Method and system for performing advanced object searching of a metadata repository used by a decision support system

• US 6,697,808 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Inventors: Hurwood, William, Warikoo, Abhimanyu, Li, Benjamin Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US09/883,172
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/10, 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/200, 707/103.R
• 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 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for use in searching a metadata repository used to store metadata objects relating to data stored in a storage device of a decision support system. In embodiments of the invention, a search object is submitted to an object server by a requestor. The object server may search itself for objects meeting the search criteria. If unsuccessful, the search object may be sent to a metadata server which uses a metadata search engine to search the metadata repository. Results of the search may be returned to the requestor by the object server.

Claims

1. A method of searching a metadata repository used to store metadata objects relating to data stored in at least one data storage device of a decision support system, the method comprising the steps of:

submitting to an object server a search object having search criteria established by a requester wherein the search criteria is used to screen the metadata objects in the metadata repository;

transferring the search object to a metadata server;

recursively searching the metadata repository for metadata objects meeting the search criteria of the search object; and

returning to the requestor a search result object including at least a portion of each of the metadata objects meeting the search criteria.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the requester is a user of the decision support system.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the requester is a module of the decision support system.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of searching the object server for objects meeting the search criteria responsive to identification of a predetermined local search attribute in the search object.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of searching the metadata repository includes:

forming at least one SQL query using the search criteria of the search object; and

executing the at least one SQL query to search the metadata repository.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining if a result folder has been created for the search object;

creating a result folder responsive to a determination that no folder has been created for the search object; and

storing the search result object in the result folder.

7. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing the search result object in the metadata repository.

8. A system for retrieving metadata relating to data stored in at least one data storage device of a decision support system having a user engine, an analytical engine and a query engine, the system comprising:

an object server having a server interface portion in communication with at least one of the user engine, the analytical engine and the query engine;

a metadata repository containing the metadata in the form of metadata objects; and

a metadata server in communication with the object server and the metadata repository, the metadata server including a metadata search engine configured for recursively searching the metadata repository for metadata objects meeting search criteria supplied to the metadata server by the object server.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the object server is configured to receive a search object from at least one of the user engine, the analytical engine and the query engine, the search object comprising a set of search criteria.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein the object server is further configured to search the object server for objects meeting the search criteria in response to the search object including a local search request.

11. A system according to claim 8 wherein the metadata are stored in a relational database and the metadata search engine is configured to formulate SQL queries for searching the metadata repository.

12. A system according to claim 8 wherein the metadata objects in the metadata repository are stored in at least one folder hierarchy and wherein the metadata search engine is configured to filter objects in the metadata repository based on search criteria supplied by the search object.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein the metadata search engine is configured to conduct recursive searches of the at least one folder hierarchy responsive to the presence of predetermined search criteria in the search object.

14. A processor-readable medium comprising code for execution by a processor to search a metadata repository used to metadata objects relating to data stored in at least one data storage device of a decision support system, the medium comprising:

code for receiving a search object having search criteria established by a requestor wherein the search criteria is used to screen the metadata objects in the metadata repository;

code for transferring the search object to a metadata server;

code for recursively searching the metadata repository for objects meeting the search criteria of the search object; and

code for returning to the requester a search result object including the objects meeting the search criteria.

15. A medium according to claim 14 further comprising:

code for determining if a result folder has been created for the search object;

code for creating a result folder responsive to a determination that no folder has been created for the search object; and

code for storing the search result object in the result folder.

16. A medium according to claim 14 further comprising:

code for storing the search result object in the metadata repository.

17. A medium according to claim 14 further comprising:

code for searching the object server for objects meeting the search criteria, the step of searching the object server being carried out responsive to a local search attribute in the search object.

18. A medium according to claim 14 wherein the code for searching the metadata repository includes

code for forming at least one SQL query using the search criteria of the search object;

and

code for executing the at least one SQL query to search the metadata repository.