Query metadata engine

• US 8,359,305 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Burke, Patrick, Chauvin, Stanley L., Cummings, David C., Fernandez Ortega, Ariel
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US13/276,112
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2452 Query translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90348 by searching ordered data, e.g. alpha-numerically ordered data

Abstract

In one example, a method comprises receiving, with a data access service, an input query from an enterprise software application, wherein the data access service is positioned between the enterprise software application and a multidimensional data source; parsing the input query into a parse tree; generating an abstract syntax tree based on the parse tree, the abstract syntax tree comprising input query elements and multidimensional expression query elements based on the input query; performing an evaluation of metadata comprised in the multidimensional expression query elements of the abstract syntax tree; restructuring the abstract syntax tree based on the evaluation of the metadata; executing a query based on the restructured abstract syntax tree on the multidimensional data source; and retrieving a query result set from the multidimensional data source comprising results that are responsive to the query based on the restructured abstract syntax tree.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

an enterprise software application configured for issuing an input query;

a multidimensional data source; and

a data access service configured for executing on a computing environment between the enterprise software application and the multidimensional data source and receiving an input query from an enterprise software application, wherein the data access service includes;

a query parser, configured for parsing the input query into a parse tree;

a query planner, configured for generating an abstract syntax tree based on the parse tree, the abstract syntax tree comprising input query elements and multidimensional expression query elements based on the input query;

a query metadata engine, configured for performing an evaluation of metadata comprised in the multidimensional expression query elements of the abstract syntax tree, enabling the query planner to restructure the abstract syntax tree based on the evaluation of the metadata; and

a query execution engine, configured for executing a query based on the restructured abstract syntax tree on the multidimensional data source, and retrieving a query result set from the multidimensional data source comprising results that are responsive to the query based on the restructured abstract syntax tree.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the query metadata engine is further configured for retrieving metadata information from the multidimensional data source using an OLAP schema rowset interface.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the query metadata engine is further configured for executing a request on a node of the abstract syntax tree and evaluating what provides context to the node.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the query metadata engine is further configured for evaluating one or more expressions in the abstract syntax tree to determine what hierarchies provide context to one or more functions that correspond to the one or more expressions.

5. A computer program product comprising executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, configured for causing a programmable processor to:

receive, with a data access service, an input query from an enterprise software application, wherein the data access service is positioned between the enterprise software application and a multidimensional data source;

parse the input query into a parse tree;

generate an abstract syntax tree based on the parse tree, the abstract syntax tree comprising input query elements and multidimensional expression query elements based on the input query;

perform an evaluation of metadata comprised in the multidimensional expression query elements of the abstract syntax tree;

restructure the abstract syntax tree based on the evaluation of the metadata;

execute a query based on the restructured abstract syntax tree on the multidimensional data source; and

retrieve a query result set from the multidimensional data source comprising results that are responsive to the query based on the restructured abstract syntax tree.