OLAP query generation engine

• US 7,363,287 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Infor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lawson Software Incorporated (Infor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kilmer, Lee Eric, Jaquier, Gary Lynn, Pavelka, Thomas Joseph, Bendickson, Richard Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Yicun
• Application Number:
  US10/645,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2452 Query translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• 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 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A system and method for generating an On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) query. A query object is provided that supports a plurality of OLAP servers which use different structured query formats. An OLAP server is determined from among the OLAP servers for which the query will be executed based on a property of the query object. The query object is processed to generate a query statement using the structured query format that corresponds to the determined OLAP server.

Claims

1. An OLAP query generation engine executing in a computer for use in generating OLAP queries for one or more of a plurality of different OLAP servers, comprising:

a query object model, the query object model including a data structure which models an OLAP query in an abstract form, wherein the abstract form is compatible with two or more different OLAP structured query formats, wherein each OLAP structured query format is associated with one of the plurality of OLAP servers; and

a programming interface for generating an OLAP query statement in one of the associated OLAP structured query formats from the query object model, wherein the OLAP structured query format to be used is specified by the associated query object model.

2. The engine of claim 1, wherein the data structure models the OLAP query in a form different from the implementation of underlying OLAP servers.

3. The engine of claim 1, wherein the programming interface is also for maintaining the OLAP query statement.

4. The engine of claim 1, wherein the programming interface is also for executing the OLAP query statement.

5. The engine of claim 1, wherein the query object model is capable of specifying the MDX and the RS query formats, and the programming interface generates an MDX query statement and an RS query statement when the query object model specifies the MDX query format and the RS query format, respectively.

6. The engine of claim 1, wherein the query object model is capable of specifying first, second and third structured query formats, and the programming interface generates the query statement using the first, second and third formats when the query object model specifies the first, second and third structured query formats, respectively.

7. An OLAP query object model for use in generating an OLAP query statement for one or more of a plurality of different OLAP servers, comprising:

a query object which defines an OLAP query in an abstract form, wherein the abstract form is compatible with two or more different OLAP structured query formats, wherein each OLAP structured query format is associated with one of the plurality of OLAP servers; and

a root object including methods, executing in a computer, for transforming the query object into an OLAP query statement in one of the associated OLAP structured query formats, wherein the OLAP structured query format to be used is specified by the query object.

8. The model of claim 7, wherein the query object is capable of specifying the MDX query format and the RS query format, and the root object includes methods for generating an MDX query statement and an RS query statement when the query object specifies the MDX query format and the RS query format, respectively.

9. The model of claim 7, wherein the query object is capable of specifying first, second and third structured query formats, and the root object includes methods for generating the query statement using the first, second and third structured query formats when the query object specifies the first, second and third structured query formats, respectively.

10. An OLAP query generation engine, executing in a computer, for use with an OLAP query and reporting application that supports a first OLAP server using a first structured query format and supports a second OLAP server using a second structured query format, wherein the first and second structured query formats are different, the engine comprising:

an object model including a data structure that models an OLAP query in an abstract form, wherein the abstract form is compatible with both of the two different OLAP structured query formats; and

a programming interface operating on a computer for generating an OLAP query statement according to the first structured query format when the first structured query format is specified by the object model and according to the second structured query format when the second structured query format is specified by the object model.

11. The engine of claim 10, wherein the object model supports a Microsoft Analysis Services OLAP server using the MDX query format and an Hyperion OLAP server using the RS query format, and the programming interface generates an MDX query statement and an RS query statement when the object model specifies the MDX query format and the RS query format, respectively.

12. A computer-implemented method of generating an OLAP query, the method comprising:

providing a query object, the query object including a data structure which models an OLAP query in an abstract form, wherein the abstract form is compatible with two or more different OLAP structured query formats, wherein each different OLAP structured query format is associated with a different type of OLAP server;

selecting, based upon a property of the query object, an OLAP server associated with one of the two or more different OLAP structured query formats; and

processing the query object in a computer to generate a query statement using the structured query format corresponding to the OLAP server selected.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the query object supports the Microsoft Analysis Services OLAP server and the Hyperion OLAP server, and the processing generates an MDX query statement and an RS query statement when the property indicates that the OLAP server is a Microsoft Analysis Services OLAP server and a Hyperion OLAP server, respectively.