Using multi-dimensional expression (MDX) and relational methods for allocation

• US 7,765,224 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Baomin, Yan, Peiyuan, Yang, Xiaohong
• Primary Examiner(s): LeRoux; Etienne P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Witzenburg; Bruce A
• Application Number:
  US11/283,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/4, 707/5, 707/101, 707/602, 707/760, 707/769, 707/792
• US Class Current: 707/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24528 Standardisation; Simplification

Abstract

Data allocation is performed by translating a rule set to a query list. An allocation engine receives the rule set and the data and generates a query list. The query list may be in MDX or SQL syntax. After modifying the queries in the list into a list of physical queries that match the specific characteristic of the data store, a modeling abstraction layer provides the physical queries to the data store engine to perform the queries and provide the results to the allocation engine. The allocation engine allocates the data among existing or new hierarchical levels based on the query results. The allocated data may be stored in the same data store as the original data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for allocating values in hierarchically structured data in a business application, the method comprising:

receiving a request for allocating data stored in a data space;

receiving a model associated with the data, wherein receiving the model associated with the data includes receiving a first rule set associated with allocation of the data, the first rule set comprising an allocation target, an allocation source, and an allocation ratio;

translating the first rule set to a second rule set, wherein translating the first rule set to the second rules set comprises translating the first rule set to a list of high-level language queries, the second rule set being configured to be modified to match a physical characteristic of the data space, the physical characteristic of the data space comprising at least one of the following;

a dimension identifier and a hierarchical structure identifier;

executing the queries based on the second rule set; and

allocating the data based on executed query results, wherein allocating the data comprises at least one of the following;

generating a sub-space in the data space and generating a hierarchy, wherein generating the sub-space comprises creating an outline of dimensions and members and wherein generating the hierarchy comprises;

generating a new hierarchy level for the data that reports to an existing hierarchy level, and

distributing the data in the existing hierarchy level to the new hierarchy level according to a weighted distribution scheme.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein allocating the data further comprises distributing the data in the existing hierarchy level to the new hierarchy level according to one of the following:

an equal distribution scheme and a user defined formula.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first rule set is comprises receiving the first rule set from one of the following:

a user interface and a business modeler application.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein translating the first rule set further comprises translating the first rule set to one of the following:

a Multi-Dimensional eXpression (MDX) query statement and a Structured Query Language (SQL) query statement.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising specifying the allocation request in an MDX-like high level language and storing the allocation request as at least one rule.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing the allocated data by generating sub spaces within the data space for the allocated data.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein storing the allocated data further comprises storing the data to a data store by a write-back manager.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein allocating the data comprises allocating multi-dimensional data and wherein generating the sub-space for the allocated data comprises generating a sub-cube.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the model comprises receiving the model including the data.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining the first rule set with at least the following:

a target scope specification, a source specification, and the ratio specification.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer instructions which when executed perform a method for allocating hierarchically structured data, the method executed by the instructions comprising:

receiving a request for allocating data stored in a data space;

receiving a first rule set associated with the allocation of the data via a Modeling Abstraction Layer (MAL), wherein receiving the first rule set associated with the allocation of the data comprises receiving the first rule set comprising an allocation target, an allocation source, and an allocation ratio;

retrieving the data;

translating the first rule set to a second rule set, wherein translating the first rule set to the second rule set comprises translating the first rule set to a query list comprising high-level language queries, the second rule set being configured to be modified to match a characteristic of the data space, the characteristic of the data space being at least one of the following;

a dimension identifier and a hierarchical structure identifier;

executing the query list on the data space; and

allocating the data based on results of the query list execution by distributing the data in an existing hierarchy level to a new hierarchy level that reports to the existing hierarchy level according to at least one of the following;

a weighted distribution scheme and a user-defined formula, wherein allocating the data comprises at least one of the following;

generating a sub-space in the data space and generating the new hierarchy, wherein generating the sub-space comprises creating an outline of dimensions and members.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein executing the query list comprises executing at least one query conforming to one of the following:

a Multi-Dimensional eXpression (MDX) and a Structured Query Language (SQL).

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein allocating the data comprises allocating the data for at least one of the following:

planning, budgeting, and forecasting a scenario in a business application.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein allocating the data space comprises allocating the data in a multi-dimensional data space.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising distributing the data from at least one leaf of an existing hierarchy level to at least two leaves of another existing hierarchy level.

14. A system for allocating hierarchically structured multi-dimensional data in a business application, the system comprising:

a database configured to store data;

an allocation engine configured to;

receive a request for allocating the data;

receive at least one first rule associated with allocation of the data, the at least one first rule being associated with an allocation target, an allocation source, and an allocation ratio;

translate the at least one first rule to at least one second rule, wherein the at least one second rule comprises a query list comprising high-level language queries, each query in the query list being associated with a sub space of the database, the at least one second rule being configured to be modified to match at least one characteristic of the database, wherein the at least one characteristic of the database comprises at least one of the following;

a dimension identifier and a hierarchical structure identifier;

a modeling abstraction layer configured to;

receive the query list;

translate the query list to a physical query such that the physical query conforms to the at least one characteristic of the database; and

a database engine configured to;

receive the physical query;

execute the physical query on the database;

provide results of the physical query execution for allocating the data by the allocation engine to one of;

an existing hierarchical structure and a new hierarchical structure in the database, the data being allocated to at least one of the following;

a sub-space in the data space and the new hierarchy, wherein allocating the data comprises allocating the data according to at least one of the following;

a weighted distribution scheme, and a user-defined formula, and the database engine being configured create an outline of dimensions and members.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a user interface configured to provide the request for allocating the data and the rule set associated with allocating the data based on user input.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the allocation engine is further configured to allocate the data from at least one leaf of the existing hierarchy level to at least two leaves of another existing hierarchy level.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the model includes the data and the at least one first rule associated with the allocation of the data.