CONTEXT-BASED GRAPHICAL DATABASE

• US 20140046981A1
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: FRIEDLANDER, ROBERT R., KRAEMER, JAMES R., ADAMS, SAMUEL S., GERKEN, JOHN K. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/798
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/28 Databases characterised by their database models, e.g. relational or object models

Abstract

A context-based graphical database system for storing a data structure comprises an entity node that stores an identifier of an entity. A data node stores non-contextual entity data about the entity. At least one context node is linked to the data node. The at least one context node provides context to the non-contextual entity data in the data node to create contextual entity data. A pointer from the entity node to the data node returns a data node identifier to the entity node to link the contextual entity data to the entity.

Claims

1. A context-based graphical database system for storing a data structure, the database system comprising:

an entity node, wherein the entity node stores an identifier of an entity;

a data node, wherein the data node stores non-contextual entity data about the entity, wherein the non-contextual entity data is meaningless data, and wherein the meaningless data has no context to identify what the meaningless data describes;

at least one context node linked to the data node, wherein said at least one context node provides context to the non-contextual entity data in the data node to create contextual entity data, and wherein the contextual entity data is meaningful data that contextually describes the entity; and

a pointer from the entity node to the data node, wherein the pointer returns a data node identifier to the entity node to correlate the contextual entity data to the entity.

2. The context-based graphical database system of claim 1, further comprising:

a query node linked to the entity node, wherein the query node receives the data node identifier from the entity node to locate the contextual entity data;

an evaluation node linked to the query node, wherein the evaluation node stores baseline data, and wherein the evaluation node is linked to said at least one context node to create contextual baseline data; and

a computation node linked to the evaluation node, wherein the computation node compares the contextual entity data to the contextual baseline data to determine a probability of the contextual entity data being abnormal, wherein the contextual entity data being abnormal indicates a malfunction in the entity.

3. The context-based graphical database system of claim 2, wherein the computation node utilizes a probability distribution of historical data to determine the probability of the contextual entity data being abnormal.

4. The context-based graphical database system of claim 2, wherein the computation node utilizes a probability distribution of simulation data, for an entity type of the entity, to determine the probability of the contextual entity data being abnormal.

5. The context-based graphical database system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sub-context node linked to said at least one context node, wherein the sub-context node provides additional context to the contextual entity data.

6. The context-based graphical database system of claim 1, wherein the entity is a medical patient, wherein the contextual entity data describes a medical condition of the medical patient, and wherein the contextual entity data is received at the data node from a medical monitoring device.

7. The context-based graphical database system of claim 1, wherein the entity is a machine, wherein the contextual entity data describes a sensor output from the machine, and wherein the contextual entity data is received at the data node from a sensor on the machine.

8. The context-based graphical database system of claim 1, wherein the entity is an information technology (IT) system, wherein the contextual entity data describes an output from a component of the IT system, and wherein the contextual entity data is received at the data node directly from the component of the IT system.

9. A computer program product for creating a context-based graphical database system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to establish an entity node, wherein the entity node stores an identifier of an entity;

second program instructions to establish a data node, wherein the data node stores non-contextual entity data about the entity, wherein the non-contextual entity data is meaningless data, and wherein the meaningless data has no context to identify what the meaningless data describes;

third program instructions to establish at least one context node linked to the data node, wherein said at least one context node provides context to the non-contextual entity data in the data node to create contextual entity data, and wherein the contextual entity data is meaningful data that contextually describes the entity; and

fourth program instructions to establish a pointer from the entity node to the data node, wherein the pointer returns a data node identifier to the entity node to correlate the contextual entity data to the entity; and

wherein

the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to establish a query node linked to the entity node, wherein the query node receives the data node identifier from the entity node to locate the contextual entity data;

sixth program instructions to establish an evaluation node linked to the query node, wherein the evaluation node stores baseline data, and wherein the evaluation node is linked to said at least one context node to create contextual baseline data; and

seventh program instructions to establish a computation node linked to the evaluation node, wherein the computation node compares the contextual entity data to the contextual baseline data to determine a probability of the contextual entity data being abnormal, wherein the contextual entity data being abnormal indicates a malfunction in the entity; and

wherein

the fifth, sixth, and seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to establish a sub-context node linked to said at least one context node, wherein the sub-context node provides additional context to the contextual entity data; and

wherein

the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the entity is a medical patient, wherein the contextual entity data describes a medical condition of the medical patient, and wherein the contextual entity data is received at the data node from a medical diagnostic device.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the entity is a machine, wherein the contextual entity data describes a sensor output from the machine, and wherein the contextual entity data is received at the data node from a sensor on the machine.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the entity is an information technology (IT) system, wherein the contextual entity data describes an output from a component of the IT system, and wherein the contextual entity data is received at the data node directly from the component of the IT system.

15. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU), a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to establish an entity node, wherein the entity node stores an identifier of an entity;

second program instructions to establish a data node, wherein the data node stores non-contextual entity data about the entity, wherein the non-contextual entity data is meaningless data, and wherein the meaningless data has no context to identify what the meaningless data describes;

third program instructions to establish at least one context node linked to the data node, wherein said at least one context node provides context to the non-contextual entity data in the data node to create contextual entity data, and wherein the contextual entity data is meaningful data that contextually describes the entity; and

fourth program instructions to establish a pointer from the entity node to the data node, wherein the pointer returns a data node identifier to the entity node to correlate the contextual entity data to the entity; and

wherein

the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to establish a query node linked to the entity node, wherein the query node receives the data node identifier from the entity node to locate the contextual entity data;

sixth program instructions to establish an evaluation node linked to the query node, wherein the evaluation node stores baseline data, and wherein the evaluation node is linked to said at least one context node to create contextual baseline data; and

seventh program instructions to establish a computation node linked to the evaluation node, wherein the computation node compares the contextual entity data to the contextual baseline data to determine a probability of the contextual entity data being abnormal, wherein the contextual entity data being abnormal indicates a malfunction in the entity; and

wherein

the fifth, sixth, and seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the computation node utilizes a probability distribution of historical data to determine the probability of the contextual entity data being abnormal.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the computation node utilizes a probability distribution of simulation data, for an entity type of the entity, to determine the probability of the contextual entity data being abnormal.

19. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to establish a sub-context node linked to said at least one context node, wherein the sub-context node provides additional context to the contextual entity data; and

wherein

the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the entity is an information technology (IT) system, wherein the contextual entity data describes an output from a component of the IT system, and wherein the contextual entity data is received at the data node directly from the component of the IT system.