Record for multidimensional databases

• US 6,442,560 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pasumansky, Mosha, Berger, Alexander, Netz, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alaubaidi, Haythim J.
• Application Number:
  US09/338,666
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/100, 707/103, 707/200
• 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: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/03 Data mining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Creating and maintaining cell data records in a multidimensional database is disclosed. The systems and methods of the invention define an efficient mechanism to specify a cell'"'"'s location within the multidimensional database where there are hierarchies of levels within a dimension. The format used lends itself well to indexing, and also to creating aggregations of the cell data.

Claims

1. A computerized method for creating a cell record for a multidimensional database, the method comprising:

receiving a measurement data item for a cell, said cell identified by a first member, said first member having a first dimension and a first level;

creating a first dimension path for the first member by;

determining a set of dimension members on a path between the first dimension member and a top-level member, said path including the top-level member and the first dimension member; and

for each dimension member in the set of dimension members, performing the tasks of;

determining a member number, and

concatenating the member number into the first dimension path;

inserting the first dimension path into a system path field of the cell record; and

inserting the measurement data item into a measurement field of the cell record.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the member number is determined by the dimension member'"'"'s order among a set of siblings for the member.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the cell is further identified by a second member, said second member having a second dimension and a second level, and further comprising:

creating a second dimension path for the second member; and

concatenating the second dimension path with the first dimension in the system path.

4. The computerized method of claim 3, wherein creating the second dimension path comprises:

determining a set of dimension members on a path between the second dimension member and a top-level member, said path including the top-level member and the second dimension member; and

for each dimension member in the set of dimension members, performing the tasks of;

determining a member number, and

concatenating the member number into the first second dimension path.

5. The computerized method of claim 3, wherein the member number is determined by the dimension member'"'"'s order among a set of siblings for the member.

6. A computerized method for determining an aggregation measure, the method comprising:

identifying an aggregation measure and an aggregation system path, said aggregation system path having an aggregation dimension and an aggregation level;

for each record of a plurality of records, each record having a system path, said system path having a dimension path, said dimension path having a plurality of level components, performing the following tasks;

setting a level component corresponding to the aggregation level to a null value, and

setting each level component corresponding to a level below the aggregation level to the null value;

selecting a subset of the plurality of records where the system path equals the aggregation system path; and

summing a measure corresponding to the aggregation measure in each record of the subset to create an aggregated measure.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising restoring to a previous value each of the level components set to a null value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein restoring to a previous value comprises rolling back a database transaction.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein an aggregation record having the aggregation system path and a measure corresponding to the aggregated measure is stored in a cache.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

receiving a measurement data item for a cell, said cell identified by a first member, said first member having a first dimension and a first level;

creating a first dimension path for the first member by;

determining a set of dimension members on a path between the first dimension member and a top-level member, said path including the top-level member and the first dimension member; and

for each dimension member in the set of dimension members, performing the tasks of;

determining a member number, and

concatenating the member number into the first dimension path;

inserting the first dimension path into a system path field of the cell record; and

inserting the measurement data item into a measurement field of the cell record.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the member number is determined by the dimension member'"'"'s order among a set of siblings for the member.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the cell is further identified by a second member, said second member having a second dimension and a second level, and further comprising:

creating a second dimension path for the second member; and

concatenating the second dimension path with the first dimension in the system path.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein creating the second dimension path comprises:

determining a set of dimension members on a path between the second dimension member and a top-level member, said path including the top-level member and the second dimension member; and

for each dimension member in the set of dimension members, performing the tasks of;

determining a member number, and

concatenating the member number into the first second dimension path.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the member number is determined by the dimension member'"'"'s order among a set of siblings for the member.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

identifying an aggregation measure and an aggregation system path, said aggregation system path having an aggregation dimension and an aggregation level;

for each record of a plurality of records, each record having a system path, said system path having a dimension path, said dimension path having a plurality of level components, performing the following tasks;

setting a level component corresponding to the aggregation level to a null value, and

setting each level component corresponding to a level below the aggregation level to the null value;

selecting a subset of the plurality of records where the system path equals the aggregation system path; and

summing a measure corresponding to the aggregation measure in each record of the subset to create an aggregated measure.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising restoring to a previous value each of the level components set to a null value.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein restoring to a previous value comprises rolling back a database transaction.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein an aggregation record having the aggregation system path and a measure corresponding to the aggregated measure is stored in a cache.

19. A computerized system comprising:

a processor and a computer-readable medium;

an operating environment executing on the processor from the computer-readable medium;

a fact data store;

a local data store; and

an OLAP server executing under the control of the operating environment and operative to perform the tasks of;

reading a plurality of detail records from the fact data store,

for each of the plurality of detail records performing the tasks of;

creating a cell record having a system path and at least one measure corresponding to a value from the detail record, and

storing the cell record in the local data store,

wherein at least one of the fact data store and the local data store is a relational database.

20. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a system path field identifying a cell member, said system path field comprising at least one dimension path, said dimension path having a plurality of ordinal numbers, each of said ordinal numbers corresponding to a member on a path between a top-level member and a dimension member represented by the system path field, the path including the dimension member, the top-level member, and each member therebetween, all of the ordinal numbers representing the dimension members being concatenated to form the system path field; and

at least one measure field comprising a value for a measure associated with the member identified by the system path field.