Query and result rebinding

• US 8,442,934 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Driscoll, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baoquoc N
• Application Number:
  US12/888,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 707759-761
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

The metadata-based intermediation between two data sources. A computing system accesses a query message (e.g., a query or a query response). The query message is structured to be compatible with the first data source. The computing system uses metadata either directly, or indirectly through the execution of code referenced by the metadata to convert the query message into a semantically equivalent query message that is compatible with the second data source. If the query message were a query, then a query response may be acquired and the metadata may perhaps be used again to convert the query response into a form that is compatible with the first data source. In one embodiment, the conversion using the metadata is performed with the assistance of a framework, making changes to the conversion process as simple as perhaps just editing the metadata itself.

Claims

1. A method of a computing system to reformulate a query message to form a reformulated semantically similar query message using metadata, the method comprising:

a computing system accessing a query message that is structured to be compatible with a first data source, the query message including a set of one or more fields including at least a first particular set of one or more fields which are defined by a first schema of the first data source;

reformulating the query message so as to be structured to be compatible with a second data source, wherein the second data source does not have the first particular set of one of more fields, but does have a second particular set of one or more fields that contain similar information as the first particular set of one or more fields, the second particular set of one or more fields being defined by a second schema of the second data source,

wherein reformulating includes at least the following;

accessing metadata that correlates the first particular set of one or more fields defined by the first schema and the second particular set of one or more fields defined by the second schema such that the metadata may be used to translate data and fields between the first and second set of one or more fields;

an act of using the accessed metadata and the values of the first particular set of one or more fields to populate the second particular set of one or more fields; and

creating a reformulated form of the query message which includes the populated second particular set of one or more fields such that the reformulated form of the query message may be executed against the second data source.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the query message is a query.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the second data source is contained within the first data source.

4. The method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

an act of obtaining a query response from the second data source, the query response being compatible with the second data source; and

an act of using the metadata to reformulate the query response so as to be structured to be compatible with the first data source.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the act of using the metadata to reformulate the query response so as to be structured to be compatible with the first data source comprises:

an act of using the accessed metadata and the values of a third particular set of one or more fields to populate a fourth particular set of one or more fields; and

an act of including the populated fourth particular set of one or more fields in a reformulated form of the query response.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein a framework and the metadata are used to perform the reformulation of the query and the query response.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6,

wherein for one of the query or the query response, the metadata describes sufficient information that the framework alone can perform the population of the second particular set of one or more fields,

where for the other of the query or the query response, the metadata references additional code to be executed by the framework in order to formulate and populate of the second particular set of one or more fields.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the query message is a query response.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a framework is used along with the metadata to perform the reformulation.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the metadata describes sufficient information regarding the relationship between the first particular set of data fields and the second set of data fields that the framework alone can perform the population of the second particular set of one or more fields.

11. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the metadata references additional code to be executed by the framework in order to formulate and populate of the second particular set of one or more fields.

12. A computer program product comprising one or more computer storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, the computing system is caused to perform a method of reformulating a query message that is structured to be compatible with a first data source to form a reformulated semantically similar query message to be compatible with a second data source, the query message including a set of one or more fields including at least a first particular set of one or more fields which are defined by a first schema of the first data source, wherein the second data source does not have the first particular set of one of more fields, but does have a second particular set of one or more fields that contain similar information as the first particular set of one or more fields, the second particular set of one or more fields being defined by a second schema of the second data source, the method comprising:

accessing metadata that correlates the first particular set of one or more fields defined by the first schema and the second particular set of one or more fields defined by the second schema such that the metadata may be used to translate data and fields between the first and second set of one or more fields;

using the accessed metadata and the values of the first particular set of one or more fields to populate the second particular set of one or more fields; and

creating a reformulated form of the query message which includes the populated second particular set of one or more fields such that the reformulated form of the query message may be executed against the second data source.

13. The computer program product in accordance with claim 12, wherein the query message is a query.

14. The computer program product in accordance with claim 13, the method further comprising:

an act of obtaining a query response from the second data source, the query response being compatible with the second data source; and

an act of using the metadata to reformulate the query response so as to be structured to be compatible with the first data source.

15. The computer program product in accordance with claim 14, wherein the act of using the metadata to reformulate the query response so as to be structured to be compatible with the first data source comprises:

an act of using the accessed metadata and the values of a third particular set of one or more fields to populate a fourth particular set of one or more fields; and

an act of including the populated fourth particular set of one or more fields in a reformulated form of the query response.

16. The computer program product in accordance with claim 15, wherein a framework and the metadata are used to perform the reformulation of the query and the query response.

17. The computer program product in accordance with claim 12, wherein the query message is a query response.

18. The computer program product in accordance with claim 12, wherein a framework and the metadata are used to perform the reformulation, wherein the metadata describes sufficient information regarding the relationship between the first particular set of data fields and the second set of data fields that the framework alone can perform the population of the second particular set of one or more fields.

19. The computer program product in accordance with claim 12, wherein a framework and the metadata are used to perform the reformulation, wherein the metadata references additional code to be executed by the framework in order to formulate and populate of the second particular set of one or more fields.

20. A method of a computing system for intermediating between a first and second data source, the method comprising:

a computing system accessing a query that is structured to be compatible with a first data source, the query including a set of one or more fields including at least a first particular set of one or more fields which are defined by a first schema of the first data source;

reformulating the query so as to be structured to be compatible with a second data source, wherein the second data source does not have the first particular set of one of more fields, but does have a second particular set of one or more fields that contain similar information as the first particular set of one or more fields, the second particular set of one or more fields being defined by a second schema of the second data source,

wherein reformulating includes at least the following;

accessing metadata that correlates the first particular set of one or more fields defined by the first schema and the second particular set of one or more fields defined by the second schema such that the metadata may be used to translate data and fields between the first and second set of one or more fields;

using the accessed metadata and the values of the first particular set of one or more fields to populate the second particular set of one or more fields; and

creating a reformulated form of the query message which includes the populated second particular set of one or more fields such that the reformulated form of the query message may be executed against the second data source;

obtaining a query response from the second data source in response to executing the reformulated form of the query message, the query response being compatible with the second data source and comprising fields defined by the second schema; and

using the metadata to reformulate the query response so as to be structured to be compatible with the first data source such that the reformulated the query response appears as if it is a response from the first data source.