Apparatus and method for constructing and using a semantic abstraction for querying hierarchical data
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:
- receive hierarchical data;
receive a hierarchical data schema associated with the hierarchical data, wherein the hierarchical data schema defines relationships between data elements and data properties within the hierarchical data;
generate an entity relationship model for the hierarchical data schema, wherein the entity relationship model represents the relationships in the hierarchical data schema as a logical structure of tables and joins;
map the hierarchical data schema to the entity relationship model;
define a semantic abstraction associated with the entity relationship model;
define a business element term representing an underlying data element within the hierarchical data represented by the semantic abstraction, wherein the semantic abstraction includes the entity relationship model and the business element term; and
create a report query based on the business element term.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive hierarchical data. A schema for the hierarchical data is also received. An entity relationship model for the hierarchical data is generated. A semantic abstraction associated with the entity relationship model is defined. An abstract term representing an underlying data element within the hierarchical data represented by the semantic abstraction is also defined.
30 Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:
-
receive hierarchical data; receive a hierarchical data schema associated with the hierarchical data, wherein the hierarchical data schema defines relationships between data elements and data properties within the hierarchical data; generate an entity relationship model for the hierarchical data schema, wherein the entity relationship model represents the relationships in the hierarchical data schema as a logical structure of tables and joins; map the hierarchical data schema to the entity relationship model; define a semantic abstraction associated with the entity relationship model; define a business element term representing an underlying data element within the hierarchical data represented by the semantic abstraction, wherein the semantic abstraction includes the entity relationship model and the business element term; and create a report query based on the business element term. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:
-
receive a query specification; receive a semantic abstraction associated with the query specification, wherein the semantic abstraction represents data source entities to be retrieved from an underlying data source; compute an execution plan, wherein the executable instructions to compute the execution plan comprise executable instructions to; evaluate the query specification to identify one or more of the data source entities to be retrieved; determine relationships between the data source entities; group data source entities into sets of compatible data source entities based on logical relationships between the data source entities; process operation instructions required by the query specification; and execute the execution plan, wherein the executable instructions to execute the execution plan comprise executable instructions to; retrieve a data flow associated with the query specification from a data source driver; and assemble the data flows into a query result set; and provide the query result set. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 29, 30)
-
-
22. The computer readable storage medium of 17 wherein the executable instructions to provide the result set further comprise executable instructions to return the results in a report format.
-
23. The computer readable storage medium of 17 wherein the executable instructions to compute an execution plan further comprise executable instructions to determine which operations can be pushed to a data source driver.
-
24. The computer readable storage medium of 17 wherein the executable instructions to compute an execution plan further comprise executable instructions to determine which operations will be processed after data is retrieved.
-
25. The computer readable storage medium of 17 wherein the executable instructions to compute an execution plan further comprise executable instructions to optimize the execution plan based on the capacities of data drivers and query engines.
- 26. The computer readable storage medium of 17 wherein the executable instruction to identify data source entities further comprise executable instructions to identify the location of the entity within the entity relationship model definition.
Specification