Efficient storage and access in a database management system

• US 6,754,666 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2000
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: A2i, Inc. (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Brookler, David E., Weinberg, Paul N., Sullivan, Dave L., Hazi, Ariel, Tinari, Philip A., Tham, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S
• Application Number:
  US09/643,208
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 705/28-29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention provides for storage of data items with dissimilar structures in a single database table while minimizing the problems associated with prior approaches. In one aspect of the invention, a method of efficiently storing data items in a database management system (DBMS) is provided wherein each data item has at least one attribute associated with it, the method comprising identifying a set of attributes associated with each data item, creating, for use with all of the data items, a common data structure that excludes those attributes unique to any one of the data items, and associating each data item with attributes excluded from the data structure.

Claims

1. A method for efficient storage and retrieval of catalog information comprising:

identifying a set of attributes associated with data items;

creating a common data structure for said data items that excludes a first attribute from said set of attributes unique to any selected first data item selected from said data items;

associating a first data item with said first attribute excluded from said common data structure;

creating a category data structure for storing information corresponding to a category

said category data structure comprising a set of alias fields, wherein a first category having a first alias field from said set of alias fields is configured to reference a second category having a second category ID and wherein a second set of attributes from said set of attributes which corresponds to said second category and said second category'"'"'s set of parent categories are not inherited by said first category;

associating said first data item with a third category;

creating an attribute data structure comprising category attributes from said set of attributes where said category attributes are common to a plurality of said data items;

associating at least one category with at least one attribute from said category attributes via a category-attribute data structure;

creating a category hierarchy data structure; and

,

associating a hierarchy of categories within said category hierarchy data structure, wherein said category hierarchy data structure comprises at least one parent category and at least one child category wherein said at least one child category inherits at least one parent attribute from said category attributes and wherein a given child category set is associated with at least one set of parent categories and wherein said at least one child category comprises a position value associated with a given parent category.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a matching set data structure associating a plurality of categories based on at least one matching attribute value associated with each of said plurality of categories wherein a match is produced when said at least one matching attribute value is equal for each of said plurality of categories.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

checking for a match between said data items.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

restructuring a database while allowing said database to be accessed.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

inserting a new category into said hierarchy of categories.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

moving a category between locations in said hierarchy of categories.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

consolidating said at least one child category associated with a single parent category into a consolidated category.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

partitioning a category into new children categories based on values of a partition attribute associated with said category.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

merging a category into an existing category.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

adding an attribute into an existing category.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

removing an attribute from an existing category.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

promoting an attribute from a promoting child category to a promoted parent category for inheritance by children of said promoted parent category.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

demoting an attribute from a demoting parent category to children of said demoting parent category.

14. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

merging a merge attribute into a second attribute.

15. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

splitting a split attribute into at least one second attribute.

16. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

converting an attribute from a first format to a second format.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said attribute data structure comprises an attribute type.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said attribute type is a feature attribute comprising an associated set of enumerated values.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein an enumerated feature values data structure is used to store an enumerated value of said feature attribute.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said attribute type is a characteristic attribute comprising an unenumerated value.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said characteristic attribute comprises a property of rating, measurement type and units of measurement.

22. The method of claim 4 wherein restructuring further comprises:

reassigning a rating of a second attribute.