System and method for comparative analysis of business intelligence data

• US 20070299860A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Westman, Randy, Winter, Stewart, Reid, Murray, Leikucs, Andrew, Macculloch, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A comparative analysis system allows independent management of definition of dimensional members of a multi-dimensional model. A user can select dimensional members of interest and at least one operator to manipulate the selected members based on the selected operator. The system manages placement of the selected members in a report so that the selected members are displayed adjacently based on the operator to facilitate comparative analysis.

Claims

1. A comparative analysis system for providing comparative analysis of business intelligence data represented by a multi-dimensional model, the comparative analysis system comprising:

a definition manager for independently managing definition of dimensional members of a data source;

an operation manager for allowing a user to define a set of dimensional members of interest and at least one operator to manipulate the defined set of members based on the selected operator; and

a display manager for managing placement of the defined set of members in a report so that the defined set of members are displayed adjacently based on the operator to facilitate comparative analysis.

2. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operator is a union operator, a cross-product operator or a dot-product operator, and the operation manager combines the defined set of members.

3. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the defined set of members includes measures and the operator is a union operator, a cross-product operator or a dot-product operator, and the operator manager combines the defined set of measures with other sets of members.

4. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the report is a cross-tab or a graphical representation of the relevant BI data.

5. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the display manager places the selected members in a cross-tab in an asymmetrical axis configuration depending on the selected members and the selected operator.

6. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the definition manager comprises a model translator for translating the multi-dimensional model which defines a report layout as a binary operator tree into a layout oriented object model which defines a report layout in a positional operator tree.

7. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the model translator comprises:

a basic result layout builder for providing layout features common to different report types to build a result layout for based on the selected operators; and

one or more report type specific layout builders, each for providing layout features specific to a report type.

8. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the basic result layout builder comprises:

an insertion point handler for analysing nodes of the multi-dimensional model, and creating as insertion points a list of candidate nodes under which an nest operation is performed; and

a nesting handler for nesting nodes in the insertion points.

9. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the type specific layout builder encodes the selected members in the layout oriented object model to provide the encoded members to the basic result layout builder.

10. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the result layout builder further comprises:

a pointer manager for managing a pointer to a result layout object for a query in the layout oriented object model depending on the report type of the query; and

an operator encoder for encoding the selected operators in the layout oriented object model.

11. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation manager comprises:

a selection set handler for allowing the user to add each selected members to a selection set to form selected sets, each selection set including one or more members, and

a set handler for handling the selection sets based on the selected operator.

12. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a hierarchy manager for providing a hierarchize property to a selection set containing one or more of the selected members to balance displayed members in a report.

13. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hierarchy manager has a layout handler for automatically adding or removing a hierarchical display layout for visually representing levels of the displayed members.

14. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hierarchy manager has an ancestor display handler for automatically adding or removing an ancestor of the selected members to the report.

15. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the ancestor display handler adds a first common ancestor of the selected members.

16. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hierarchy manager has an enabler for allowing a user to enable or disable the hierarchy property for one or more of the selected members.

17. The comparative analysis system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hierarchy manager comprises a working set generator for generating a working set of members that are to be included in a report.

18. A method of providing comparative analysis of business intelligence data represented by a multi-dimensional model, the method comprising:

independently defining dimensional members of a data source;

allowing a user to define a set of dimensional members of interest and at least one operator to manipulate the defined set of members based on the selected operator; and

placing the defined set of members in a report so that the defined set of members are displayed adjacently based on the operator to facilitate comparative analysis.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein

allowing the user to select a union operator, a cross-product operator or a dot-product operator, and

the method further comprises combining the defined set of members.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein

allowing the user to define the defined set of members including measures, and select a union operator, a cross-product operator or a dot-product operator, and

the method further comprises combining the defined set of measures with other sets of members.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein placing the defined set of members comprises placing the selected members in a cross-tab in an asymmetrical axis configuration depending on the selected members and the selected operator.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein defining dimensional members comprises translating the multi-dimensional model which defines a report layout as a binary operator tree into a layout oriented object model which defines a report layout in a positional operator tree.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein translating comprises:

providing layout features common to different report types to build a result layout for based on the selected operators; and

providing layout features specific to a report type.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the providing common layout features comprises:

analysing nodes of the multi-dimensional model,

creating as insertion points a list of candidate nodes under which an nest operation is performed; and

nesting nodes in the insertion points.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein providing specific layout features encodes the selected members in the layout oriented object model to provide the encoded members to the basic result layout builder.

26. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the translating further comprises:

managing a pointer to a result layout object for a query in the layout oriented object model depending on the report type of the query; and

encoding the selected operators in the layout oriented object model.

27. The method as claimed in claim 18 further comprising:

providing a hierarchize property to a selection set containing one or more of the selected members to balance displayed members in a report.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein providing the hierarchize property comprises automatically adding or removing a hierarchical display layout for visually representing levels of the displayed members.

29. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein providing the hierarchize property comprises automatically adding or removing an ancestor of the selected members to the report.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein adding or removing an ancestor comprises adding a first common ancestor of the selected members.

31. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein providing the hierarchize property comprises allowing a user to enable or disable the hierarchy property for one or more of the selected members.

32. A computer readable medium storing instructions or statements for use in the execution in a computer of a method of providing comparative analysis of business intelligence data represented by a multi-dimensional model, the method comprising:

independently defining dimensional members of a data source;

allowing a user to define a set of dimensional members of interest and at least one operator to manipulate the defined set of members based on the selected operator; and

placing the defined set of members in a report so that the defined set of members are displayed adjacently based on the operator to facilitate comparative analysis.

33. A propagated signal carrier containing computer executable instructions and/or statements that can be read and executed by a computer, the computer executable instructions being used to execute a method of providing comparative analysis of business intelligence data represented by a multi-dimensional model, the method comprising:

independently defining dimensional members of a data source;

allowing a user to define a set of dimensional members of interest and at least one operator to manipulate the defined set of members based on the selected operator; and

placing the defined set of members in a report so that the defined set of members are displayed adjacently based on the operator to facilitate comparative analysis.