INTEROPERABLE SHARED QUERY BASED ON HETEROGENEOUS DATA SOURCES

• US 20140188845A1
• Filed: 01/03/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ah-Soon, Christian, Tsoungui, Olivier
• Granted Patent: US 9,275,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases

Abstract

The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for creating and using shared queries based on heterogeneous data sources. One example method includes receiving a request to execute a shared query, identifying at least one data source and a query specification associated with the shared query, generating a native query for each identified data source based on the identified query specification, executing the generated native queries at the respective data sources to collect a set of query results from the respective data sources, and formatting the set of query results from the respective data sources into a unified set of query results.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executed by at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request to execute a shared query;

identifying at least one data source and a query specification associated with the shared query;

generating a native query for each identified data source based on the identified query specification;

executing the generated native queries at the respective data sources to collect a set of query results from the respective data sources; and

formatting the set of query results from the respective data sources into a unified set of query results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to execute the shared query is received from a reporting tool.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data source includes at least one business object universe.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data source includes at least one of a text file, a web service, an extensible markup language (XML) file, or an excel file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of pre-defined shared queries are stored in an enterprise repository.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined shared queries stored in the enterprise repository is associated with a corresponding set of access rights.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request to execute the shared query represents a specific request to execute a particular shared query from the plurality of pre-defined shared queries from a particular application or user, the method further comprising:

determining whether the particular application or user is allowed to access the shared query based on the set of access rights associated with the shared query;

allowing execution of the shared query upon a determination that the particular application or user is allowed to access the shared query; and

rejecting the execution request upon a determination that the particular application or user is not allowed to access the shared query.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a first and second data source are identified as associated with the shared query, and wherein generating the native query for each of the first and second data sources based on the identified query specification includes:

generating a first native query associated with the first data source based on the identified query specification, the first native query corresponding to a first format associated with the first data source; and

generating a second native query associated with the second data source based on the identified query specification, the second native query corresponding to a second format different than the first format, the second format associated with the second data source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein executing the generated native queries at the respective data sources to collect a set of query results from the respective data sources includes:

executing the first generated native query at the first data source to collect a first set of query results; and

executing the second generated native query at the second data source to collect a second set of query results.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein formatting the set of query results from the respective data sources into a unified set of query results includes:

combining the first set of query results and the second set of query results into the unified set of query results;

generating a homogeneous set of search results based on the unified set of search results; and

providing the homogeneous set of search results for presentation in response to the request to execute the shared query.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared query is originally created by a first application, and wherein the request to execute the shared query is received from a second application different from the first application.

12. A computer program product encoded on a tangible, non-transitory storage medium, the product comprising computer readable instructions for causing one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to execute a shared query;

identifying at least one data source and a query specification associated with the shared query;

generating a native query for each identified data source based on the identified query specification;

executing the generated native queries at the respective data sources to collect a set of query results from the respective data sources; and

formatting the set of query results from the respective data sources into a unified set of query results.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the at least one data source includes at least one business object universe and at least one of a text file, a web service, an extensible markup language (XML) file, or a spreadsheet file.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein a plurality of pre-defined shared queries are stored in an enterprise repository, and wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined shared queries stored in the enterprise repository is associated with a corresponding set of access rights.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the request to execute the shared query represents a specific request to execute a particular shared query from the plurality of pre-defined shared queries from a particular application or user, the operations comprising:

determining whether the particular application or user is allowed to access the shared query based on the set of access rights associated with the shared query;

allowing execution of the shared query upon a determination that the particular application or user is allowed to access the shared query; and

rejecting the execution request upon a determination that the particular application or user is not allowed to access the shared query.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein at least a first and second data source are identified as associated with the shared query, and wherein generating the native query for each of the first and second data sources based on the identified query specification includes:

generating a first native query associated with the first data source based on the identified query specification, the first native query corresponding to a first format associated with the first data source; and

generating a second native query associated with the second data source based on the identified query specification, the second native query corresponding to a second format different than the first format, the second format associated with the second data source.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein executing the generated native queries at the respective data sources to collect a set of query results from the respective data sources includes:

executing the first generated native query at the first data source to collect a first set of query results; and

executing the second generated native query at the second data source to collect a second set of query results.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein formatting the set of query results from the respective data sources into a unified set of query results includes:

combining the first set of query results and the second set of query results into the unified set of query results;

generating a homogeneous set of search results based on the unified set of search results; and

providing the homogeneous set of search results for presentation in response to the request to execute the shared query.

19. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs operable when executed to;

receive a request to execute a shared query;

identify at least one data source and a query specification associated with the shared query;

generate a native query for each identified data source based on the identified query specification;

execute the generated native queries at the respective data sources to collect a set of query results from the respective data sources; and

format the set of query results from the respective data sources into a unified set of query results.

20. The system of claim 19, the system further comprising an enterprise repository storing a plurality of pre-defined shared queries, wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined shared queries is associated with a corresponding set of access rights;

wherein the request to execute the shared query represents a specific request to execute a particular shared query from the plurality of pre-defined shared queries from a particular application or user, the method further comprising;

determining whether the particular application or user is allowed to access the shared query based on the set of access rights associated with the shared query;

allowing execution of the shared query upon a determination that the particular application or user is allowed to access the shared query; and

rejecting the execution request upon a determination that the particular application or user is not allowed to access the shared query.