Method and structure for relationally representing database objects

• US 6,850,951 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2000
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amdocs Development Limited (Amdocs Ltd.), Amdocs Software Systems Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Amdocs Software Systems Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: Davison, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liang, Gwen
• Application Number:
  US09/550,451
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/101, 707/102, 707/3, 707/10, 707/2, 707/4, 707/1, 705/10, 706/53
• US Class Current: 707/792
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9027 Trees
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

In the present invention, a database structure is defined such that a database table having a plurality of objects each having an associated data is formed. A second table containing the relationship of one of the objects to another of the objects in a parent-child relationship is formed. A summary database table receives the data from the second database table and summarizes the data therefrom. By separating the relationship from the underlying data, and with the definition of each parent and child, execution of retrieval of information from the database structure is extremely efficient and fast.

Claims

1. A method of creating a relational data structure for storage in a computer readable medium, and retrieval of data having multiple simultaneous hierarchical database relationships without needing dedicated database relationships between objects in the multiple simultaneous hierarchies, the method comprising:

forming a table of members referenced in the multiple simultaneous hierarchical database relationships and data to be accessed wherein the data is associated with each member;

forming a table of reporting relationships among the members referenced in the multiple simultaneous hierarchical database relationships, wherein each one of said reporting relationships is associated with a hierarchy identifier; and

forming a table of summary description of each one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies existing in the table of reporting relationships, the table of summary description having a first record representing a first one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchical database relationships and a second record representing a second one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchical database relationships;

in the table of reporting relationships, designating a first relationship between a first member and a second member associated with the first one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies;

in the table of reporting relationships, designating a second relationship between the first member and the second member associated with the second one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies; and

in the table of reporting relationships, designating a reversible parent□

child relationship between pairs of the members,

wherein a first member is denoted as a parent to a second member, and the second member is denoted as a parent to the first member.

2. A relational data structure tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium for representing multiple simultaneous hierarchies without needing dedicated database relationships between objects in each of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies, wherein the relational data structure is based on a plurality of objects, the relational data structure comprising:

a first table providing means for;

organizing a plurality of objects into at least a first and a second entries, wherein each object is related to at least one other object by a defined relationship;

storing an object identifier associated with each of the plurality of objects;

storing associated data to be accessed for each object identifier;

a second table providing means for;

associating the object identifier of each of the plurality of objects with the object identifier of each related object to represent each defined relationship;

storing a hierarchy identifier, associated with each relationship for indicating that each relationship is associated with a particular one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies,

wherein a first relationship is designated between a first object and a second object in the first one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies and a second relationship is designated between the first object and the second object in a the second one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies; and

a third table providing means for;

storing a summary description of each one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies existing in the second table, having a first record representing a first one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies and a second record representing a second one of the multiples simultaneous hierarchies.

3. A method of creating a relational database stored in a computer readable medium so that multiple simultaneous hierarchies can be defined without needing dedicated database relationships between objects in the multiple hierarchies, wherein the relational database includes a plurality of objects, each having an associated data to be accessed;

said method comprising;

forming a first database table having a plurality of entries, each entry representing an object with an associated data to be accessed;

forming a second database table having a plurality of entries, each entry defining a relationship between two objects of said plurality of objects, wherein each entry is associated with at least one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies by using hierarchy identifiers;

forming a third database table, said third database table having a first record representing a first one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies and a second record representing a second one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies;

in the second database table, designating a first relationship between a first object and a second object in associated with the first one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies; and

in the second database table, designating a second relationship between the first object and the second object associated with a second one of the multiple simultaneous hierarchies.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said plurality of relationships include single parent and multiple parent hierarchies.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said plurality of relationships include tree type structures.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said relationship is between a parent and a child.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each entry in said second database table further defines a direct or indirect parent-child relationship.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein each entry in said second database table further comprises a definition of a database structure to which said relationship is a part thereof.