Managing information

• US 8,346,775 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Sandra K., Miller, Grant D., Pryor, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THU NGUYET T
• Application Number:
  US12/872,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 707/739, 707/812, 707/E17.005
• US Class Current: 707/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification

Abstract

The different illustrative embodiments provide a method, a computer program product, and an apparatus for managing information. A request to store text in a table in a database is received. A determination is made as to whether a first collection of textual information having a first concept that is related to a second concept for the text is present in the database responsive to receiving the request containing the text. The text is associated with the first collection of textual information in the database responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is present in the database. A second collection for the data with a third concept that is related to the second concept for the text within the degree of relatedness is created.

Claims

1. A method for managing information in a computer system, the method comprising:

(a) the computer receiving a request to store text in a table in a database, wherein the request contains the text;

(b) the computer responsive to receiving the request containing the text, determining whether a first collection of textual information having a first concept that is related to a second concept for the text is present in the database, wherein the first concept is related to the second concept when the first concept is within a degree of relatedness to the second concept, wherein step (b) comprises;

identifying, by the processing unit, a quantity of available resources for a data processing system in which the processor unit is located; and

selecting, by the processing unit, the degree of relatedness based on the quantity of available resources such that the degree of relatedness increases as the quantity of available resources increases and decreases as the quantity of available resources decreases;

(c) the computer, responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is present in the database, associating the text with the first collection of textual information in the database; and

(d) the computer, responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is absent from the database, creating a second collection for the data with a third concept that is related to the second concept for the text within the degree of relatedness.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first concept is a first topic that describes first contents of the first collection of the textual information, and the second concept is a second topic that describes second contents of the text.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first collection of textual information is a semantic grouping, and wherein step (b) comprises:

performing, by the processing unit, a latent semantic analysis on the first concept and second concept, wherein the latent semantic analysis results in at least the degree of relatedness between the first concept and the second concept.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first collection is within a hierarchy of collections of textual information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the degree of relatedness is a first degree of relatedness, and further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is present in the database, determining, by the processing unit, whether a third collection of textual information subordinate to the first collection of textual information in the hierarchy having a fourth concept related to the text within a second degree of relatedness is present in the database, wherein the second degree of relatedness is greater than the first degree of relatedness.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

associating the text with the third collection of textual information in the database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b), step (c), and step (d) are performed responsive to an expiration of a period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b), step (c), and step (d) are performed responsive to an event occurring, wherein the event is selected from a group comprising storing an amount of data in the database and a number of transactions occurring.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first collection of textual information is stored in a table in the database, and step (c) comprises:

storing the text and the second concept in the table with the first collection of textual information in the database.

10. A computer program product comprising:

(a) a computer readable storage medium;

(b) program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for receiving a request to store text in a table in a database, wherein the request contains the text;

(c) program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for determining whether a first collection of textual information having a first concept that is related to a second concept for the text is present in the database responsive to receiving the request containing the text, wherein the first concept is related to the second concept when the first concept is within a degree of relatedness to the second concept, wherein program code (c) comprises;

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for identifying a quantity of available resources for a data processing system in which the processor unit is located; and

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for selecting the degree of relatedness based on the quantity of available resources such that the degree of relatedness increases as the quantity of available resources increases and decreases as the quantity of available resources decreases;

(d) program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for, associating the text with the first collection of textual information in the database responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is present in the database; and

(e) program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for creating, by the processing unit, a second collection for the data with a third concept that is related to the second concept for the text within the degree of relatedness responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is absent from the database.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first concept is a first topic that describes first contents of the collection of the textual information, and the second concept is a second topic that describes second contents of the text.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first collection of textual information is a semantic grouping, and wherein program code (c) comprises:

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for performing, by the processing unit, a latent semantic analysis on the first concept and second concept, wherein the latent semantic analysis results in at least the degree of relatedness between the first concept and the second concept.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the first collection is within a hierarchy of collections of textual information.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the degree of relatedness is a first degree of relatedness, and further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for determining, by the processing unit, whether a third collection of textual information subordinate to the first collection of textual information in the hierarchy having a fourth concept related to the text within a second degree of relatedness is present in the database, wherein the second degree of relatedness is greater than the first degree of relatedness responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is present in the database.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium for associating the text with the third collection of textual information in the database responsive to a determination that the third collection of textual information subordinate to the first collection of textual information in the hierarchy in the hierarchy having the fourth concept related to the text within the second degree of relatedness is present in the database.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein program code (c), program code (d), and program code (e) are run responsive to an expiration of a period of time.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein program code (c), program code (d), and program code (e) are performed responsive to an event occurring, wherein the event is selected from a group comprising storing an amount of data in the database and a number of transactions occurring.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device includes program code;

a processor unit connected to the bus system;

program code stored in the storage device for execution by the processor unit for receiving a request to store text in a table in a database, wherein the request contains the text;

program code stored in the storage device for execution by the processor unit for determining, responsive to receiving the request containing the text, whether a first collection of textual information having a first concept that is related to a second concept for the text is present in the database, wherein the first concept is related to the second concept when the first concept is within a degree of relatedness to the second concept, wherein determining whether a first collection of textual information having a first concept that is related to a second concept for the text is present in the database comprises;

program code stored in the storage device for execution by the processor unit for identifying a quantity of available resources for a data processing system in which the processor unit is located; and

program code stored in the storage device for execution by the processor unit for selecting the degree of relatedness based on the quantity of available resources such that the degree of relatedness increases as the quantity of available resources increases and decreases as the quantity of available resources decreases;

program code stored in the storage device for execution by the processor unit via at least one memory for associating, responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is present in the database, the text with the first collection of textual information in the database;

program code stored in the storage device for execution by the processor unit via at least one memory for creating, responsive to a determination that the first collection of textual information in the database having the first concept that is related to the second concept for the text is absent from the database, a second collection for the data with a third concept that is related to the second concept for the text within the degree of relatedness.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first concept is a first topic that describes first contents of the collection of the textual information, and the second concept is second topic that describes a second contents of the text.