Computer-implemented multidimensional database processing method and system

• US 8,065,262 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Bailey, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tim T
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENG, JAU SHYA
• Application Number:
  US12/907,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method are provided to handle operations dealing with a multidimensional database. Information about the hierarchical structure of a multidimensional database is used when performing the operations upon the database. Operations including update, select and others are performed using the hierarchical structural information. Keys and indexes are used in accessing the hierarchical structural information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for analyzing data records in a MOLAP multidimensional database, comprising:

identifying, sing one or more processors, one or more data records in the MOLAP multidimensional database, wherein a data record includes a plurality of dimensions, and wherein a dimension includes a dimensional hierarchy having a plurality of elements;

generating, using the one or more processors, a dimensional hierarchy vector corresponding to the structural characteristics of a dimensional hierarchy, wherein the dimensional hierarchy vector describes a structural relationship indicating where an element appears in the dimensional hierarchy with respect to other elements within the dimensional hierarchy;

creating, using the one or more processors, one or more keys using the dimensional hierarchy vector, wherein each key is assigned to an element in the dimensional hierarchy, wherein each key is stored in a first index vector, and wherein the keys in the first index vector are used to perform a search based upon a query;

receiving a query using the one or more processors, wherein the query is used to formulate a logical expression based upon the dimensional hierarchy vector; and

using the logical expression and the one or more keys that are associated with the dimensional hierarchy vector in the first index vector to generate a second index vector using the one or more processors, wherein the second index vector is used to scan the plurality of data records in the MOLAP multidimensional database in O(N) time in order to locate one or more data records that fulfill the query.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein assigning each key to an element uniquely identifies each element within each dimensional hierarchy.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a dimensional hierarchy is defined as a directed acyclic graph (DAG).

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each dimensional hierarchy vector includes a preorder value, an ordinal value, and a postorder value for an element.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein each key has a corresponding ordinal value.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each dimensional hierarchy is defined as a containment structure.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dimensional hierarchy vector is a containment vector defining a containment relationship between a particular element with respect to other elements within the dimensional hierarchy.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein a numeric value corresponding to the key is an enumerating sequential number of an element within the dimensional hierarchy vector.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dimensional hierarchy vector includes a key corresponding to each dimension in the plurality of dimensions.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the logical expression includes one or more operators and a plurality of terms based upon the dimensional hierarchy vector.

11. A computer implemented system for analyzing data records in a MOLAP multidimensional database, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

identifying one or more data records in the MOLAP multidimensional database, wherein a data record includes a plurality of dimensions, and wherein a dimension includes a dimensional hierarchy having a plurality of elements;

generating a dimensional hierarchy vector corresponding to the structural characteristics of a dimensional hierarchy, wherein the dimensional hierarchy vector describes a structural relationship indicating where an element appears in the dimensional hierarchy with respect to other elements within the dimensional hierarchy;

creating one or more keys using the dimensional hierarchy vector, wherein each key is assigned to an element in the dimensional hierarchy, wherein each key is stored in a first index vector, and wherein the keys in the first index vector are used to perform a search based upon a query;

receiving a query, wherein the query is used to formulate a logical expression based upon the dimensional hierarchy vector; and

using the logical expression and the one or more keys that are associated with the dimensional hierarchy vector in the first index vector to generate a second index vector, wherein the second index vector is used to scan the plurality of data records in the MOLAP multidimensional database in O(N) time in order to locate one or more data records that fulfill the query.

12. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable non-transitory storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

identify one or more data records in the MOLAP multidimensional database, wherein a data record includes a plurality of dimensions, and wherein a dimension includes a dimensional hierarchy having a plurality of elements;

generate a dimensional hierarchy vector corresponding to the structural characteristics of a dimensional hierarchy, wherein the dimensional hierarchy vector describes a structural relationship indicating where an element appears in the dimensional hierarchy with respect to other elements within the dimensional hierarchy;

create one or more keys using the dimensional hierarchy vector, wherein each key is assigned to an element in the dimensional hierarchy, wherein each key is stored in a first index vector, and wherein the keys in the first index vector are used to perform a search based upon a query;

receive a query, wherein the query is used to formulate a logical expression based upon the dimensional hierarchy vector; and

use the logical expression and the one or more keys that are associated with the dimensional hierarchy vector in the first index vector to generate a second index vector, wherein the second index vector is used to scan the plurality of data records in the MOLAP multidimensional database in O(N) time in order to locate one or more data records that fulfill the query.