QUERY MODEL OVER INFORMATION AS A NETWORKED SERVICE

• US 20110225143A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Swedberg, Gregory David, Bouw, René Jacco, Khosravy, Moe, Liensberger, Christian, Mall, Roger Soulen, Gwozdz, Lukasz
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24547 Optimisations to support specific applications; Extensibility of optimisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24565 Triggers; Constraints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Data is published by publishers to an information service configured to receive data sets and allow consumers to consume the data sets via queries. Structural information of the data sets (e.g., column information) is presented to the publishers to select which information of the data sets can be a search parameter and which information can be returned in query results. Query interfaces are automatically created based on the selections by the publisher, and the back end databases are optimized for such query interfaces, e.g., creation of indexes based on the search parameters or query results selected by the publisher. A query aggregator can automatically combine a given query interface with other query interfaces to form more complicated (but still permitted) queries based on the intersection of permissions for the given query interface and the other query interfaces.

Claims

1. A method for hosting data or connecting to hosted data, comprising:

receiving, by at least one computing device in a first region of control from at least one computing device in a second region of control via at least one network, at least one data set published by the at least one computing device in the second region of control;

analyzing the at least one data set to determine structural information associated with at least a subset of data of the at least one data set; and

rendering the structural information to the at least one computing device in the second region of control to receive input regarding at least one query capability to enforce over the at least one data set by the at least one computing device in the first region of control.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing includes determining column information associated with the at least one data set.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rendering includes rendering the structural information to the at least one computing device in the second region of control to receive input regarding a plurality of distinct query capabilities to enforce over the at least one data set.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving search parameter input from the at least one computing device in the second region of control defining first structural information of the structural information over which at least one authorized consuming device is authorized to search the at least one data set.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving search result input from the at least one computing device in the second region of control defining second structural information of the structural information for which at least one authorized consuming device is authorized to receive results from the at least one data set.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

receiving search result input from the at least one computing device in the second region of control defining second structural information of the structural information for which at least one authorized consuming device is authorized to receive results from the at least one data set.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

automatically generating a query interface based on the search parameter input and the search result input for at least one authorized consuming device to use to search the at least one data set according to query constraints defined by the search parameter input and the search result input.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

combining the query interface with at least one other query interface according to same or similar search parameter input based on comparing the query interface with the at least one other query interface.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

combining the query interface with at least one other query interface according to same or similar search results input based on comparing the query interface with the at least one other query interface.

10. A system for hosting data or connecting to hosted data published by publishers and consumed by consumers via queries, comprising:

an information service configured to receive at least one data set published by a publishing device; and

a query definition component configured to present structural information associated with at least one subset of data of the at least one data set determined by the information service and configured to receive at least one selection of input from the structural information to define at least one query capability for enforcement over the at least one data set by the information service.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a query generator configured to generate a query interface, in response to receiving the at least one selection of the input, for querying over the at least one data set by at least one consuming device.

12. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a query aggregator configured to combine the query interface with at least one other query interface.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the query aggregator is configured to combine the query interface with the at least one other query interface according to same or similar query definition based on a comparison of the query interface with the at least one other query interface.

14. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a query optimizer configured to optimize at least one data store storing the at least one data set, in response to receiving the at least one selection of the input, for optimization of querying over the at least one data set.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the query definition component is configured to present column information of the at least one data set determined by the information service from an analysis of the at least one data set.

16. A method for publishing data, comprising:

publishing, by at least one publishing computing device in a first region of control to at least one receiving computing device in a second region of control, at least one data set;

interfacing to an interface, generated by the at least one receiving computing device in the second region of control, including information relating to structured information associated with the at least one data set based on an analysis of the at least one data set by the at least one receiving computing device; and

selecting at least one search parameter from the structured information for searching by at least one consuming device over the at least one data set based on the at least one search parameter.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one search parameter to the at least one receiving device for automatic generation of a query interface for querying over the at least one data set.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

selecting at least one search result option from the structured information for receiving results by the at least one consuming device in response to the searching with the at least one search parameter.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one search result option to the at least one receiving device for automatic generation of a query interface that returns search results based on the at least one search result option.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the interfacing includes interfacing to the interface including information relating to columns associated with the at least one data set.