QUERY RESPONSE SERVICE FOR BUSINESS OBJECTS

• US 20090164414A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hartig, Martin, Jin, Ye, Wintel, Maic, Tatzel, Steffen
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for a query response service for business objects. In general, data characterizing a request to perform a query on multiple instances of a business object may be received, where the query includes selection criteria for multiple attributes across multiple nodes for each of the instances of the business object. The query may be initiated on the instances of the business object. Results including values from the attributes across the nodes of the business objects may be returned. The query may be assigned to a node of the business object, which may be a query response transformation node. The node may include a combination of attributes associated with the attributes across the nodes of the business object. Results may be sorted on a server, sent as pages to a client, or both.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data characterizing a request to perform a query on a plurality of instances of a business object, the query comprising selection criteria for a plurality of attributes across a plurality of nodes for each of the instances of the business object;

initiating the query on the instances of the business object; and

returning results comprising values from the attributes across the nodes of the business object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the query is assigned to a node of the business object and the node to which the query is assigned includes a combination of attributes associated with the plurality of attributes across the plurality of nodes of the business object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the node to which the query is assigned is a transformation node in a schema of nodes including data nodes, associated nodes, and transformation nodes.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the attributes of the node to which the query is assigned are a union of query result attributes of queries assigned to the node to which the query is assigned.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sorting results on a server and returning results comprises returning sorted results.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, initiating, and returning is performed by a query service on a server provider system, the query is performed by a search infrastructure, and the query is requested by a client service consumer system that sends the request in a single operation and receives the results in response to the request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the business object comprises a hierarchy of nodes and the nodes comprise a hierarchy of attributes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the attributes of the results are a defined subset of the attributes of the business object.

9. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium, the product comprising instructions to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving data characterizing a request to perform a query on a plurality of instances of a business object, the query comprising selection criteria for a plurality of attributes across a plurality of nodes for each of the instances of the business object;

initiating the query on the instances of the business object; and

returning results comprising values from the attributes across the nodes of the business object.

10. The product of claim 9, wherein the query is assigned to a node of the business object and the node to which the query is assigned includes a combination of attributes associated with the plurality of attributes across the plurality of nodes of the business object.

11. The product of claim 10, wherein the node to which the query is assigned is a transformation node in a schema of nodes including data nodes, associated nodes, and transformation nodes.

12. The product of claim 10, wherein the attributes of the node to which the query is assigned are a union of query result attributes of queries assigned to the node to which the query is assigned.

13. The product of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprises sorting results on a server and returning results comprises returning sorted results.

14. The product of claim 9, wherein the receiving, initiating, and returning is performed by a query service on a server provider system, the query is performed by a search infrastructure, and the query is requested by a client service consumer system that sends the request in a single operation and receives the results.

15. The product of claim 9, wherein the business object comprises a hierarchy of nodes and the nodes comprise a hierarchy of attributes.

16. The product of claim 9, wherein the attributes of the results are a defined subset of the attributes of the business object.

17. A computer-implemented method comprising:

at a query service assigned to a query response transformation node of a business object, receiving data characterizing a request to perform a query on a plurality of instances of the business object, the query to return results comprising a plurality of attributes across a plurality of nodes for each of the instances of the business object, the results being a subset of attributes of the business object specified by the query, the request from a client consumer of the query service;

at the query service, initiating the query on the instances of the business object by calling a search infrastructure to perform the query, the calling of the search infrastructure comprising a query parameter structure of query criteria; and

at the query service, returning results comprising values from the attributes across the nodes of the business objects to a query view at the client consumer, the returning results to the query view based on a mapping of attributes of the query response transformation node to fields of the query view.