QUERYING NONSQL DATA STORES WITH A SQL-STYLE LANGUAGE

• US 20090222404A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Friedman, Greg, Dolin, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2452 Query translation

Abstract

A nonSQL index containing data associated with a social networking network is queried with a nonSQL query generated from a SQL query. A query translation component parses the SQL query for query parameters specifying requested data and identifies a type of the nonSQL index based on the nonSQL index. The query translation component generates a nonSQL query based on the query parameters and the type of nonSQL index and queries the nonSQL index with the generated nonSQL query to search for the requested data. The query translation component receives a nonSQL result set from the nonSQL index based on the nonSQL query and then transforms the nonSQL result set into a SQL result set based on the type of nonSQL index and the received SQL query.

Claims

1. A method for querying a nonSQL index with a SQL query, said nonSQL index containing data associated with a social networking network, said method comprising:

parsing the SQL query for query parameters, said query parameters specifying requested data associated with the social networking network;

identifying a type of the nonSQL index based on the nonSQL index;

generating a first nonSQL query based on the query parameters and the type of nonSQL index;

querying the nonSQL index with the generated first nonSQL query to search for the requested data;

receiving a first nonSQL result set from the nonSQL index based on the first nonSQL query; and

transforming the first nonSQL result set into a SQL result set based on the type of nonSQL index and the received SQL query, said SQL result set containing the requested data associated with the social networking network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nonSQL index type comprises a chunked keyword index and the parsing comprises:

identifying query parameters from a table list of a FROM clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters include the table list in a normalized syntax; and

identifying query parameters from a search condition of a WHERE clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters include the search condition in a matching metadata syntax.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the SQL query includes a numeric range and the identified query parameters include a series of OR syntax elements, one for each number in the range.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the SQL query includes a date range and the identified query parameters include a series of OR syntax elements, one for each date in the range.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the nonSQL index type comprises a relationship graph and the parsing comprises:

identifying query parameters from a table list of a FROM clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters are filters on the nodes of the relationship graph; and

identifying query parameters from a search condition of a WHERE clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters are filters on the edges of the relationship graph.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second nonSQL query based on the query parameters and the first nonSQL result set;

querying the nonSQL index with the generated second nonSQL query; and

receiving a second nonSQL result set from the nonSQL index based on the second nonSQL query, wherein the SQL result set is generated from the second nonSQL result based on the type of nonSQL index and the received SQL query;

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the nonSQL index type includes one or more of the following:

a flat file, a relationship graph, an array, a hashtable, and a chunked keyword index.

8. One or more computer-readable storage media with instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

9. A method for querying a plurality of nonSQL indexes with a SQL query, said SQL query requesting data, said method comprising:

parsing the SQL query for query parameters, said query parameters specifying requested data;

for each of the nonSQL indexes;

identifying a type of the nonSQL index based on the nonSQL index;

generating a nonSQL query based the query parameters and the type of nonSQL index;

querying the nonSQL index with the generated nonSQL query; and

receiving a nonSQL result set from the nonSQL index based on the nonSQL query; and

merging each of the received plurality of nonSQL result sets into a SQL result set based on the parsed query parameters and the received SQL query, said SQL result set containing the requested data from the plurality of nonSQL indexes.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the nonSQL index type includes one or more of the following:

a flat file, a relationship graph, an array, a hashtable, and a chunked keyword index.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the nonSQL index type comprises a chunked keyword index and the parsing comprises:

identifying query parameters from a table list of a FROM clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters include the table list in a normalized syntax; and

identifying query parameters from a search condition of a WHERE clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters include the search condition in a matching metadata syntax.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the SQL query includes a date range and the identified query parameters include a series of OR syntax elements, one for each element in the range.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the range includes one or more of the following:

a date range, a numeric range, an alphabetic range, an enumerated list, a list of elements, and a geographic range.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the nonSQL index type is a relationship graph and the parsing comprises:

identifying query parameters from a table list of a FROM clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters are filters on the nodes of the relationship graph; and

identifying query parameters from a search condition of a WHERE clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters are filters on the edges of the relationship graph.

15. A system for querying a plurality of nonSQL indexes with a SQL query comprising:

an application for generating the SQL query, said application providing one or more social networking services;

a plurality of nonSQL indexes associated with data related to at least one of the social networking services provided;

a query translation component for;

receiving the SQL query from the application;

parsing the received SQL query for query parameters;

for each of the nonSQL indexes;

identifying a type of the nonSQL index based on the nonSQL index;

generating a nonSQL query based the query parameters and the type of nonSQL index;

querying the nonSQL index with the generated nonSQL query; and

receiving a nonSQL result set from the nonSQL index based on the nonSQL query;

merging each of the received plurality of nonSQL result sets into a SQL result set based on the parsed query parameters and the received SQL query; and

returning the SQL result set to the application.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the nonSQL index type includes one or more of the following:

a flat file, a relationship graph, an array, a hashtable, and a chunked keyword index.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the nonSQL index type comprises a chunked keyword index and the parsing comprises:

identifying query parameters from a table list of a FROM clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters include the table list in a normalized syntax; and

identifying query parameters from a search condition of a WHERE clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters include the search condition in a matching metadata syntax.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the social networking services include one or more of the following:

an email service, an instant messaging service, a photo sharing service, a web space service, and a blog service.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the SQL query is used to search for one or more of the following:

an email message, a friend, a photo, a video, and a blog entry.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the nonSQL index type is a relationship graph and the parsing comprises:

identifying query parameters from a table list of a FROM clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters are filters on the nodes of the relationship graph; and

identifying query parameters from a search condition of a WHERE clause of the SQL query, wherein said query parameters are filters on the edges of the relationship graph.