Generalizing Formats of Business Data Queries and Results

• US 20130304756A1
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Conradi, Christian, Flintermann, Julian, Rogowski, Justus
• Granted Patent: US 9,159,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for adapting formats of data queries into a generic format. A query requesting data stored in a business objects data source is received. The query has a generic format and includes parameters that describe a computer interface implementation configured to execute the query to identify the requested data. Based on the one or more parameters, the computer software interface implementation is identified. The interface implementation specifies an interface-specific query format. The query is converted from the generic query format into the interface-specific query format, and provided to the computer software interface implementation. The interface implementation executes the interface-specific query and obtains the requested data in an interface-specific results format. This data is converted into a generic results format, and provided in response to receiving the query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a query requesting data stored in a business objects data source, wherein the query has a generic query format and wherein the query includes one or more parameters that at least in part describes a computer software interface implementation configured to execute the query to identify the data requested in the query;

identifying, based on the one or more parameters, the computer software interface implementation that is configured to execute the query, wherein the computer software interface implementation specifies an interface-specific query format;

converting the query from the generic query format into the interface-specific query format; and

providing the interface-specific query format to the computer software interface implementation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer software interface implementation executes the interface-specific query to identify the data requested in the query and obtains the data in an interface-specific results format, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the data requested in the query in the interface-specific results format;

converting the data from the interface-specific results format into a generic results format; and

providing the data in the generic results format in response to receiving the query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters specifies the computer software interface implementation that is configured to execute the query, and wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises identifying the computer software interface implementation specified in the one or more parameters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters specifies the business objects data source on which the query is to be executed, and wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises identifying the computer software interface implementation configured to execute the query on the business objects data source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises:

identifying a plurality of computer software interface implementations, each of which is configured to execute the query;

identifying, for each of the plurality of computer software interface implementations, a connection between a respective computer software interface implementation and the business objects data source that stores the data requested in the search query; and

selecting a particular computer software interface implementation as the computer software interface implementation to execute the query based on a particular connection between the particular computer software interface implementation and the business objects data source.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the particular connection is a direct connection and the particular computer software interface implementation is a Business Intelligence Consumer Services (BICS) interface implementation.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the particular connection is either a direct connection or a remote connection and the particular computer software interface implementation is a multi-dimensional expression (MDX) interface implementation.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the query, identifying the computer software interface implementation, and converting the query are implemented as a computer software layer positioned between a consumer software application layer from which the query is received and a layer in which the plurality of computer software interface implementations are implemented.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer software instructions executable by one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a query requesting data stored in a business objects data source, wherein the query has a generic query format and wherein the query includes one or more parameters that at least in part describes a computer software interface implementation configured to execute the query to identify the data requested in the query;

identifying, based on the one or more parameters, the computer software interface implementation that is configured to execute the query, wherein the computer software interface implementation specifies an interface-specific query format;

converting the query from the generic query format into the interface-specific query format; and

providing the interface-specific query format to the computer software interface implementation.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the computer software interface implementation executes the interface-specific query to identify the data requested in the query and obtains the data in an interface-specific results format, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the data requested in the query in the interface-specific results format;

converting the data from the interface-specific results format into a generic results format; and

providing the data in the generic results format in response to receiving the query.

11. The medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more parameters specifies the computer software interface implementation that is configured to execute the query, and wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises identifying the computer software interface implementation specified in the one or more parameters.

12. The medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more parameters specifies the business objects data source on which the query is to be executed, and wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises identifying the computer software interface implementation configured to execute the query on the business objects data source.

13. The medium of claim 9, wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises:

identifying a plurality of computer software interface implementations, each of which is configured to execute the query;

identifying, for each of the plurality of computer software interface implementations, a connection between a respective computer software interface implementation and the business objects data source that stores the data requested in the search query; and

selecting a particular computer software interface implementation as the computer software interface implementation to execute the query based on a particular connection between the particular computer software interface implementation and the business objects data source.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the particular connection is a direct connection and the particular computer software interface implementation is a Business Intelligence Consumer Services (BICS) interface implementation.

15. The medium of claim 13, wherein the particular connection is either a direct connection or a remote connection and the particular computer software interface implementation is a multi-dimensional expression (MDX) interface implementation.

16. The medium of claim 13, wherein receiving the query, identifying the computer software interface implementation, and converting the query are implemented as a computer software layer positioned between a consumer software application layer from which the query is received and a layer in which the plurality of computer software interface implementations are implemented.

17. A system comprising:

one or more data processing apparatus; and

a computer-readable medium storing computer software instructions executable by the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving a query requesting data stored in a business objects data source, wherein the query has a generic query format and wherein the query includes one or more parameters that at least in part describes a computer software interface implementation configured to execute the query to identify the data requested in the query;

identifying, based on the one or more parameters, the computer software interface implementation that is configured to execute the query, wherein the computer software interface implementation specifies an interface-specific query format;

converting the query from the generic query format into the interface-specific query format; and

providing the interface-specific query format to the computer software interface implementation.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer software interface implementation executes the interface-specific query to identify the data requested in the query and obtains the data in an interface-specific results format, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the data requested in the query in the interface-specific results format;

converting the data from the interface-specific results format into a generic results format; and

providing the data in the generic results format in response to receiving the query.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more parameters specifies the computer software interface implementation that is configured to execute the query, and wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises identifying the computer software interface implementation specified in the one or more parameters.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more parameters specifies the business objects data source on which the query is to be executed, and wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises identifying the computer software interface implementation configured to execute the query on the business objects data source.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein identifying the computer software interface implementation comprises:

identifying a plurality of computer software interface implementations, each of which is configured to execute the query;

identifying, for each of the plurality of computer software interface implementations, a connection between a respective computer software interface implementation and the business objects data source that stores the data requested in the search query; and

selecting a particular computer software interface implementation as the computer software interface implementation to execute the query based on a particular connection between the particular computer software interface implementation and the business objects data source.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the particular connection is a direct connection and the particular computer software interface implementation is a Business Intelligence Consumer Services (BICS) interface implementation.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the particular connection is either a direct connection or a remote connection and the particular computer software interface implementation is a multi-dimensional expression (MDX) interface implementation.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein receiving the query, identifying the computer software interface implementation, and converting the query are implemented as a computer software layer positioned between a consumer software application layer from which the query is received and a layer in which the plurality of computer software interface implementations are implemented.