System and method of member unique names

• US 20070299676A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seeds, Glen, Cushing, David, Cazemier, Henk
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals

Abstract

A member unique name (MUN) system and MUN translation system and method are provided. The MUN system comprises a dimension reference for defining the context in which the remaining portions of the MUN exist and a canonical business key for uniquely identifying a member across different dimensional data sources within a business enterprise. The MUN translation system comprises a translation selection module for selecting a MUN transformation and a collection of MUN transformations for transforming a MUN of a first data source into a MUN of the second data source.

Claims

1. A member unique name (MUN) structure for use in translating a dimensional member reference of a first report to dimensional member reference of a second report, the MUN system comprising:

a dimension reference for defining the context in which the remaining portions of the MUN exist; and

a canonical business key for uniquely identifying a member across different dimensional data sources within a business enterprise.

2. The MUN structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dimension reference specifies a hierarchy within a dimensional data source if the structure of the hierarchy is parent/child.

3. The MUN structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dimension reference specifies a level within a dimensional data source if the structure of the hierarchy is level-based.

4. The MUN structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the canonical business key represents, from right to left, the business key of a member, preceded by the values of its parent members in the encompassing hierarchy to the first unique level within the hierarchy.

5. The MUN structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a data source identifier (DSI) for uniquely identifying a member within a dimensional data source that implements its own unique member identifiers.

6. The MUN structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the DSI is prefixed by an identifier that uniquely identifiers the data source technology on the data source from which the DSI is obtained.

7. A member unique name (MUN) structure for translating a dimensional member reference of a first report to dimensional member reference of a second report, the MUN system comprising:

a dimension reference for defining the context in which the remaining portions of the MUN exist; and

a data source identifier (DSI) for uniquely identifying a member within a dimensional data source that implements its own unique member identifiers.

8. A member unique name (MUN) translation system for translating a dimensional member reference in a first report to a dimensional member reference in a second report, the MUN translation system comprising:

a translation selection module for selecting a MUN transformation; and

a collection of MUN transformations for transforming a MUN of a first data source into a MUN of the second data source.

9. The MUN translation system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the collection of MUN transformations comprises one or more of:

a DMR to DMR transformation for transforming a first dimensionally modeled relational (DMR) MUN to a second DMR MUN;

a same source technology OLAP to OLAP transformation for transforming a first OLAP MUN to a second OLAP MUN, the first OLAP MUN and second OLAP MUN being of the same source technology;

a different source technology OLAP to OLAP transformation for transforming a third OLAP MUN to a fourth OLAP MUN, the third OLAP MUN and fourth OLAP MU IN being of different source technologies;

a DMR to OLAP transformation for transforming a DMR MUN to an OLAP MUN;

an OLAP to DMR transformation for transforming an OLAP MUN to a DMR MUN;

a DMR to canonical transformation for transforming a DMR MUN into a MUN containing a dimensional reference and a canonical business key; and

an OLAP to canonical transformation for transforming an OLAP MUN into a MUN containing a dimensional reference and a canonical business key.

10. A method of translating a dimensional member reference in a first report to a dimensional member reference in a second report, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a MUN transformation; and

transforming a MUN of a first data source into a MUN of the second data source.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of transforming comprises the one or more of:

transforming a first dimensionally modeled relational (DMR) MUN to a second DMR MUN;

transforming a first OLAP MUN to a second OLAP MUN, the first OLAP MUN and second OLAP MUN being of the same source technology;

transforming a third OLAP MUN to a fourth OLAP MUN, the third OLAP MUN and fourth OLAP MUN being of different source technologies;

transforming a DMR MUN to an OLAP MUN;

transforming an OLAP MUN to a DMR MUN;

transforming a DMR MUN into a MUN containing a dimensional reference and a canonical business key; and

transforming an OLAP MUN into a MUN containing a dimensional reference and a canonical business key.

12. A memory containing computer executable instructions that can be read and executed by a computer for caring out a method of translating a dimensional member reference in a first report to a dimensional member reference in a second report, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a MUN transformation; and

transforming a MUN of a first data source into a MUN of the second data source.

13. A carrier carrying a propagated signal containing computer executable instructions that can be read and executed by a computer, the computer executable instructions being used to execute a method of translating a dimensional member reference in a first report to a dimensional member reference in a second report, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a MUN transformation; and

transforming a MUN of a first data source into a MUN of the second data source.