INFORMATION RETRIEVAL FROM A DATABASE SYSTEM

• US 20140358963A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: GROSSET, ROBIN N., PISTERS, RAMON L. H., STEIJVERS, ANTONIUS G. P., VAN HAM, FRANCISCUS J. J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,665,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/244 Grouping and aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24556 Aggregation; Duplicate elimination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A processor-implemented method retrieves information from a database system. A data query, which includes a specification of information to be retrieved from the database system, is generated. A first parameter specifying a condition to be met by the retrieved information is defined. A second parameter specifying one or more data reduction operations to be executed if the condition defined by the first parameter is not met is defined. The generated data query and the first and second parameters are then transmitted to the database system.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving information from a database system, the method comprising:

generating, by one or more processors, a data query comprising a specification of information to be retrieved from the database system;

defining, by one or more processors, a first parameter specifying a condition to be met by the retrieved information;

defining, by one or more processors, a second parameter specifying one or more data reduction operations to be executed if the condition defined by the first parameter is not met; and

transmitting, by one or more processors, the generated data query and the first and second parameters to the database system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining, by one or more processors, a replacement parameter specifying at least one of;

a revised condition to be met by retrieved information, and

one or more revised data reduction operations to be executed if a condition defined by the first parameter or the replacement parameter is not met; and

transmitting, by one or more processors, the replacement parameter to the database system.

3. A method of providing information from a database system to a client system, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a data query defining a specification of information to be retrieved from the database system;

receiving, by one or more processors, a first parameter specifying a condition to be met by retrieved information;

receiving, by one or more processors, a second parameter specifying one or more data reduction operations to be executed if the condition defined by the first parameter is not met;

identifying, by one or more processors, information of the database based on the one or more characteristics defined by the received data query;

determining, by one or more processors, if the identified information meets the condition specified by the first parameter; and

if it is determined that the identified information does not meet the condition specified by the first parameter, then executing, by one or more processors, a data reduction operation specified by the second parameter.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second parameters is integrated as part of the data query.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the data query, the first parameter, and the second parameter is represented in a database query language.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the condition places a limitation on at least one of:

an amount of information to be retrieved,

a total data size of information to be retrieved,

a number of distinct items to be retrieved,

a number of cells to be returned in a multidimensional query, and

a number of tuples on the edge of a multidimensional query.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the one or more data reduction operations have an associated order of preference representing an order in which the one or more data reduction operations are to be executed.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the one or more data reduction operations comprise at least one of:

a data aggregation operation,

a data clustering operation,

a sampling operation, and

a filtering operation.

9. The method according to claim 3, further comprising

if, after executing all of the one or more data reduction operations defined by the first aggregation parameter, it is determined that the identified information does still not meet the specified condition, the executing, by one or more processors, a default data reduction operation.

10. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a replacement parameter specifying a revised condition to be met by retrieved information;

identifying, by one or more processors, information of the database based on the one or more characteristics defined by the received data query;

determining, by one or more processors, if the identified information meets the revised condition specified by the replacement parameter; and

if it is determined that the identified information does not meet the condition specified by the replacement parameter, then executing, by one or more processors, a data reduction operation specified by the second parameter.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the database system is provided on a computer readable medium.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein the database system is provided on a network-accessible data repository.

13. A system for providing information from a database system to a client system, the system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to receive a data query defining a specification of information to be retrieved from the database system;

second program instructions to receive a first parameter specifying a condition to be met by retrieved information;

third program instructions to receive a second parameter specifying one or more data reduction operations to be executed if the condition defined by the first parameter is not met;

fourth program instructions to identify information of the database based on the one or more characteristics defined by the received data query;

fifth program instructions to determine if the identified information meets the condition specified by the first parameter; and

sixth program instructions to, in response to determining that the identified information does not meet the condition specified by the first parameter, execute a data reduction operation specified by the second parameter; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium and executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first and second parameters is integrated as part of the data query.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the data query, the first parameter, and the second parameter is represented in a database query language.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the condition places a limitation on at least one of:

an amount of information to be retrieved,

a total data size of information to be retrieved,

a number of distinct items to be retrieved;

a number of cells to be returned in a multidimensional query, and

a number of tuples on the edge of a multidimensional query.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more data reduction operations have an associated order of preference representing an order in which the one or more data reduction operations are to be executed.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more data reduction operations comprise at least one of:

a data aggregation operation,

a data clustering operation,

a sampling operation, and

a filtering operation.

19. The system according to claim 13, further comprising

seventh program instructions to, after executing all of the one or more data reduction operations defined by the first aggregation parameter, determine that the identified information still does not meet the specified condition;

and

eighth program instructions to, in response to determining that the identified information still does not meet the specified condition, execute a default data reduction operation; and

wherein

the seventh and eighth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium and executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

20. The system according to claim 13, further comprising:

seventh program instructions to receive a replacement parameter specifying a revised condition to be met by retrieved information;

eighth program instructions to identify information of the database based on the one or more characteristics defined by the received data query;

ninth program instructions to determine if the identified information meets the revised condition specified by the replacement parameter; and

tenth program instructions to, in response to determining that the identified information does not meet the condition specified by the replacement parameter, execute a data reduction operation specified by the second parameter; and

wherein

the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium and executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.