System and method for generating reports from a computer database

• US 5,721,903 A
• Filed: 10/12/1995
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: O'Flaherty, Kenneth W., Schubert, Richard N., Selfridge, Peter G., Anand, Tejwansh S., Georgantos, Michael A., Hu, Yih-Shiuan, Knutson, James F., Lettington, Drew T., Lindsay, Marshall P., Meyer, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Min, Donald
• Application Number:
  US08/545,048
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 395/601, 395/602, 395/603, 395/604, 395/613, 395/605, 395/611
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for generating a report for a user which allows the user to make decisions, without requiring the user to understand or interpret data itself. A database management program executed by a server within a system for generating the report for the user includes a first subsystem for translating user requests for data, for generating dimensional queries for retrieving data from a database, and for processing user modifications to data types used in generating the report. A second subsystem coupled to the first subsystem reads data from the database, creates the data types, creates a mapping of the data types to the data, uses the mapping to translate user-initiated dimensional queries received from the first subsystem into Structured Query Language (SQL), and returns query results to the first subsystem. A third subsystem creates the report at a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A system for generating a report for a user regarding an enterprise of the user, comprising:

a first computer which executes an application program which allows the user to create data types, to create and constrain relationships between the data types, and to select and define an analyst representing a method of analysis to use in generating the report, wherein the analyst selects and retrieves dimensional queries and executes the dimensional queries to retrieve data within the data types to generate the report;

a database containing the data; and

a second computer coupled between the first computer and the second computer which executes a database management program including

a first subsystem for translating user requests for the data, for generating the dimensional queries for retrieving the data from the database, and for processing user modifications to the data types used in generating the report;

a second subsystem coupled to the first subsystem which reads the data from the database, creates the data types, creates a mapping of the data types to the data, uses the mapping to translate the dimensional queries received from the first subsystem into Structured Query Language (SQL), and returns query results to the first subsystem; and

a third subsystem for automatically running the analyst at predetermined times and for causing alerts to be displayed when the data satisfies user-selected alert conditions.

2. A system for generating a report for a user regarding an enterprise of the user, comprising:

a client computer which executes an application program including

a graphical user interface (GUI) which allows the user to select and specify parameters for the report, display the report, print the report, and save the report;

a business information setup subsystem which allows the user to create data types and create and constrain relationships between the data types; and

an analyst definition subsystem which allows the user to select an analyst representing a method of analysis to use in generating the report using the GUI, wherein the analyst selects and retrieves dimensional queries for the analyst and executes the dimensional queries to retrieve data within the data types to generate the report;

a database containing the data;

a server coupled between the client computer and the database which executes a database management program including

a first subsystem for translating user requests for the data, for generating the dimensional queries for retrieving the data from the database, and for processing user modifications to the data types used in generating the report;

a second subsystem coupled to the first subsystem which reads the data from the database, creates the data types, creates a mapping of the data types to the data, uses the mapping to translate the dimensional queries received from the first subsystem into Structured Query Language (SQL), and returns query results to the first subsystem; and

a third subsystem for automatically running the analyst at predetermined times and for causing alerts to be displayed when the data satisfies user-selected alert conditions.

3. A system for generating a report for a user regarding an enterprise of the user, comprising:

a computer which executes a database management program including

a first subsystem for translating user requests for data from a database, for generating user-initiated dimensional queries for retrieving the data from the database, and for processing user modifications to data types used in generating the report;

a second subsystem coupled to the first subsystem which reads the data from the database, creates the data types, creates a mapping of the data types to the data, uses the mapping to translate the user-initiated dimensional queries received from the first subsystem into Structured Query Language (SQL), and returns query results to the first subsystem; and

a third subsystem for automatically running the analyst at predetermined times and for causing alerts to be displayed when the data satisfies user-selected alert conditions.

4. A method of generating a report for a user regarding an enterprise of the user, comprising the step of:

storing data related to the enterprise as metadata in a data warehouse;

creating and modifying data types by a first computer coupled to the data warehouse in response to first user selections recorded by an application program executed by a second computer coupled to the first computer;

creating a mapping of the data types to the metadata by the first computer;

creating an analyst from predetermined business segments and measures by the application program;

saving the analyst for future analysis of the metadata by the application program;

recording a schedule of a number of user-selected times for the analyst to run by the application program;

recording a user-selected alert condition by the application program;

selecting dimensional queries for retrieving metadata from the data warehouse by the analyst in response to receipt of any one of a number of commands including a command from the user to run the analyst by the application program, and receipt of a command from the first computer to automatically run the analyst at one of the user-selected times;

translating the dimensional queries into Structured Query Language (SQL) using the mappings by the first computer;

obtaining a portion of the metadata from the data warehouse in satisfaction of the dimensional queries by the first computer;

returning the portion of the metadata to the application program;

displaying the metadata in a user-selected format by the application program;

determining from the portion of the metadata whether the alert condition is satisfied by the application program; and

displaying an alert by the second computer if the alert condition is satisfied.