SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EXTRACTING DATABASE DIMENSIONS AS DATA MODELING OBJECT

• US 20100306281A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Williamson, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2465 Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for extracting a model object from a multi-dimensional source database. A modeling client can host modeling logic and an application programming interface (API) to create, access, manipulate, and import/export modeling objects used in modeling applications, such as engineering, medical, financial, and other modeling platforms. In aspects, the source data accepted into the modeling client can include consumer or business-level applications, whose database or other content can be extracted and encapsulated in object-oriented format, such as extensible markup language (XML) format. The resulting model object can be pivoted along selected dimensions, or otherwise manipulated. The modeling client can exchange one or more modeling object directly with external platforms, such as mainframe modeling platforms, via the application programming interface (API) on a programmatic basis. Costs and maintenance savings over mainframe-based modeling tools can thereby be achieved, while providing greater power than consumer or business-level tools.

Claims

1. A method of extracting a model object from source data in a client, comprising:

accessing a set of source data, the set of source data comprising a set of data hosted in a multi-dimensional database;

selecting a set of dimensions of the multi-dimensional database to extract at least a set of data elements and a set of attributes of the source data; and

generating at least one model object based on the set of data elements and the set of attributes of the selected data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one model object is pivotable on selected dimensions of the at least one model object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of extracted data elements comprises a plurality of database values, and the at least one attribute comprises a function call generating a computation based on the plurality of database values.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising storing the at least one model object in storage of the client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one model object comprises at least one model object encoded in extensible markup language (XML) format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises at least one of a function call parameter and a linkage parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one model object is extensible via an appending of additional extracted dimensions to the at least one model object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one model object is exportable via an application programming interface (API).

9. The method of claim 1, where the set of source data is hosted in at least one of local storage of the client and remote storage.

10. A client system, comprising:

an interface to a set of source data, the set of source data comprising a set of data hosted in a multi-dimensional database; and

a processor, communicating with the set of source data via the interface, the processor being configured to—

access the set of source data,

select a set of dimensions of the multi-dimensional database to extract at least a set of data elements and a set of attributes of the source data, and

generate at least one model object based on the set of data elements and the set of attributes of the selected data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one model object is pivotable on selected dimensions of the at least one model object.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of extracted data elements comprises a plurality of database values, and the at least one attribute comprises a function call generating a computation based on the plurality of database values.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to store the at least one model object in storage of the client.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one model object comprises at least one model object encoded in extensible markup language (XML) format.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one attribute comprises at least one of a function call parameter and a linkage parameter.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one model object is extensible via an appending of additional extracted dimensions to the at least one model object.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one model object is exportable via an application programming interface (API).

18. The system of claim 10, where the set of source data is hosted in at least one of local storage of the client and remote storage.