Method and system for parsing navigation information

• US 6,785,666 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Revenue Science
• Original Assignee: Revenue Science
• Inventors: Nareddy, Krishnamohan, Uppala, Radha Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US09/613,847
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/100-102, 707/103-104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and system for providing customers with access to and analysis of event data is provided. The event data may be stored in log files and supplemented with data from other sources, such as product databases and customer invoices. A data warehouse system collects customer data from the customer web sites and stores the data at a data warehouse server. The data warehouse server interacts with the customer servers to collect to the customer data on a periodic basis. The data warehouse server may provide instructions to the customer servers identifying the customer data that is to be uploaded to the data warehouse server. When the data warehouse server receives customer data, it converts the customer data into a format that is more conducive to processing by decision support system applications by which customers can analyze their data.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for parsing information before updating data in a main database, the main database having fact tables and dimension tables, the method comprising:

creating a fact table and a dimension table corresponding to a fact table and dimension table of the main database;

identifying from the information entries for the created fact table and dimension table;

storing the identified entries in the created fact table and dimension table;

analyzing the entries stored in the created fact table and dimension table; and

after analyzing the entries, transferring information from the created fact table and dimension table to the corresponding fact table and dimension table of the main database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the parsed information relates to user interactions with web pages.

3. The method of claim 1 including updating data in the main database based on the entries in the created fact table and dimension table.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the created fact table and dimension table are stored in main memory.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the created fact and dimension table are stored in non-persistent memory.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the created fact and dimension table are stored in temporary memory.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the created fact and dimension table are destroyed after information in the main database is updated based on the created fact and dimension table.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the data in the main database is updated based on an ordering of fact and dimension tables.

9. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to parse information before updating data in a main database, the main database having fact tables and dimension tables, by a method comprising:

creating fact tables and dimension tables corresponding to fact tables and dimension tables of the main database;

identifying from the information entries for the created fact tables and dimension tables;

storing the identified entries in the created fact tables and dimension tables;

analyzing the entries stored in the created fact tables and dimension tables; and

after analyzing the entries, transferring information from the created fact table and dimension table to the corresponding fact table and dimension table of the main database.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the parsed information relates to user interactions with web pages.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 including updating data in the main database based on the entries in the created fact tables and dimension tables.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the created fact tables and dimension tables are stored in main memory.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the created fact tables and dimension tables are stored in non-persistent memory.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the created fact and dimension tables are stored in temporary memory.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the created fact and dimension tables are destroyed after information in the main database is updated based on the created fact and dimension tables.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the data in the main database is updated based on an ordering of fact and dimension tables.

17. A parser for processing data before updating a database based on the processed data, the database having a main fact table and a main dimension table with a main dimension identifier for each entry in the main dimension table, comprising:

a component that creates a local fact table and a local dimension table corresponding to the main fact table and the main dimension table;

a component that adds an entry to the local dimension table with a generated local dimension identifier, the added entry corresponding to an entry to be added to the main dimension table;

a component that adds an entry to the local fact table that references an entry in the local dimension table using the generated local dimension identifier;

a component that analyzes the entries of the local fact table and the local dimension table; and

a component that, after entries of the local fact table and the local dimension table are analyzed, transfers information from the local fact table and the local dimension table to the main fact table and the main dimension table of the database.

18. The parser of claim 17 wherein the local fact table and local dimension table are store in main memory.

19. The parser of claim 17 wherein the transferring of information includes generating a main dimension identifier for the main dimension table and replacing the local dimension identifier with the generated main dimension identifier in the transferred information.

20. The parser of claim 17 wherein the transferring of information includes adding an entry to the main dimension table corresponding to the entry added to the local dimension table.

21. The parser of claim 17 wherein the transferring includes identifying an existing main dimension identifier that corresponds to the generated local dimension identifier.

22. The parser of claim 17 wherein the processed data relates to navigation information of a web site.

23. The parser of claim 17 wherein the processed data relates to click stream data.

24. A computer system for processing data to be stored in a database having a main fact table and a main dimension table, comprising:

means for creating a local fact table and a local dimension table corresponding to the main fact table and the main dimension table;

means for adding entries to the local dimension table with a local dimension identifier for an entry derived from the data to be stored in the main dimension table;

means for adding an entry derived from the data to the local fact table, the added entry referencing an entry in the local dimension table using the local dimension identifier; and

means for, after adding entries to the local fact table and the local dimension table, transferring information from the local fact table and the local dimension table to the main fact table and the main dimension table of the database.

25. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the local fact table and local dimension table are store in main memory.

26. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the transferring of information includes generating a main dimension identifier for the main dimension table and replacing the local dimension identifier with the generated main dimension identifier in the transferred information.

27. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the transferring of information includes adding an entry to the main dimension table corresponding to an entry added to the local dimension table.

28. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the transferring includes identifying an existing main dimension identifier that corresponds to a local dimension identifier.

29. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the processed data relates to navigation information of a web site.

30. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the processed data relates to click stream data.