Hybrid Relational, Directory, and Content Query Facility

• US 20080162427A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seekamp, Christopher R., Connearney, Colleen S., Wesley, Ajamu, McGarvey, John R., Cross, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,020,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases

Abstract

A method of data storage and retrieval using a relational database can include defining a first table in a relational database including a plurality of entries having a first value for a first field. A second table in the relational database including a plurality of entries can be defined. Each of the plurality of entries in the second table can specify an additional value for the first field of a corresponding entry in the first table. Responsive to a query, a data item selected from at least one of the plurality of entries in the first table can be presented.

Claims

1. A method of data storage and retrieval using a relational database comprising:

defining a first table in a relational database comprising a plurality of entries having a first value for a first field;

defining a second table in the relational database comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each of the plurality of entries in the second table specifies an additional value for the first field of a corresponding entry in the first table; and

responsive to a query, presenting a data item selected from at least one of the plurality of entries from the first table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each entry in the first table, creating an associated entry in the second table that specifies the first value as an additional value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a normalized version of each additional value.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to the query, searching fields storing a normalized version of a query term.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising defining the normalized version to be a lowercase version of the additional value.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, responsive to the query, searching fields comprising lowercase versions of the additional value.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising defining the normalized version to be the additional value spelled in reverse order.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the query comprises a search term with a pre-pended wildcard;

reversing the order of the search term and pre-pended wildcard; and

searching fields comprising the additional values spelled in reverse order.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the additional value to be an alternate spelling of the first value.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the additional value to be an alias for the first value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the size of an unstructured data item to be stored;

selecting a field for storing unstructured data items of the determined size from a plurality of fields for storing unstructured data items of varying size; and

storing the unstructured data item in the selected field.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a query for unstructured data, initiating a first search by searching only fields reserved for storing a smallest size of unstructured data items; and

responsive to detecting a null in an entry located by the first search, initiating a second search of only fields reserved for storing a larger size of unstructured data items.

13. A method of data storage and retrieval using a relational database comprising:

identifying an unstructured data item to be stored in the relational database;

determining a size of the unstructured data item;

selecting a field from a plurality of different fields reserved for storing unstructured data items of different sizes according to the size of the unstructured data item; and

storing the unstructured data item within the selected field.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

responsive to a query for unstructured data, initiating a first search by searching only fields reserved for storing a smallest size of unstructured data items; and

responsive to detecting a null in an entry located by the first search, initiating a second search of only fields reserved for storing a larger size of unstructured data items.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium having computer-usable program code that stores and retrieves data, said computer program product including;

computer-usable program code that defines a first table in a relational database comprising a plurality of entries having a first value for a first field;

computer-usable program code that defines a second table in the relational database comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each of the plurality of entries in the second table specifies an additional value for the first field of a corresponding entry in the first table; and

computer-usable program code that, responsive to a query, presents a data item selected from at least one of the plurality of entries from the first table.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer-usable program code that stores a normalized version of each additional value.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer-usable program code that, responsive to the query, searches fields storing a normalized version of a query term.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising at least one of computer-usable program code that defines the additional value to be an alternate spelling of the first value or computer-usable program code that defines the additional value to be an alias of the first value.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer-usable program code that determines the size of an unstructured data item to be stored;

computer-usable program code that selects a field for storing unstructured data items of the determined size from a plurality of fields for storing unstructured data items of varying size; and

computer-usable program code that stores the unstructured data item in the selected field.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer-usable program code that, responsive to a query for unstructured data, initiates a first search by searching only fields reserved for storing a smallest size of unstructured data items; and

computer-usable program code that, responsive to detecting a null in an entry located by the first search, initiates a second search of only fields reserved for storing a larger size of unstructured data items.