Federated searching of heterogeneous datastores using a federated datastore object

• US 6,263,342 B1
• Filed: 04/01/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Donn, Siyi Terry, Hembry, Douglas Michael, Lee, Tae Jae, Soetarman, Basuki N., Summers, Robert N., Tung, Frank C., Chang, Daniel T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choules, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/052,680
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/3, 707/10, 707/1, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2452 Query translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A computer method and system capable of searching multiple heterogeneous datastores with heterogeneous data types by employing an object oriented data model to define a federated datastore object. The federated query object translates a generic query into the appropriate queries for each datastore, the federated datastore object acts as a virtual datastore for multiple heterogeneous datastores with the ability to map concepts between datastores, and the federated collection object represents results from a federated query in a hierarchy that maintains sub-grouping information from each datastore to allow accessing of results by datastore or as a single collection of results. The federated objects thus provide user applications with enhanced accessibility of different hierarchies of information, as well as more robust search capabilities.

Claims

1. A method of managing information in a computer system having multiple heterogeneous datastores, comprising:

representing at least two of said heterogeneous datastores each as a logical datastore object of an object-oriented data model; and

representing said at least two datastore objects together as a federated datastore object of said data model wherein said federated datastore object provides access to said two heterogeneous datastores through said two datastore objects.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said federated datastore object includes sufficient information regarding the architecture of said heterogeneous datastores to perform transactions with each of said heterogeneous datastores through said datastore objects.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to send queries to said heterogeneous datastores through said datastore objects.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to send parametric, text, and image queries.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to map data from a first datastore to corresponding data from a second datastore.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said first datastore employs a different query language than said second datastore.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said mapping enables a user to merge data from multiple datastores.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein said federated datastore'"'"'s mapping capability enables a user to access data retrieved from said second datastore by selecting corresponding data retrieved from said first datastore.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said representing of said two datastore objects together provides a user with a consistent and unified conceptual view of both of said two datastores.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to map user information from said federated datastore object to corresponding user information formats of said multiple heterogeneous datastores.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

registering information of said multiple heterogeneous datastores into said federated datastore object to enable said federated datastore object to subsequently access additional information from said multiple heterogeneous datastores.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein said mapping allows a user-id and password for the federated datastore to be respectively mapped into a user-id and password for each said heterogeneous datastores.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein said mapping is expressed in a persistent mapping definition language.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein said mapping provides for the mapping of an attribute from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogenous datastores.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein said mapping provides for the mapping of multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to an attribute in one of said heterogenous datastores.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein said mapping provides for the mapping of multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogenous datastores.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein said mapping definition language provides for the mapping of:

one attribute from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogenous datastores;

multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to an attribute in one of said heterogenous datastores; and

multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogenous datastores.

18. A method according to claim 1, further comprising translating a query into native queries that respectively correspond to said heterogenous datastores.

19. A method according to claim 1, further comprising converting data in a query into data types that respectively correspond to said heterogenous datastores.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising filtering out data which is irrelevant to one of said native queries.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising converting data in a query into data types that respectively correspond to said heterogenous datastores.

22. A method according to claim 1, further comprising converting data from said heterogenous datastores into a different format.

23. A method according to claim 1, further comprising filtering results of a query from said heterogenous datastores to exclude data.

24. A method according to claim 1, further comprising merging results of a query of said heterogenous datastores into a federated collection object, said federated collection object being defined by a federated collection class in said object-oriented data model and representing a collection of collections of results from said query.

25. An object-oriented computer software package for managing information in a computer system having multiple heterogeneous datastores, said software comprising;

a datastore class defining methods and attributes used by a datastore object to represent a heterogeneous datastore; and

a federated datastore defining methods and attributes used by a federated datastore object to represent a plurality of said datastore objects together as a federated datastore object wherein said federated datastore object provides access to said heterogeneous datastore through said datastore object.

26. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object includes sufficient information regarding the architecture of said heterogeneous datastores to perform transactions with each of said heterogeneous datastores through said datastore objects.

27. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to send queries to said heterogeneous datastores through said datastore objects.

28. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to send parametric, text, and image queries.

29. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to map data from a first datastore to corresponding data from a second datastore.

30. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 29, wherein said first datastore employs a different query language than said second datastore.

31. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 29, wherein said mapping enables a user to merge data from multiple datastores.

32. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 29, wherein said federated datastore'"'"'s mapping capability enables a user to access data retrieved from said second datastore by selecting corresponding data retrieved from said first datastore.

33. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said representing of said two datastore objects together provides a user with a consistent and unified conceptual view of both of said two datastores.

34. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to map user information from said federated datastore object to corresponding user information formats of said multiple heterogeneous datastores.

35. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, further comprising:

registering information of said multiple heterogeneous datastores into said federated datastore object to enable said federated datastore object to subsequently access additional information from said multiple heterogeneous datastores.

36. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 34, wherein said mapping allows a user-id and password for the federated datastore to be respectively mapped into a user-id and password for each said heterogeneous datastores.

37. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 34, wherein said mapping is expressed in a persistent mapping definition language.

38. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 34, wherein said mapping provides for the mapping of an attribute from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogenous datastores.

39. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 34, wherein said mapping provides for the mapping of multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to an attribute in one of said heterogenous datastores.

40. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 34, wherein said mapping provides for the mapping of multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogenous datastores.

41. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 37, wherein said mapping definition language provides for the mapping of:

one attribute from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogenous datastores;

multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to an attribute in one of said heterogenous datastores; and

multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogenous datastores.

42. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to translate a query into native queries that respectively correspond to said heterogenous datastores.

43. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to convert data in a query into data types that respectively correspond to said heterogenous datastores.

44. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 42, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to filter out data from said query which is irrelevant to one of said native queries.

45. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 44, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to convert data in a query into data types that respectively correspond to said heterogenous datastores.

46. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to converting data from said heterogenous datastores into a different format.

47. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore object is operable to filter results of a query from said heterogenous datastores to exclude data.

48. An object-oriented computer software package according to claim 25, wherein said federated datastore is operable to merge results of a query of said heterogenous datastores into a federated collection object, said federated collection object being defined by a federated collection class in an object-oriented data model and representing a collection of collections of results from said query.

49. A computer system capable of managing information from multiple heterogeneous datastores, comprising:

a memory system storing instructions;

a CPU operable to read said instructions from said memory system and operate according to said instructions, said instructions enabling said CPU to represent at least two of said heterogeneous datastores each as a logical datastore object of an object-oriented data model, and represent said at least two datastore objects together as a federated datastore object of said data model wherein said federated datastore object provides access to said two heterogeneous datastores through said two datastore objects.

50. A computer system according to claim 49, wherein said federated datastore object includes sufficient information regarding the architecture of said heterogeneous datastores to enable said CPU to perform transactions with each of said heterogeneous datastores through said datastore objects.

51. A computer system according to claim 49, wherein said federated datastore object enables said CPU to send queries to said heterogeneous datastores through said datastore objects.

52. A computer system according to claim 49, wherein said federated datastore object enables said CPU to send parametric, text, and image queries.

53. A computer system according to claim 49, wherein said federated datastore object enables said CPU to map data from a first datastore to corresponding data from a second datastore.

54. A computer system according to claim 53, wherein said first datastore employs a different query language than said second datastore.

55. A computer system according to claim 53, wherein said mapping enables a user to merge data from multiple datastores.

56. A computer system according to claim 53, wherein said federated datastores mapping capability enables a user to access data retrieved from said second datastore by selecting corresponding data retrieved from said first datastore.

57. A computer system according to claim 49, wherein said representing of said two datastore objects together provides a user with a consistent and unified conceptual view of both of said two datastores.

58. A computer system according to claim 49, wherein said federated datastore object enables said CPU to map user information from said federated datastore object to corresponding user information formats of said multiple heterogeneous datastores.

59. A computer system according to claim 49, further comprising:

instructions which enable said CPU to register information of said multiple heterogeneous datastores into said federated datastore object to enable said federated datastore object to subsequently cause said CPU to access additional information from said multiple heterogeneous datastores.

60. A computer system according to claim 58, wherein said mapping allows a user-id and password for the federated datastore to be respectively mapped into a user-id and password for each said heterogeneous datastores.

61. A computer system according to claim 58, wherein said mapping is expressed in a persistent mapping definition language.

62. A computer system according to claim 58, wherein said mapping enables said CPU to map an attribute from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogeneous datastores.

63. A computer system according to claim 58, wherein said mapping provides for the mapping of multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to an attribute in one of said heterogeneous datastores.

64. A computer system according to claim 58, wherein said mapping provides for the mapping of multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogeneous datastores.

65. A computer system according to claim 61, wherein said mapping definition language enables said CPU to map:

one attribute from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogeneous datastores;

multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to an attribute in one of said heterogeneous datastores; and

multiple attributes from said federated datastore object to multiple attributes in said heterogeneous datastores.

66. A computer system according to claim 49, further comprising instructions enabling said CPU to translate a query into native queries that respectively correspond to said heterogeneous datastores.

67. A computer system according to claim 49, further comprising instructions enabling said CPU to convert data in a query into data types that respectively correspond to said heterogeneous datastores.

68. A computer system according to claim 66, further comprising instructions enabling said CPU to filter out data which is irrelevant to one of said native queries.

69. A computer system according to claim 68, further comprising instructions enabling said CPU to convert data in a query into data types that respectively correspond to said heterogeneous datastores.

70. A computer system according to claim 49, further comprising instructions enabling said CPU to convert data from said heterogeneous datastores into a different format.

71. A computer system according to claim 49, further comprising instructions enabling said CPU to filter results of a query from said heterogeneous datastores to exclude data.

72. A computer system according to claim 49, further comprising instructions enabling said CPU to merge results of a query of said heterogeneous datastores into a federated collection object, said federated collection object being defined by a federated collection class in said object-oriented data model and representing a collection of collections of results from said query.