Method and system for creating a well-formed database using semantic definitions

• US 7,739,224 B1
• Filed: 05/06/1998
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Infor Global Solutions Michigan Incorporated (Infor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Infor Global Solutions Michigan Incorporated (Infor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walsh, Gregory Vincent, Weissman, Craig David, Wegbreit, Eliot Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Application Number:
  US09/073,748
• Time in Patent Office: 4,423 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-104, 707200-206, 707/104.1, 717/5, 717/116, 717/102, 717/104, 717/105, 717/12, 717/13, 705/10, 705/36, 345/741, 345/700, 345/781, 345/764, 715/203, 715/205, 715/738, 715/751, 706/45, 709/201
• US Class Current: 707/794
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP

Abstract

A method of defining a well-formed database system by defining the organization of the data in the database, and by defining the operations for that data, is described. The definition can be used to automatically create and populate the well-formed database system. The well-formed database system conforms to rules of correctness and produces results that conform to the rules. The organization is defined by a data organization definition that specifies tables, their columns, and the relationships between tables. The operations define procedures that operate on the tables and the table columns. Importantly, the operations are defined along with the tables, columns, and relationships, so that the resulting system is well-formed.

Claims

1. A method of generating one or more database systems, the method comprising:

providing a metadata system that includes a metadata schema, a facility for entering instructions into the metadata schema, and a facility for manipulating the metadata schema;

receiving instructions for generating a database system for business from a user, the received instructions including semantic definitions, wherein the received instructions are entered into the metadata schema and are used to create the database system for business; and

generating the database system for business automatically using the semantic definitions included in the received instructions, whereby the database system for business is well-formed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically generating the database system for business further comprises:

generating tables automatically according to the received instructions.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

building aggregate tables according to the received instructions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving further instructions defining a query mechanism from a user; and

generating queries according to the received further instructions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating reports according to the received instructions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a modification of the metadata schema; and

adjusting the database system for business automatically according to the modification.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading data into the database system for business according to the received instructions entered into the metadata schema.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising operating on the database system for business according to the received instructions entered into the metadata schema.

9. A method of generating one or more database systems, the method comprising:

providing a metadata system that includes a metadata schema, a facility for entering instructions into the metadata schema, and a facility for manipulating the metadata schema;

receiving instructions for generating a database system for business, the received instructions containing semantic definitions for the metadata schema; and

generating the database system for business automatically using the semantic definitions included in the received instructions, whereby the database system for business is well-formed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically generating the database system for business further comprises:

generating tables automatically according to the received instructions.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

building aggregate tables according to the received instructions.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein operating on the database system for business further comprises:

receiving further instructions defining a query mechanism from a user; and

generating queries according to the received further instructions.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein operating on the database system for business further comprises:

generating reports according to the received instructions.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a modification of the metadata schema; and

adjusting the database system for business automatically according to the modification.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising loading data into the database system for business according to the received instructions.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising operating on the database system for business according to the received instructions.

17. A computer system, comprising:

a computer including a processor and a memory;

a computer program stored in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein the computer program includes computer instructions for;

providing a metadata system that includes a metadata schema, a facility for entering instructions into the metadata schema, and a facility for manipulating the metadata schema;

receiving instructions for generating a database system for business from a user, the received instructions including semantic definitions, wherein the received instructions are entered into the metadata schema and are used to create the database system for business; and

generating the database system for business automatically using the semantic definitions included in the received instructions, whereby the database system for business is well-formed.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

generating tables automatically according to the received instructions.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

building aggregate tables according to the received instructions.

20. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

receiving further instructions defining a query mechanism from a user; and

generating queries according to the received further instructions.

21. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

generating reports according to the received instructions.

22. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

receiving a modification of the metadata schema; and

adjusting the database system for business automatically according to the modification.

23. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for loading data into the database system for business according to the received instructions entered into the metadata schema.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for operating on the database system for business according to the received instructions entered into the metadata schema.

25. A computer system, comprising:

a computer including a processor and a memory;

a computer program stored in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein the computer program includes computer instructions for;

providing a metadata system that includes a metadata schema, a facility for entering instructions into the metadata schema, and a facility for manipulating the metadata schema;

receiving instructions for generating a database system for business, the received instructions including semantic definitions for the metadata schema; and

generating the database system for business automatically using the semantic definitions included in the received instructions, whereby the database system for business is well-formed.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

generating tables automatically according to the received instructions.

27. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

building aggregate tables according to the received instructions.

28. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

receiving further instructions defining a query mechanism from a user; and

generating queries according to the received further instructions.

29. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

generating reports according to the received instructions.

30. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

receiving a modification of the metadata schema; and

adjusting the database system for business automatically according to the modification.

31. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

loading data into the database system for business according to the received instructions.

32. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the computer program further includes computer instructions for:

operating on the database system for business according to the received instructions contained in the metadata schema.

33. A computer readable storage medium encoded with software instructions, wherein execution of the software instructions comprises:

providing a metadata system that includes a metadata schema, a facility for entering instructions into the metadata schema, and a facility for manipulating the metadata schema;

receiving instructions for generating a database system for business from a user, the received instructions including semantic definitions, wherein the received instructions are entered into the metadata schema and are used to create the database system for business; and

generating the database system for business automatically using the semantic definitions included in the received instructions, whereby the database system for business is well-formed.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

generating tables automatically according to the received instructions.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

building aggregate tables according to the received instructions.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

receiving further instructions defining a query mechanism from a user; and

generating queries according to the received further instructions.

37. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

generating reports according to the received instructions.

38. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

receiving a modification of the metadata schema; and

adjusting the database system for business automatically according to the modification.

39. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises loading data into the database system for business according to the received instructions entered into the metadata schema.

40. The computer readable storage medium of claim 39, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises operating on the database system for business according to the received instructions entered into the metadata schema.

41. A computer readable storage medium encoded with software instructions, wherein execution of the software instructions comprises:

providing a metadata system that includes a metadata schema, a facility for entering instructions into the metadata schema, and a facility for manipulating the metadata schema;

receiving instructions for generating a database system for business, the received instructions containing semantic definitions for the metadata schema; and

generating the database system for business automatically using the semantic definitions included in the received instructions, whereby the database system for business is well-formed.

42. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

generating tables automatically according to the received instructions.

43. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

building aggregate tables according to the received instructions.

44. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

receiving further instructions defining a query mechanism from a user; and

generating queries according to the received further instructions.

45. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

generating reports according to the received instructions.

46. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises:

receiving a modification of the metadata schema; and

adjusting the database system for business automatically according to the modification.

47. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises loading data into the database system for business according to the received instructions.

48. The computer readable storage medium of claim 47, wherein execution of the software instructions further comprises operating on the database system for business according to the received instructions.

49. A method of automatically generating a database system for business, the method comprising:

providing a metadata schema;

entering instructions for generating the database system into the metadata schema, the entered instructions having semantic definitions; and

generating the database system for business automatically using the semantic definitions of the entered instructions, whereby the database system for business is well-formed.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising loading data into the automatically-generated database system for business according to the instructions entered into the metadata schema.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising operating the database system for business according to the instructions entered into the metadata schema.

52. A method of automatically generating a database system for business, the method comprising:

receiving instructions for generating a database system for business, the received instructions having semantic definitions; and

generating the database system for business automatically using the semantic definitions of the received instructions, whereby the database system for business is well-formed.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising loading data into the generated database system for business according to the received instructions.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising operating the database system according to the received instructions.