level to at least two leaves of another existing hierarchy level.

17. A system for allocating hierarchically structured multi-dimensional data in a business application, the system comprising:

a database configured to store the data;

an allocation engine configured to;

receive a request for allocating the data;

receive a rule set associated with the allocation of the data;

translate the rule set to a query list;

a modeling abstraction layer configured to;

receive the query list;

translate the query list to a physical query such that the physical query conforms to a characteristic of the database; and

a database engine configured to;

receive the physical query;

execute the physical query on the database;

provide results of the physical query execution such that the data is allocated to one of;

an existing hierarchical structure and a new hierarchical structure in the database.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a user interface configured to provide the request for allocating the data and the rule set associated with allocating the data based on user input.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the allocation engine is further configured to allocate the data according to one of:

an equal distribution scheme, a weighted distribution scheme, and a user-defined formula.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the allocation engine is further configured to allocate the data from at least one leaf of the existing hierarchy level to at least two leaves of another existing hierarchy level.