Multi-dimensional data structure caching

• US 6,898,603 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Petculescu, Cristian, Netz, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Application Number:
  US09/418,705
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/16, 707/2, 707/4, 707100-104, 707/200
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/957 Multidimensional
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

End-user specified insertion of elements into a database cache is disclosed. The systems and methods of the invention define an efficient mechanism allowing a user with knowledge of anticipated behavior of a database application program to specify cell data that is cached before it is required by the application program. The system determines an appropriate set of cell data to be cached that meets the end-users specification and that can be obtained with a minimum of round-trips to a database server. In a multidimensional database, the system determines a maximum depth level for each user specified dimension member set. A target set of dimension members is formed comprising the set of members at the maximum level that have a common ancestor member. The cell data representing the cross product of the target sets is then obtained and cached.

Claims

1. A computerized method for inserting an object into a database cache, the method comprising:

receiving a user-generated specification of a set of objects to cache;

retrieving the set of objects from a data store; and

inserting the set of objects into the database cache.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein receiving a specification includes parsing the specification from a query statement in accordance with a query language for a database system.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein receiving a specification includes parsing the specification from a parameter provided in a function call.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the database is a multi-dimensional database.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the database cache is an OLAP server cache.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the database cache is an OLAP client cache.

7. A computerized method for determining an object to insert into a multi-dimensional database cache, the method comprising:

receiving a specification for at least one set of dimension members, the at least one set of members belonging to a dimension having a hierarchy of levels;

for each of the at least one sets performing the tasks of;

determining a lowest common ancestor member for the set;

determining a maximum depth level for the members in the set; and

determining a target set of members, the target set comprising members that are both at the maximum depth level and a descendant of the lowest common ancestor member of the set;

retrieving a cross product of cell data specified by each of the target sets; and

inserting the cross product of cell data into a cache.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the multidimensional database cache is an OLAP server cache.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the multidimensional database cache is an OLAP client cache.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving a specification includes parsing the specification from a query statement in accordance with a query language for a database system.

11. The computerized method of claim 7, wherein receiving a specification includes parsing the specification from a parameter provided in a function call.

12. A computerized system comprising:

a processor and a computer-readable medium;

an operating environment executing on the processor from the computer-readable medium;

a multidimensional database client executing under the control of the operating environment;

a multidimensional database cache; and

a parser component executed within the client and operative to perform the tasks of;

receiving a user-generated specification of a set of objects to cache;

retrieving the set of objects from a data store; and

inserting the set of objects into the database cache.

13. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein multidimensional database cache is maintained by the client.

14. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein multidimensional database cache is maintained by a multidimensional database server.

15. The computerized system of claim 14, wherein the multidimensional database server is an OLAP server.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

receiving a user-generated specification of a set of objects to cache;

retrieving the set of objects from a data store; and

inserting the set of objects into the database cache.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein receiving a specification includes parsing the specification from a query statement in accordance with a query language for a database system.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein receiving a specification includes parsing the specification from a parameter provided in a function call.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the database is a multidimensional database.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the database cache is an OLAP server cache.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the database cache is an OLAP client cache.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for determining an object to insert into a multidimensional database cache, the method comprising:

receiving a specification for at least one set of dimension members, the at least one set of members belonging to a dimension having a hierarchy of levels;

for each of the at least one sets performing the tasks of;

determining a lowest common ancestor member for the set;

determining a maximum depth level for the members in the set; and

determining a target set of members, the target set comprising members that are both at the maximum depth level and a descendant of the lowest common ancestor member of the set;

retrieving a cross product of cell data specified by each of the target sets; and

inserting the cross product of cell data into a cache.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the multidimensional database cache is an OLAP server cache.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the multidimensional database cache is an OLAP client cache.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein receiving a specification includes parsing the specification from a query statement in accordance with a query language for a database system.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein receiving a specification includes parsing the specification from a parameter provided in a function call.

27. A computer-readable medium having executable instructions encoded thereon to perform at least a method comprising:

receiving at least one of either a user-generated query identifying a set of objects to cache for later use or an API call that specifically identifies a set of objects to cache for later use, the identification of objects in the API call having originated from a user-generated specification;

receiving the set of objects that have been retrieved from a data store; and

inserting the set of objects in a database cache.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the database is a multidimensional database.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the database cache is an OLAP server cache.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the database cache is an OLAP client cache.