Method of servicing query statements from a client machine using a database management system (DBMS) employing a relational datastore and a multi-dimensional database (MDDB)

• US 8,321,373 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: Yanicklo Technology LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bakalash, Reuven, Shaked, Guy, Caspi, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): TIMBLIN, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US12/653,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 707/600, 707/602, 707/607, 707/705, 707/769, 707/770, 707999001-999003
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24539 using cached or materialised query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24556 Aggregation; Duplicate elimination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/957 Multidimensional
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method of serving query statements from one or more client machines using a database management system (DBMS) employing a relational data store and a multi-dimensional database (MDDB). A query interface is adapted to receive query statements from the client machines, and generate one or more query requests. A query handling mechanism (i) receives each request from the query interface, (ii) extracts a set of dimensions associated with the request, (iii) uses the dimensions to retrieve aggregated fact data from the MDDB, and (iv) forwards retrieved aggregated fact data to the query processing mechanism for subsequent processing. When the query processing mechanism determines that servicing of one or more query requests require data stored in the relational tables, then the query handling mechanism automatically routes the requests to the relational data tables, so that data can be accessed from the relational tables and forwarded to the query processing mechanism for use in servicing the requests, in a manner transparent to the client machine.

Claims

1. A database management system comprising:

a relational data store storing fact data;

a multi-dimensional data store configured to store aggregated fact data in a multi-dimensional data structure and to communicate bi-directionally with the relational data store;

a communication interface operably connected between the relational data store and the multi-dimensional data store for communication of fact data from the relational data store to the multi-dimensional data store and for the communication of aggregated fact data from the multi-dimensional data store to the relational data store; and

a computer system comprising computer hardware, the computer system programmed to implement;

a query servicing mechanism configured to service one or more natural language queries from a user, the query servicing mechanism comprising;

a query processing mechanism configured to process a given natural language query, the query processing mechanism configured to;

make a determination of whether servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the relational data store or the multi-dimensional data store; and

upon a determination that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the multi-dimensional data store,

 

automatically calculate the aggregated fact data and forwarding the calculated aggregated fact data to the query processing mechanism for use in servicing the given natural language query, in a manner transparent to the user.

2. The database management system of claim 1, wherein the query servicing mechanism is implemented in a module within the database management system.

3. The database management system of claim 1, wherein the database management system is configured to receive the given natural language query from a user via a web-enabled browser, and the database management system is configured to communicate the given natural language query to the query servicing mechanism.

4. The database management system of claim 1, wherein the database management system is configured to generate the multi-dimensional data store by calculating aggregated fact data from data stored in the relational data store according to a multi-dimensional data aggregation process, and store the aggregated fact data in the multi-dimensional data store.

5. The database management system of claim 4, wherein the multi-dimensional data aggregation process comprises:

(i) determining if the aggregated fact data needed to service the given natural language query is already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, and

in response to determining that the aggregated fact data needed to service the given natural language query is already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store,

retrieving the pre-calculated aggregated fact data and forwarding the retrieved pre-calculated aggregated fact data to the query processing mechanism; and

(ii) in response to determining that the needed aggregated fact data is not already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, calculating the needed aggregated fact data on demand, and automatically forwarding the calculated aggregated fact data to the query processing mechanism.

6. A method comprising:

by a computer system comprising computer hardware;

receiving one or more natural language queries from a user;

determining whether servicing a given natural language query of the one or more natural language queries needs data stored in a relational data store or in a multi-dimensional data store, wherein the relational data store is configured to communicate fact data to the multi-dimensional data store and the multi-dimensional data store is configured to communicate aggregated fact data to the relational data store; and

in response to determining that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the multi-dimensional data store,

automatically calculating aggregated fact data and forwarding the calculated aggregated fact data to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising receiving at the computer system a natural language query over a network from a user browser.

8. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising generating the multi-dimensional data store by calculating aggregated fact data from data stored in the relational data store according to a multi-dimensional data aggregation process, and storing the aggregated fact data in the multi-dimensional data store.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the multi-dimensional data aggregation process comprises:

(i) in response to determining that the aggregated fact data needed to service the given natural language query is already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, retrieving the pre-calculated aggregated fact data and forwarding the pre-calculated aggregated fact data to the user; and

(ii) in response to determining that the needed aggregated fact data is not already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, calculating the needed aggregated fact data on demand, and automatically forwarding the calculated aggregated fact data to the user.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more natural language queries from a user;

determining whether servicing a given natural language query needs data stored in a relational data store or in a multi-dimensional data store formed via a segmented aggregation process involving aggregation along multiple dimensions in a determined sequence, wherein the multi-dimensional data store is configured to communicate bi-directionally with the relational data store; and

in response to determining that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the multi-dimensional data store,

automatically calculating aggregated fact data and forwarding the calculated aggregated fact data to the user.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the operations further comprising receiving a natural language query over a network from a user browser.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the operations further comprising generating the multi-dimensional data store by calculating aggregated fact data from data stored in the relational data store according to a multi-dimensional data aggregation process, and storing the aggregated fact data in the multi-dimensional data store.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the multi-dimensional data aggregation process comprises:

(i) in response to determining that the aggregated fact data needed to service the given natural language query is already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, retrieving the pre-calculated aggregated fact data and forwarding the pre-calculated aggregated fact data to the user; and

(ii) in response to determining that the needed aggregated fact data is not already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, calculating the needed aggregated fact data on demand, and automatically forwarding the calculated aggregated fact data to the user.