Peer to peer (P2P) federated concept queries

• US 8,375,046 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dettinger, Richard D., Kulack, Frederick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Amresh
• Application Number:
  US12/145,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.003, 707/999.001, 707/999.004, 707/763, 707/760, 707/759, 707/758, 707/705
• US Class Current: 707/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are generally related to data processing, and more specifically to retrieving results for a query from one or more devices coupled to a network. A first device may receive an abstract query including logical fields defined by a first data abstraction model and retrieve query results stored in the first device. The query may be sent to one or more other devices via the network. The one or more other devices may be configured to convert the abstract query to local abstract queries including logical fields defined in local data abstraction models. The local queries may be issued against local databases to retrieve additional results for the query.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving query results comprising:

receiving, at a first device coupled to a network, an abstract query from a requesting entity, wherein the abstract query comprises one or more logical fields defined in a first data abstraction model comprising a plurality of first logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a first database;

wherein the one or more logical fields in the abstract query each have a respective concept code relating corresponding logical field definitions of a plurality of data abstraction models including the first data abstraction model, a second data abstraction model and a third data abstraction model, the second data abstraction model being resident on the first device and comprising a plurality of second logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a second database;

modifying the abstract query to include one or more of the second logical field definitions from the second data abstraction model based on the respective concept codes;

issuing the modified abstract query against the second database to retrieve a first set of results for the modified abstract query;

sending the abstract query to at least one second device coupled to the network, the second device comprising the third data abstraction model comprising a plurality of third logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a third database, wherein the first, second and third data abstraction models, and their respective logical field definitions, are distinct from one another, and wherein the second device is configured to modify the abstract query to include one or more of the third logical field definitions from the third data abstraction model based on the respective concept codes;

receiving a second set of results for the abstract query from the at least one second device; and

providing the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective concept codes associated with each of the one or more logical fields of the abstract query are included in the abstract query, wherein the concept code associates a respective logical field to metadata describing the logical field, the metadata conforming to a predefined format.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a peer-to-peer network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising concatenating the first set of results and second set of results prior to providing the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a union operation to combine the first set of results and the second set of results prior to providing the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting entity is one of a client computer and an application.

7. The memory circuit of claim 1, wherein the first device and second device are servers.

8. A computer readable storage medium comprising a program product which, when executed by a processor is configured to perform an operation for retrieving query results, comprising:

receiving, at a first device coupled to a network, an abstract query from a requesting entity, wherein the abstract query comprises one or more logical fields defined in a first data abstraction model comprising a plurality of first logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a first database;

wherein the one or more logical fields in the abstract query each have a respective concept code relating corresponding logical field definitions of a plurality of data abstraction models including the first data abstraction model, a second data abstraction model and a third data abstraction model, the second data abstraction model being resident on the first device and comprising a plurality of second logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a second database;

modifying the abstract query to include one or more of the second logical field definitions from the second data abstraction model based on the respective concept codes;

issuing the modified abstract query against the second database to retrieve a first set of results for the modified abstract query;

sending the abstract query to at least one second device coupled to the network, the second device comprising the third data abstraction model comprising a plurality of third logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a third database, wherein the first, second and third data abstraction models, and their respective logical field definitions, are distinct from one another, and wherein the second device is configured to modify the abstract query to include one or more of the third logical field definitions from the third data abstraction model based on the respective concept codes;

receiving a second set of results for the abstract query from the at least one second device; and

providing the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the respective concept codes associated with each of the one or more logical fields of the abstract query are included in the abstract query, wherein the concept code associates a respective logical field to metadata describing the logical field, the metadata conforming to a predefined format.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the network is a peer-to-peer network.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises concatenating the first set of results and second set of results prior to providing the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises performing a union operation to combine the first set of results and the second set of results prior to providing the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the requesting entity is one of a client computer and an application.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first device and second device are servers.

15. A system, comprising a plurality of devices coupled via a network, wherein each device is configured to:

receive an abstract query from a requesting entity, wherein the abstract query comprises one or more logical fields defined in a first data abstraction model comprising a plurality of first logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a first database;

wherein the one or more logical fields in the abstract query each have a respective concept code relating corresponding logical field definitions of a plurality of data abstraction models including the first data abstraction model, a second data abstraction model and a third data abstraction model, the second data abstraction model being resident on the device at which the abstract query is received and comprising a plurality of second logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a second database;

modify the abstract query to include one or more of the second logical field definitions from the second data abstraction model based on the respective concept codes;

issue the modified abstract query against the second database to retrieve a first set of results for the modified abstract query;

send the abstract query to at least one other device of the plurality of devices, the at least one other device comprising the third data abstraction model comprising a plurality of third logical field definitions mapping to physical fields of a third database, wherein the first, second and third data abstraction models, and their respective logical field definitions, are distinct from one another, and wherein the at least one other device is configured to modify the abstract query to include one or more of the third logical field definitions from the third data abstraction model based on the respective concept codes;

receive a second set of results for the abstract query from the at least one other device; and

provide the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the respective concept codes associated with each of the one or more logical fields of the abstract query are included in the abstract query, wherein the concept code associates a respective logical field to metadata describing the logical field, the metadata conforming to a predefined format.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the network is a peer-to-peer network.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein each device is further configured to concatenate the first set of results and second set of results prior to providing the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein each device is further configured to perform a union operation to combine the first set of results and the second set of results prior to providing the first and second set of results to the requesting entity.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the requesting entity is one of a client computer and an application.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of devices are servers.