Multi-dimensional data management system

• US 6,366,922 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JDA Software Group Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Althoff, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/409,069
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/4, 707/100, 707/103, 707/3
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Multi-dimensional data is organized into classes which correspond to each of the dimensions that characterize the data. All relevant data is consolidated into a fact table, which is based upon information of interest. The data within this table is linked to the top level of each class that corresponds to a different dimension of data, and subclasses which exist within a given dimension of class automatically inherit the linked reference to the consolidated data. A user can thereby select search criteria within particular classes that correspond to the dimensions of interest. This search criteria is then used to form a query which is applied to a relational database, to obtain the desired results.

Claims

1. A multi-dimensional object/relational database system, comprising:

at least one table containing data which can be characterized by a plurality of dimensions;

a plurality of object-oriented classes which are respectively associated with said plurality of dimensions and which map to corresponding data in said table, wherein said classes model a hierarchy of inherited properties; and

a search engine which retrieves data from said table in accordance with user-designated properties of said classes and said hierarchy of inherited properties.

2. The database system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said classes contain subclasses with properties unique to each subclass and which inherit additional properties from their parent classes, and wherein said search engine retrieves data corresponding to both unique and inherited properties of a subclass designated by a user.

3. The database system of claim 2 wherein each of said classes and subclasses maps to a respective table containing data which corresponds to the properties of its associated class or subclass.

4. The database system of claim 3 wherein each table contains data which corresponds only to the unique properties of its associated class or subclass.

5. The database system of claim 1 further including a user interface comprising a first panel which illustrates the hierarchical relationship of said classes, and a second panel which displays the properties of a selected class.

6. The database system of claim 5 wherein said second panel includes a means for the user to specify values for the displayed properties of a selected class.

7. The database system of claim 6 wherein said user-specifying means includes a window in which the user can enter a value.

8. The database system of claim 6 wherein said user-specifying means includes a list in which the user can select from all of the available values for a property.

9. A user interface for submitting queries within a multi-dimensional object/relational database system having a plurality of object-oriented classes which are respectively associated with different dimensions of data stored in a relational database, comprising:

a first panel which illustrates all views available to the user;

a second panel which illustrates all data classes associated with a view selected by the user from the first panel, wherein the data classes are displayed in a hierarchical relationship order;

a third panel which displays the parameter values available for a selected class and includes means for a user to specify parameter values for a query.

10. The user interface of claim 9 wherein said user-specifying means includes a window in which the user can enter a value.

11. The user interface of claim 9 wherein said user-specifying means includes a list in which the user can select from all of the available values for a property.

12. A method of searching multi-dimensional data, comprising:

modeling a hierarchy of object data classes across a set of multi-dimensional data, wherein each class corresponds to one dimension of the data, and wherein each class can have one or more subclasses;

building a two-dimensional fact table, wherein each column of said fact table corresponds to a data class or subclass, and wherein the entries in the fact table comprise data elements of the set of data;

linking each column in the fact table to the top level of the corresponding data class in the hierarchy;

linking each subclass to the class directly above it in the hierarchy; and

searching the fact table for data with preferred properties, wherein each subclass inherits properties from the classes above it in the hierarchy.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

constructing all possible multi-dimensional queries of the data comprising the fact table; and

storing the results of said multi-dimensional queries in the fact table.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of searching includes locating query results through the hierarchical linking of classes and subclasses and the inherited properties.