System and method for asynchronous control of report generation using a network interface

• US 6,279,033 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Inventors: Alavi, Ali, Harold, Lee C., Selvarajan, Inbarajan, Smith, Damon W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUPSTAS, TOD A
• Application Number:
  US09/321,830
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/218, 709/200, 709/202, 709/229, 707/101, 707/102
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

An OLAP system with decision support technology for enabling a user to asynchronously generate report requests through a web browser or other user interface module connected over a network to the OLAP system. Once the request is received by the server, the web browser is freed to enable the user to conduct other activities including the requesting of other reports while the first requested report is processing. The server maintains a list of reports requested. With each request for a report received, the system determines whether a similar report has been requested and either generates the report if the report has not been previously requested or adds a request by that user to a report list of a report that has been previously requested without processing the report again. If the requested report was already completed, the results are immediately returned to the user. The report list may be used to display the status of reports requested and provide a system user with various options relating to the reports being generated (e.g., cancel, refresh).

Claims

1. A network-based system for enabling users connected via a network user interface over the network to an OLAP system to asynchronously submit requests for reports through a single instance of the network user interface to be processed by an OLAP system, the network-based system comprising:

a network server module that interacts with network user interfaces operating on user systems to enable communications between the network-based system and the network user interfaces;

report receiving means for receiving a first request from an instance of the network user interface for the OLAP system to process a report;

control means for returning control to the instance of the network user interface to enable the user to utilize the same instance of the network user interface to enter a second request through the instance of the network user interface while the first request is being processed; and

on-line analytical processing means for generating requested reports.

2. The network-based system of claim 1 wherein the control means enables users to submit multiple reports asynchronously through the same instance of the network user interface.

3. The network-based system of claim 1 further comprising a report list presentation means for transmitting a report list to the network user interface, wherein the report list includes information about one or more reports that the user has requested.

4. The network-based system of claim 3 further comprising a report selection means for presenting a selection object that enables a user to select a report on the report list and for presenting more detailed information about that report in response to the selection.

5. The network-based system of claim 4 wherein the report selection means enables a user to return to the report to modify the report for re-submission.

6. The network-based system of claim 3 wherein the report presentation means enables a user to cancel a report from the report list.

8. The network-based system of claim 1 further comprising report control means for comparing a request from the user to existing report requests to avoid duplicating reports.

9. The network-based system of claim 1 further comprising cancellation receiving means for receiving a cancellation request from a user to cancel a report that the user has previously requested and still being processed and for canceling the user'"'"'s request for that report before or during processing of that report.

10. The network-based system of claim 1 further comprising a status presentation means for transmitting status information to the user over the network related to a request for a report that the user has submitted.

11. The network-based system of claim 1 further comprising notification means for notifying the user when a requested report has completed.

12. The network-based system of claim 1 further comprising multi-user report list maintenance and presentation means for maintaining a multi-user report list containing a report entry for reports requested by one or more of a plurality of users and presenting that multi-user report list.

13. The network-based system of claim 12 wherein the multi-user report list maintenance and presentation means enables authorized users to cancel reports in the multi-user report list.

14. The network-based system of claim 1 wherein the report receiving means comprises workbook request means for receiving a request to process a workbook for a user.

15. The network-based system of claim 1 wherein the OLAP system is a relational OLAP system.

16. The network-based system of claim 15 wherein the control receiving means, control means and on-line analytical processing means comprise components of a server system of the ROLAP system.

7. A network-based system for enabling users connected via a network user interface over the network to an OLAP system to asynchronously submit requests for reports to be processed by an OLAP system, the network-based system comprising:

report receiving means for receiving a request from an instance of the network user interface for the OLAP system to process a report;

storage means for storing a report entry for reports that have been requested, including reports requested by other users and reports that are being processed;

report control means for adding a request by that user to the report entry of a particular report in the report list if the report requested by the user is substantially the same as that particular report contained in the report list so that a report is processed once and a result from the report is provided to each user making a request for that report; and

on-line analytical processing means for generating requested reports.

17. A method of asynchronously processing requests for reports to be processed by an OLAP system submitted from a single instance of a user interface connected over a network to the OLAP system comprising steps of:

receiving a request from an instance of a user interface for the OLAP system to process a first report, wherein the request is received from a report request system that prevents user report requests from being entered through the instance of the user interface upon transmission of a report request;

placing the report request in line to be processed;

returning control to the instance of the user interface to enable the user to utilize the same instance of the user interface to enter a second report request through the same instance of the user interface while the first request is being processed; and

processing requested reports on the OLAP system.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of transmitting a report list to the user, wherein the report list includes information about one or more reports that the user has requested.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of enabling a user to return to the report to modify the report for re-submission.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of enabling a user to cancel a report from the report list.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

storing a report list containing a report entry for reports requested; and

adding a user to the report entry for a particular report in the report list if the report requested by the user is substantially the same as that particular report in the report list so that a report is processed once and delivered to the users requesting that report.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

enabling a user to cancel a request for a report; and

canceling the user'"'"'s request for the report while that report is still being processed.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of notifying the user when a requested report has completed.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a multi-user report list containing a report entry for reports requested by one or more of a plurality of user;

presenting that multi-user report list; and

enabling cancellation of reports by authorized users through the multi-user report list.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the requested report comprises a workbook.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the OLAP system is a relational OLAP system.

27. A network-based system for enabling users to asynchronously submit requests for reports to be processed by an OLAP system through a single instance of a browser, the network-based system comprising a user interface module operatively connected over a network to a server system, the user interface module comprising:

a user interface presentation module that presents a user with a view for each instance of the user interface;

a report requesting means for enabling a user to request a report to be processed by the OLAP system through a view of an instance of the user interface;

report request transmission means for transmitting the request to the server system and preventing user report requests from being entered through the instance of the user interface module; and

control means for receiving a signal from the server system to enable entering of a second report request through the instance of the user interface module to enable the user to utilize the instance of the user interface module to perform other tasks while the first requested report is being processed.

28. The user interface module of claim 27 further comprising report list presentation means for presenting a report list to the user, wherein the report list includes information about one or more reports that the user has requested.

29. The user interface module of claim 27 further comprising cancellation means for enabling a user to cancel a report request prior to completion of processing of the report.

30. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for enabling users connected over a network to an OLAP system to use a single instance of a network user interface to asynchronously request reports to be processed by the OLAP system, the medium comprising:

computer readable program code for causing a computer system to interact with network user interfaces operating on user systems to communicate with the network user interfaces;

computer readable program code for causing a computer system to receive requests from an instance of the user interface for the OLAP system to process reports, wherein the request is received from a report request system that prevents user report requests from being entered through the instance of the user interface upon transmission of a report request;

computer readable program code for causing a computer system to return control to the instance of the user interface to enable the user to utilize the same instance of the user interface to perform other tasks, including entering of a second report request through the same instance of the user interface while the first request is being processed; and

computer readable program code for causing a computer system to process requested reports on the OLAP system.