Dynamic recursive build for multidimensional databases and methods and apparatus thereof

• US 6,405,208 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hyperion Solutions Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Raghavan, Srinivasan Sundar, Penumarti, Rama Murthy
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/460,536
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/1, 707/100, 707/201, 707/203, 707/102, 707/101, 707/103, 707/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

This invention relates to storing and retrieving data from multidimensional databases. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, methods for producing multidimensional output suitable for presenting several aspects of a problem, are disclosed. The multidimensional output can be generated more quickly and efficiently without requiring normalization of data prior to creation of multidimensional output.

Claims

1. A method of producing multidimensional output from a source database, the multidimensional output providing a solution to a problem relating to one or more dimensions of data associated with the source database, the method comprising:

accessing said source database, wherein said accessing can be performed by a multidimensional integrator;

defining an application related to the one or more dimensions of data associated with the source database;

defining a Meta-model for the application, the Meta-model relating to the one or more dimensions of data associated with the source database, wherein said defining can be performed by a multidimensional architect; and

creating a Meta-outline for the application, the Meta-outline including the one or more dimensions of data associated with the source data base; and

generating multidimensional output based on at least one hierarchical relationship, the at least one hierarchical relationship being defined for the source database and relating to the application, the multidimensional output providing a solution to the problem related to the application.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein for each of the one or more dimensions of data related to the source database at least one hierarchical relationship is defined.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the Meta-outline is created based on the Meta-model.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multidimensional output is generated based on the at least one hierarchical relationship that is defined in the Meta-outline.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing the Meta-model in a catalog.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing the Meta-outline in a catalog.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing in a catalog the Meta-model, the Meta-outline, and any other information needed to generate the multidimensional output.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises defining and applying filtering parameters, the filtering parameters being used to generate the multidimensional output.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises defining and implementing security parameters, the security parameters being used to generate the multidimensional output.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application is a general problem category.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the defining of the Meta-model further comprises:

identifying information in the source database related to the application;

selecting one or more specific parent/child relationships form the identified information in the source database; and

identifying join operations to be performed on the identified information in the source database.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the defining of the Meta-model further comprises:

performing the identified join operations on the identified information;

defining transformation rules to be applied to the identified information, the transformation rules being applied to generate multidimensional output;

predefining one or more hierarchical relationships, wherein each predefined hierarchical relationship is related to at least one dimension of the multidimensional output to be generated;

defining and applying filtering parameters, the filtering parameters being used generate the multidimensional output;

defining and applying security parameters, the security parameters being used to generate multidimensional output; and

storing the Meta-model in a catalog.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein creating the Meta-outline further comprises:

selecting one or more dimensions for the multidimensional output;

determining whether at least one hierarchical relationship has been defined for each of the one or more selected dimensions;

defining at least one hierarchical relationship for a dimensions when there is not at least one hierarchical relationship pre-defined for the dimension.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the creating of the Meta-outline further comprises:

defining transformation rules to be applied on the identified information in the source database, the transformation rules being applied to generate multidimensional output;

defining and applying filtering parameters, the filtering parameters being used to generate die multidimensional output;

defining and applying security parameters, the security parameters being used to generate the multidimensional output; and

storing the Meta-outline in a catalog.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the creating of the Meta-outline further comprises retrieving the Meta-model from a catalog.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generation of the multidimensional output further comprises:

generating instructions for accessing the source database;

executing the instructions to access the source database;

processing a parent/child pair relating to at least one dimension of data associated with the source database; and

generating the multidimensional output based on the processing of the parent/child pair.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the parent/child pair is in a set of parent/child pairs and the set is processed sequentially.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the generation of the multidimensional output further comprises:

selecting a parent/child pair from the set to be processed; and

determining a hierarchical relationship based on the selected parent/child pair, the hierarchical relationship relating to at least one dimension of the multidimensional output.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein generation of the multidimensional output further comprises:

selecting a parent or a child from the parent/child pair selected to be processed;

adding the selected parent or the selected child to a representative hierarchical relationship associated with a dimension of the multidimensional output; and

modifying the representative hierarchical relationship based on the processing of the parent child pairs.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the multidimensional output is generated at run time.

21. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein a parent/child pair is retrieved from the source database.

22. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the processing of the parent/child pairs comprises;

determining whether the parent is null;

determining whether the child is null;

determining whether the parent already exists in a relational structure that is representative of the hierarchical relationship associated with a dimension of the multidimensional output;

determining whether the child exists in the relational structure;

adding the parent to the relational structure;

adding the child to the relational structure;

modifying the relational structure based on the processing of the parent child pairs.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the parent/child pair is in a set of parent/child pairs and the set is processed sequentially.

24. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multidimensional output is generated at run time.

25. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the Meta-model is defined based on input that is provided by a user.

26. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the Meta-outline is created based on input received by a user.

27. A multidimensional integration system for producing multidimensional output from a source database, the multidimensional output providing a solution to a problem relating to one or more dimensions of data associated with the source database, the multidimensional integration system comprising:

a multidimensional data integrator for accessing the source database;

a multidimensional architect for defining a Meta-model associated with an application; and

a multidimensional designer for creating a Meta-outline for the application, the Meta-outline including the one or more dimensions of data associated with the source database;

wherein the multidimensional output is generated based on at least one hierarchical relationship, the at least one hierarchical relationship being defined for the source database and relating to the application, the multidimensional output providing a solution for the problem related to the application.

28. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 27, wherein the multidimensional data integrator interacts with the multidimensional architect and the multidimensional designer to define the Meta-model and to create the Meta-outline.

29. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 27, wherein the Meta-model is defined based on input received from a user of the source database.

30. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 27, wherein the Meta-outline is created based on an input that is received from a user of the source database.

31. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 27, wherein the multidimensional data integrator interacts with a server using an application programming interface to generate the multidimensional output.

32. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 27, wherein the instructions generated by the multidimensional data integrator are SQL instructions.

33. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 27, wherein the multidimensional integration system further comprises a catalog used to store information needed to generate the multidimensional output and wherein the multidimensional integrator retrieves information from the catalog.

34. A multidimensional integration system for producing multidimensional output from a source database, the multidimensional output providing a solution to a problem relating to one or more dimensions of data associated with the source database, the multidimensional integration system comprising:

a multidimensional data integrator for accessing the source database and for producing instructions used to generate the multidimensional output;

a multidimensional architect for defining a Meta-model associated with an application;

a multidimensional designer for creating a Meta-outline for the application, the Meta-outline including the one or more dimensions of data associated with the source database; and

a catalog for storing information needed to generate the multidimensional output, wherein the multidimensional output is generated based on at least one hierarchical relationship, the at least one hierarchical relationship being defined for the source database and relating to the application, the multidimensional output providing a solution for the problem related to the application.

35. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 34, wherein the instructions produced by the multidimensional data integrator are received by a server.

36. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 34 wherein for each of the one or more dimensions of data related to the source database at least one hierarchical relationship is defined.

37. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 34 wherein the multidimensional output is generated at runtime.

38. A multidimensional integration system as recited in claim 34 wherein input is received by the multidimensional integration system to define the Meta-model or to create the Meta-outline.