Chameleon measure and metric calculation

• US 6,732,115 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hyperion Solutions Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Novy, Robert F., Shah, Arun, Ertl, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/844,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24557 Efficient disk access during query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, method, and apparatus for calculating metrics by using hierarchical level metadata to describe the various structures within the database. The hierarchical level metadata permit calculation of complex metrics by an analytical server which would otherwise be difficult or impossible. As a result of the way that the analytical server calculates the metrics, slicing and drilling are supported. Additionally, dimension and fact level security are also supported.

Claims

1. A system for calculating measures, said system comprising:

a first plurality of memory means, wherein each of the first plurality of memory means stores a corresponding one of a plurality of measures; and

a second plurality of memory means wherein each of the second plurality of memory means stores a corresponding one of a plurality of querying language constructs, wherein a first one of the querying language constructs causes a particular one of the plurality of measures to be calculated in accordance with a first definition and wherein a second one of the querying language constructs causes the particular one of the plurality of measures to be calculated in accordance with a second definition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of querying language constructs comprises structured query language constructs.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the second plurality of memory means stores a corresponding plurality of querying language constructs.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of querying language constructs is associated with a particular one of a plurality of stars.

5. A method for calculating a measure, said method comprising:

accessing a first measure indicator associated with the a first measure;

retrieving a querying language construct from the first measure indicator; and

generating a query, using the querying language construct.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the querying language construct further comprises a Structured Query Language construct.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a request to calculate a metric, wherein the metric is associated with the first measure, wherein the request is associated with one or more constraints associated with a corresponding one or more dimensions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the query further comprises:

inserting the one or more constraints into the querying language construct.

7. The method of clam 5, further comprising:

selecting a star associated with an aggregate fact table.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein retrieving the querying language construct further comprises:

retrieving the querying language construct from a plurality of querying language constructs, wherein the querying language construct is associated with a stargroup.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the query further comprises:

generating the query in accordance with a first measure definition, wherein a first querying language construct is selected; and

generating the query in accordance with a second measure definition, wherein a second querying language construct is selected.

12. A computer readable medium for calculating measure, said computer readable medium storing a plurality of executable instructions for:

accessing a first measure indicator associated with a first measure;

retrieving a querying language construct from the first measure indicator; and

generating a query, using the querying language construct.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the querying language construct further comprises a Structured Query Language construct.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer readable medium stores instructions for:

selecting a star associated with an aggregate fact table.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, herein the instructions for retrieving the querying language construct further comprise instructions for:

retrieving a snippet from a plurality of snippets, wherein the querying language construct is associated with a stargroup.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for generating the query further comprise instructions for:

generating the query in accordance with a first measure definition, wherein a first querying language construct is selected; and

generating the query in accordance with a second measure definition, wherein a second querying language construct is selected.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer readable medium stores instructions for:

receiving a request to calculate a metric, wherein the metric is associated with the first measure, wherein the request is associated with one or more constraints associated with a corresponding one or more dimensions.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for generating the query further comprise instruction for:

inserting the one or more constraints into the querying language construct.