SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO CREATE CONTINUOUS QUERIES VIA A SEMANTIC LAYER

• US 20100017379A1
• Filed: 07/16/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP France SA (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP France SA (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Naibo, Alexis, Bolf, Didier, Marinescu, Dan Cristian
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system, method, means, and/or computer program code may be provided to facilitate a presentation of information to a user. According to some embodiments, continuous query definition parameters are created by a user via a graphical user interface. Moreover, semantic layer information associated with an event processing engine may be provided. The event processing engine may, for example, receive an event stream from a data source. According to some embodiments, the semantic layer information is defined by a semantic layer designer via a graphical user interface. At least one event processing language statement may be created based on (i) the continuous query definition parameters and (ii) the semantic layer information. The statement may then be provided to the event processing engine so as to establish a continuous query at the event processing engine, the continuous query providing output data based on events in the event stream. According to some embodiments, a continuous meta-query for a complex event processing engine is initially created. When a connection with a business user is subsequently established, a continuous user-query is initiated based on the continuous meta-query.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that when executed by a processor result in the following:

receiving, at a query technique engine, continuous query definition parameters from a user via a graphical user interface;

retrieving, at the query technique engine, semantic layer information associated with an event processing engine, the event processing engine being adapted to receive at least one event stream from at least one data source;

automatically creating event processing language statements at the query technique engine, the event processing language statements being created based on (i) the continuous query definition parameters from the user and (ii) the semantic layer information; and

arranging for the event processing language statements to be provided to the event processing engine so as to establish a continuous query at the event processing engine, the continuous query providing output data based on events in the event stream.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the semantic layer information includes at least one of:

(i) schema definitions, (ii) tables defining attributes, (iii) business object metadata, (iv) metadata based on an entity relationship model, (v) a metadata name, (vi) a metadata description, (vii) a metadata object type, (viii) dimension, measure, detail, or pre-condition object definitions, (ix) a metadata data type, (x) a metadata aggregation type, (xi) metadata distinction information, (xii) metadata formula information, (xiii) stream adapter metadata, (xiv) event driven universe metadata, or (xv) query panel information.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the semantic layer information includes at least one of:

(i) window information defining a bounded portion of the event stream, (ii) a window time parameter, (iii) a window count parameter, (iv) window sliding information, (v) window cycling information, (vi) window unique information, (vii) window top information, or (viii) window bottom information.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the continuous query definition parameters from the user include at least one of:

(i) an event driven universe, (ii) an event driven query, (iii) a class, (iv) an object, (v) an adapter, (vi) a source stream, (vii) a target, or (viii) a filter.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein execution of the instructions further results in:

responsive to the output data, transmitting information to a remote business user via a push-model.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the transmitted information is associated with at least one of:

(i) a web service associated with a client, (ii) a desktop widget application associated with a client, (iii) a dashboard application associated with a client, (iv) a web analytic application associated with a client, or (v) a web browser application associated with a client.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the information is transmitted to at least one of:

(i) a personal computer, or (ii) a wireless device.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the continuous query at the event processing engine is associated with at least one of:

(i) an event aggregation, (ii) an event abstraction, or (iii) a complex event.

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that when executed by a processor result in the following:

receiving, from a semantic layer designer via a graphical user interface, semantic layer definition parameters; and

based on the semantic layer definition parameters, storing semantic layer information to be provided to a query technique engine adapted to create event processing language statements based on (i) continuous query definition parameters from a user and (ii) the semantic layer information.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least some of the semantic layer information is associated with a stream adapter metadata component providing metadata associated with connected stream adapters.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein at least some of the semantic layer information is associated with an event driven universe specification module that enables creation of an event driven universe specification with entities and relationships between entities.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein at least some of the semantic layer information is associated with a query panel component that enables creation of a query based on the event driven universe using an interactive user interface.

13. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that when executed by a processor result in the following:

providing at least one event stream from at least one data source to a complex event processing engine;

establishing, at a query technique engine, a continuous meta-query for the complex event processing engine, the continuous meta-query providing meta-output data based on the at least one event stream;

subsequently establishing a connection with a business user; and

initiating a continuous user-query, the continuous user-query providing user-output data based on the meta-output data.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the continuous user-query provides user-output data based on meta-output data including at least some data associated with a time before the connection with the business user was established.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein a plurality of continuous user-queries provide data based on the meta-output data.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the user-output data is based on data associated with a plurality of continuous meta-queries.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the continuous user-query is further associated with a filter operation.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the continuous user-query is further associated with at least one of:

(i) a complex formula, (ii) aggregation information, (iii) a join operation, (iv) an order operation, (v) a group operation, (vi) an output rate parameter, or (vii) a tree of conditions.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the continuous user-query is further associated with user security information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein execution of the instructions further results in:

subsequently de-establishing the connection with the business user; and

halting the continuous user-query without halting the continuous meta-query.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving a continuous query definition parameter created by a business user;

retrieving semantic layer information associated with a complex event processing engine, the complex event processing engine being adapted to receive multiple business information event streams;

creating a statement based on (i) the continuous query definition parameter created by the business user and (ii) the semantic layer information;

providing the statement to the complex event processing engine so as to establish a continuous query at the complex event processing engine, the continuous query providing output data based on events in the business information event streams;

receiving an indication from the complex event processing engine in connection with the continuous query; and

transmitting information, based on the indication received from the complex event processing engine, to the business user via a push-model.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a graphical user interface component to provide continuous query definition parameters created by a remote business user;

a semantic layer component;

a query technique engine to receive the continuous query definition parameters from the graphical user interface component and semantic layer information from the semantic layer component; and

a complex event processing engine to receive event processing language statements from the query technique engine along with at least one event stream from a business intelligence data source.