Data query and location through a central ontology model

• US 8,060,531 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Meir, Rannen, Schreiber, Marcel Zvi, Marchant, Hayden, Edelstein, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US12/253,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A data query system including a first storage medium including a data schema having a data schema query language associated therewith, a second storage medium including an ontology model including classes and properties, the ontology model having an ontology query language associated therewith, wherein constructs of the database schema are mapped to corresponding classes, properties or compositions of properties of the ontology model, and an ontology query processor generating a query expressed in the data schema query language corresponding to a specified query expressed in the ontology query language. A method is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A system for processing a query, the system comprising:

a CPU, a computer readable memory, and a computer-readable tangible storage device;

first program instructions to receive a first query expressed in a first query language other than XML database schema and relational database schema, the first query language including classes and properties;

second program instructions, responsive to the receipt of the first query, to determine that an XML database includes a class and a property that correspond to a class and a property of the first query, translate the first query to an XML database schema of the XML database, and initiate search of the XML database for data responsive to the query translated to the XML database schema; and

third program instructions, responsive to the receipt of the first query, to determine that a relational database includes a class and a property that correspond to the class and the property of the first query, translate the first query to a relational database schema of the relational database, and initiate search of the relational database for additional data responsive to the query translated to the relational database schema; and

wherein

the first, second and third program instructions are stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the second program instructions translate the first query to the XML database schema by translating the first query to a name of the XML database schema and associated concept and concept path.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the third program instructions translate the first query to the relational database schema by translating the first query to a name of the relational database schema and associated database name and mapped table.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the third program instructions translate the first query to the relational database schema by translating the first query to a name of the relational database schema and associated database name, mapped concept and property path.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the class of the first query specifies a type of data; and

the second program instructions determine that an XML database includes a class and a property that correspond to the class specified in the first query, and determine that a relational database includes a class and a property that correspond to the class specified in the first query, by reading a table which lists both the XML database and relational database as including sources of data for the class specified in the first query.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the second program instructions translate the first query to the XML database schema of the XML database by translating the first query to a name of the XML database schema and associated concept and concept X-Path.

7. A computer program product for processing a first query, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable tangible storage device;

first program instructions to receive a first query expressed in a first query language other than XML database schema and relational database schema, the first query language including classes and properties;

second program instructions, responsive to the receipt of the first query, to determine that an XML database includes a class and a property that correspond to a class and a property of the first query, translate the first query to an XML database schema of the XML database, and initiate search of the XML database for data responsive to the query translated to the XML database schema; and

third program instructions, responsive to the receipt of the first query, to determine that a relational database includes a class and a property that correspond to the class and the property of the first query, translate the first query to a relational database schema of the relational database, and initiate search of the relational database for additional data responsive to the query translated to the relational database schema; and

wherein

the first, second and third program instructions are stored on the computer-readable tangible storage device.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein:

the second program instructions translate the first query to the XML database schema by translating the first query to a name of the XML database schema and associated concept and concept path.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein:

the third program instructions translate the first query to the relational database schema by translating the first query to a name of the relational database schema and associated database name and mapped table.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein:

the third program instructions translate the first query to the relational database schema by translating the first query to a name of the relational database schema and associated database name, mapped concept and property path.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein:

the class of the first query specifies a type of data; and

the second program instructions determine that an XML database includes a class and a property that correspond to the class specified in the first query, and determine that a relational database includes a class and a property that correspond to the class specified in the first query, by reading a table which lists both the XML database and relational database as including sources of data for the class specified in the first query.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein:

the second program instructions translate the first query to the XML database schema of the XML database by translating the first query to a name of the XML database schema and associated concept and concept X-Path.