Business vocabulary data storage using multiple inter-related hierarchies

• US 7,007,018 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yazdani, Sima, Kirkwood, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): GODDARD, BRIAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/823,819
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/10, 707 2- 5
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/948 Product or catalog
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• 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

Techniques for responding to a request for data from a server operated by an entity or enterprise on a network include generating and storing a first concept in association with a first relationship of a first relationship type, which relates concepts in a first category, and a second relationship of a second relationship type, which relates concepts in a second category; and responding to the request based on the first concept and the second relationship. The request is based on an enterprise-specific vocabulary of names and relationships among the names. The names are of solutions, technologies, products, services and activities, or any other information associated with the entity. The first concept is one of a plurality of atomic concepts among names in the enterprise-specific vocabulary. The first concept is associated with a first category of a plurality of categories that encompass the enterprise-specific vocabulary.

Claims

1. A method of processing data, the method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

storing a first relationship between a first concept and a second concept, wherein;

the first concept and the second concept are each one of a plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the second concept are in a first category of concepts; and

the first relationship is part of a first concept graph corresponding to the first category of concepts; and

storing a second relationship between the first concept and a third concept, wherein;

the third concept is one of the plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the third concept are in a second category of concepts; and

the second relationship is part of a second concept graph corresponding to the second category of concepts;

wherein the first concept, the second concept, and third concept are each different concepts;

the first category is distinct from the second category; and

the first concept graph is distinct from the second concept graph;

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving a request for information related to the second concept;

sending a response to the request, wherein the response comprises information related to the third concept and the response is generated based on the first relationship, the second relationship, and the third concept;

wherein;

the first category is one of a products category, a services category, an activities category and a document category; and

the second category is a different one of the products category, the services category, the activities category and the document category.

2. A method of processing data, the method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

storing a first relationship between a first concept and a second concept, wherein;

the first concept and the second concept are each one of a plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the second concept are in a first category of concepts; and

the first relationship is part of a first concept graph corresponding to the first category of concepts; and

storing a second relationship between the first concept and a third concept, wherein;

the third concept is one of the plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the third concept are in a second category of concepts; and

the second relationship is part of a second concept graph corresponding to the second category of concepts;

wherein the first concept, the second concept, and third concept are each different concepts;

the first category is distinct from the second category; and

the first concept graph is distinct from the second concept graph;

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving a request for information related to the second concept;

sending a response to the request, wherein the response comprises information related to the third concept and the response is generated based on the first relationship, the second relationship, and the third concept.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of processing enterprise data based on the first concept and the second relationship.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the second relationship is of a second relationship type, and wherein the second relationship type relates three or more concepts of the plurality of atomic concepts.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the second relationship is of a second relationship type, and wherein the second relationship type relates at least one concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with the first category to at least another concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with the second category.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein concepts in the first category are represented as nodes connected by relationships of a first relationship type along one or more branches of a first type hierarchy to a first root node representing a first root concept for the first category.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first root node has a “

child of”

relationship to an enterprise data root node representing an enterprise data root concept.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein a second root node corresponding to a second root concept for the second category has a “

child of”

relationship to the enterprise data root node.

9. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein an association among the first concept and the first relationship and the second relationship is provided by a relational database.

10. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first concept is stored as a record in a first data store table, said record including a concept name field for storing a name of the first concept.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein every record in the first data store table stores a name of a concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with the first category.

12. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first relationship is stored as a first unique record in a relationship data store table, said first unique record including a relationship type field for storing a name of a first relationship type.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a name of the first concept is stored in a participant field in a record in a relationship participant data store table, said record including a relationship identification field for storing data indicating the first unique record in the relationship data store table.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the second relationship is stored as a second unique record in the relationship data store table, said second unique record storing a name of a corresponding second relationship type in the relationship type field.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein a name of the first concept is stored in a participant field in a first record in a relationship participant data store table, said first record including a relationship identification field for storing data indicating the second unique record in the relationship data store table.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein a name of the first concept is stored in a participant field in a first record in a relationship participant data store table, said first record including a relationship identification field for storing data indicating the first unique record in the relationship data store table.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the name of the first concept is stored in the participant field in a second record in the relationship participant data store table, said second record storing data in the relationship identification field for indicating the second unique record in the relationship data store table.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein a name of a role for the first concept is stored in a role field in the record in the relationship participant data store table.

19. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein one or more attributes of at least one of the first concept, the first relationship, and the second relationship are stored in an attributes data store table.

20. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising generating and storing a rule associated with at least one of a first relationship type, a second relationship type, and a category.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the rule constrains a given concept which may be related to the first concept by the at least one of the first relationship type, the second relationship type, and the category.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the rule is stored in a relational database table.

23. A method of processing enterprise data generated by an enterprise, the method comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

generating a plurality of categories that encompass the enterprise data;

generating a plurality of atomic concepts within the enterprise data;

generating a first relationship type to relate at least two concepts of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with a first category of the plurality of categories;

generating a second relationship type, wherein the second relationship type relates at least one concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with the first category to at least another concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with a second category of the plurality of categories;

storing a first concept of the plurality of atomic concepts, said first concept associated with the first category;

generating a first relationship of the first relationship type with the first concept and a second concept, wherein the second concept is associated with the first category;

generating a second relationship of the second relationship type with the first concept and a third concept, wherein the third concept is associated with the second category;

storing the first relationship and the second relationship in association with the first concept;

receiving a request for information related to the second concept;

sending a response to the request, wherein the response comprises information related to the third concept and the response is generated based on the first relationship, the second relationship, and the third concept.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising the step of processing some data of the enterprise data based on the first concept and the second relationship.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the second relationship type relates three or more concepts of the plurality of atomic concepts.

26. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein concepts in the first category are represented as nodes connected by relationships of the first relationship type along one or more branches of a first type hierarchy to a first root node representing a first root concept for the first category.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the first root node has a “

child of”

relationship to an enterprise data root node representing an enterprise data root concept.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein a second root node corresponding to a second root concept for the second category of the plurality of categories has a “

child of”

relationship to the enterprise data root node.

29. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein an association among the first concept, the first relationship and the second relationship is provided by a relational database.

30. The method as recited in claim 23, said step of storing the first concept further comprising:

storing the first concept as a record in a first data store table; and

storing a name of the first concept in a concept name field in said record.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein every record in the first data store table stores a name of a concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with the first category.

32. The method as recited in claim 23, said step of storing the first relationship and the second relationship further comprising:

storing the first relationship as a first unique record in a relationship data store table; and

storing a name of the first relationship type in a relationship type field in said first unique record.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, said step of storing the first relationship and the second relationship further comprising:

storing a name of the first concept in a participant field in a record in a relationship participant data store table; and

storing in a relationship identification field in said record in the relationship participant data store table, data indicating the first unique record in the relationship data store table.

34. The method as recited in claim 32, said step of storing the first relationship and the second relationship further comprising:

storing the second relationship as a second unique record in the relationship data store table; and

storing a name of the second relationship type in the relationship type field in said second unique record.

35. The method as recited in claim 34, said step of storing the first relationship and the second relationship further comprising:

storing a name of the first concept in a participant field in a first record in a relationship participant data store table; and

storing in a relationship identification field in said first record in the relationship participant data store table, data indicating the second unique record in the relationship data store table.

36. The method as recited in claim 34, said step of storing the first relationship and the second relationship further comprising:

storing a name of the first concept in a participant field in a first record in a relationship participant data store table; and

storing in a relationship identification field in said first record in the relationship participant data store table, data indicating the first unique record in the relationship data store table.

37. The method as recited in claim 36, said step of storing the first relationship and the second relationship further comprising:

storing the name of the first concept in the participant field in a second record in the relationship participant data store table; and

storing in the relationship identification field in said second record in the relationship participant data store table, data indicating the second unique record in the relationship data store table.

38. The method as recited in claim 33, said step of storing the first relationship and the second relationship further comprising storing a name of a role for the first concept in a role field in the record in the relationship participant data store table.

39. The method as recited in claim 23, said step of storing the first relationship and the second relationship further comprising storing one or more attributes of at least one of the first concept and the first relationship and the second relationship in an attributes data store table.

40. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising generating and storing a rule associated with at least one of the first relationship type and the second relationship type and a category of the plurality of categories.

41. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein the rule constrains a given concept which may be related to the first concept by the at least one of the first relationship type and the second relationship type.

42. The method as recited in claim 40, said step of generating and storing the rule further comprising storing the rule in a relational database table.

43. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for processing enterprise data generated by an enterprise, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

generating a plurality of categories that encompass the enterprise data;

generating a plurality of atomic concepts within the enterprise data;

generating a first relationship type to relate at least two concepts of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with a first category of the plurality of categories;

generating a second relationship type, wherein the second relationship type relates at least one concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with the first category to at least another concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with a second category of the plurality of categories;

storing a first concept of the plurality of atomic concepts, said first concept associated with the first category;

generating a first relationship of the first relationship type with the first concept and a second concept, wherein the second concept is associated with the first category;

generating a second relationship of the second relationship type with the first concept and a third concept, wherein the third concept is associated with the second category; and

storing the first relationship and the second relationship in association with the first concept.

44. A system for processing enterprise data generated by an enterprise, comprising

a means for generating a plurality of categories that encompass the enterprise data;

a means for generating a plurality of atomic concepts within the enterprise data;

a means for generating a first relationship type to relate at least two concepts of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with a first category of the plurality of categories;

a means for generating a second relationship type, wherein the second relationship type relates at least one concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with the first category to at least another concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with a second category of the plurality of categories;

a means for storing a first concept of the plurality of atomic concepts, said first concept associated with the first category;

a means for generating a first relationship of the first relationship type with the first concept and a second concept, wherein the second concept is associated with the first category;

a means for generating a second relationship of the second relationship type with the first concept and a third concept, wherein the third concept is associated with the second category; and

a means for storing the first relationship and the second relationship in association with the first concept.

45. A system for processing enterprise data generated by an enterprise, comprising:

a computer readable persistent storage medium; and

a processor configured for

generating a plurality of categories that encompass the enterprise data,

generating a plurality of atomic concepts within the enterprise data,

generating a first relationship type to relate at least two concepts of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with a first category of the plurality of categories,

generating a second relationship type, wherein the second relationship type relates at least one concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with the first category to at least another concept of the plurality of atomic concepts associated with a second category of the plurality of categories;

generating a first relationship of the first relationship type with the first concept second concept, wherein the second concept is associated with the first category;

generating a second relationship of the second relationship type with the first concept and a third concept, wherein the third concept is associated with the second category;

storing on the persistent storage medium the first concept; and

storing on the persistent storage medium the first relationship and the second relationship in association with the first concept.

46. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for processing data which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

storing a first relationship between a first concept and a second concept, wherein;

the first concept and the second concept are each one of a plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the second concept are in a first category of concepts; and

the first relationship is part of a first concept graph corresponding to the first category of concepts; and

storing a second relationship between the first concept and a third concept, wherein;

the third concept is one of the plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the third concept are in a second category of concepts; and

the second relationship is part of a second concept graph corresponding to the second category of concepts;

wherein the first concept, the second concept, and third concept are each different concepts;

the first category is distinct from the second category; and

the first concept graph is distinct from the second concept graph.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more sequences of instructions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

receiving a request for information related to the second concept;

sending a response to the request, wherein the response comprises information related to the third concept and the response is generated based on the first relationship, the second relationship, and the third concept.

48. A system for processing data, comprising:

means for storing a first relationship between a first concept and a second concept, wherein;

the first concept and the second concept are each one of a plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the second concept are in a first category of concepts; and

the first relationship is part of a first concept graph corresponding to the first category of concepts; and

means for storing a second relationship between the first concept and a third concept, wherein;

the third concept is one of the plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the third concept are in a second category of concepts; and

the second relationship is part of a second concept graph corresponding to the second category of concepts;

wherein the first concept, the second concept, and third concept are each different concepts;

the first category is distinct from the second category; and

the first concept graph is distinct from the second concept graph.

49. The system of claim 48, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for information related to the second concept;

means for sending a response to the request, wherein the response comprises information related to the third concept and the response is generated based on the first relationship, the second relationship, and the third concept.

50. A system for responding for processing data, the system comprising:

a database for storing concepts and relationships among concepts; and

a processor configured as an applications programming interface for responding to the requests for information related to one or more concepts,

wherein,

storing a first relationship between a first concept and a second concept, wherein;

the first concept and the second concept are each one of a plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the second concept are in a first category of concepts; and

the first relationship is part of a first concept graph corresponding to the first category of concepts; and

storing a second relationship between the first concept and a third concept, wherein;

the third concept is one of the plurality of atomic concepts;

the first concept and the third concept are in a second category of concepts; and

the second relationship is part of a second concept graph corresponding to the second category of concepts;

wherein the first concept, the second concept, and third concept are each different concepts;

the first category is distinct from the second category; and

the first concept graph is distinct from the second concept graph.

51. The system of claim 50, the system further comprising:

receiving a request for information related to the second concept;

sending a response to the request, wherein the response comprises information related to the third concept and the response is generated based on the first relationship, the second relationship, and the third concept.