Query response service for business objects

• US 7,953,722 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Jin, Ye, Wintel, Maic, Tatzel, Steffen, Hartig, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Hanh B
• Application Number:
  US11/963,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/707, 707/714, 707/718, 719/310, 719/316, 719/330
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for a query response service for business objects. In general, data characterizing a request to perform a query on multiple instances of a business object may be received, where the query includes selection criteria for multiple attributes across multiple nodes for each of the instances of the business object. The query may be initiated on the instances of the business object. Results including values from the attributes across the nodes of the business objects may be returned. The query may be assigned to a node of the business object, which may be a query response transformation node. The node may include a combination of attributes associated with the attributes across the nodes of the business object. Results may be sorted on a server, sent as pages to a client, or both.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to perform a query on a plurality of instances of at least one business object having a query response transformation node, the query comprising selection criteria for a plurality of attributes across a plurality of nodes for each of the instances of the at least one business object, the selection criteria including at least one query input parameter configured to indicate data to be queried and at least one query output parameter configured to indicate a selection of data to be retrieved from the queried data;

using the at least one query input parameter, initiating the query on the instances of the at least one business object, wherein the initiating is based on an input selection mapping of a query view for a client service consumer system to a query parameter structure having at least one of the following;

the at least one query input parameter and the at least one query output parameter; and

using the at least one query output parameter, returning results comprising values from the attributes across the nodes corresponding to the selection of data of the at least one business object, wherein the returning is based on a result mapping from attributes of the query response transformation node to the query view for the client service consumer system;

wherein the query is assigned to a node of the at least one business object and the node to which the query is assigned includes a combination of attributes associated with the plurality of attributes across the plurality of nodes of the at least one business object;

wherein the attributes of the node to which the query is assigned are a union of query result attributes of queries assigned to the node to which the query is assigned.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the node to which the query is assigned is a transformation node in a schema of nodes including data nodes, associated nodes, and transformation nodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sorting results on a server and returning results comprises returning sorted results.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, initiating, and returning is performed by a query service on a server provider system, the query is performed by a search infrastructure, and the query is requested by the client service consumer system that sends the request in a single operation and receives the results in response to the request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the business object comprises a hierarchy of nodes and the nodes comprise a hierarchy of attributes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the attributes of the results are a defined subset of the attributes of the at least one business object.

7. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium, the product comprising instructions to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to perform a query on a plurality of instances of at least one business object having a query response transformation node, the query comprising selection criteria for a plurality of attributes across a plurality of nodes for each of the instances of the at least one business object, the selection criteria including at least one query input parameter configured to indicate data to be queried and at least one query output parameter configured to indicate a selection of data to be retrieved from the queried data;

using the at least one query input parameter, initiating the query on the instances of the at least one business object, wherein the initiating is based on an input selection mapping of a query view for a client service consumer system to a query parameter structure having at least one of the following;

the at least one query input parameter and the at least one query output parameter; and

using the at least one query output parameter, returning results comprising values from the attributes across the nodes corresponding to the selection of data of the at least one business object, wherein the returning is based on a result mapping from attributes of the query response transformation node to the query view for the client service consumer system;

wherein the query is assigned to a node of the at least one business object and the node to which the query is assigned includes a combination of attributes associated with the plurality of attributes across the plurality of nodes of the at least one business object;

wherein the attributes of the node to which the query is assigned are a union of query result attributes of queries assigned to the node to which the query is assigned.

8. The product of claim 7, wherein the node to which the query is assigned is a transformation node in a schema of nodes including data nodes, associated nodes, and transformation nodes.

9. The product of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprises sorting results on a server and returning results comprises returning sorted results.

10. The product of claim 7, wherein the receiving, initiating, and returning is performed by a query service on a server provider system, the query is performed by a search infrastructure, and the query is requested by the client service consumer system that sends the request in a single operation and receives the results.

11. The product of claim 7, wherein the at least one business object comprises a hierarchy of nodes and the nodes comprise a hierarchy of attributes.

12. The product of claim 7, wherein the attributes of the results are a defined subset of the attributes of the at least one business object.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

at a query service assigned to a query response transformation node of at least one business object, receiving a request to perform a query on a plurality of instances of the at least one business object, the query to return results comprising a plurality of attributes across a plurality of nodes for each of the instances of the at least one business object, the results being a subset of attributes of the at least one business object specified by the query, the request from a client consumer of the query service;

at the query service, using at least one query input parameter, initiating the query on the instances of the at least one business object by calling a search infrastructure to perform the query, the calling of the search infrastructure comprising a query parameter structure of query criteria, wherein the query criteria includes the at least one query input parameter configured to indicate data to be queried and at least one query output parameter configured to indicate a selection of data to be retrieved from the queried data, wherein the initiating is based on an input selection mapping of a query view for the client consumer to the query parameter structure; and

at the query service, using the at least one query output parameter, returning results comprising values from the attributes across the nodes corresponding to the selection of data of the at least one business object to a query view at the client consumer, the returning results to the query view based on a result mapping of attributes of the query response transformation node to fields of the query view;

wherein the query is assigned to a node of the at least one business object and the node to which the query is assigned includes a combination of attributes associated with the plurality of attributes across the plurality of nodes of the at least one business object;

wherein the attributes of the node to which the query is assigned are a union of query result attributes of queries assigned to the node to which the query is assigned.