Query translation for searching complex structures of objects

• US 8,560,525 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brette, Marc, Ciminera, Frdric, Marqui, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Amresh
• Application Number:
  US13/216,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20120036120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 707/719
• US Class Current: 707/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2452 Query translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24549 Run-time optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Searching stored content is disclosed. A first mapping is created from an object to one or more stored relational database tables. A second mapping is created from the object to an indexer schema. One or both of the following is done: 1) using the first mapping to translate a search request expressed in an abstract query language to a first query language associated with the relational database; and 2) using the second mapping to translate the search request to a second query language associated with the indexer schema.

Claims

1. A system for searching stored content comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a search request from a user;

select, transparent to the user, whether a full text search is performed prior to a search of one or more stored relational database tables, after a search of one or more stored relational database tables, or in parallel with a search of one or more stored relational database tables, wherein the full text search and the search of the one or more stored relational database tables are both associated with a search request, wherein the select operation includes;

determine whether the search request includes an object identifier;

in the event that the search request includes the object identifier, determine whether the search request includes a term associated with the object identifier; and

in the event that the search request includes the object identifier and the term associated with the object identifier, select that the full text search is performed after the search of one or more stored relational database tables;

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed prior to a search of one or more stored relational database tables, execute the full text search prior to executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables;

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed after the search of one or more stored relational database tables, execute the full text search after executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables, wherein the executing of the full text search is performed only on the results on the executing of the search of the one or more stored relational database tables;

and

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed in parallel with the search of one or more stored relational database tables, execute the full text search in parallel with executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to translate the search request into a full text query.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein translating the search request into the full text query uses a mapping between a data model for a complex objects in the query and an indexer schema.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein translating the search request into the relational database query uses a mapping between a data model for a complex objects in the query and relational database tables.

5. A system as in claim 3, wherein translating the search request for the relational database query comprises translating into a second query language is associated with a relational database system.

6. A system as in claim 2, wherein translating the search request for an indexer comprises translating into a first query language associated with a full text index search system.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to translate the search request into relation database query.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein the full text search and the search of the one or more stored relational database tables is transparent to a search requestor.

9. A system as in claim 1, wherein the full text query operates on the results of the relational database query.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein the relational database query operates on the results of the full text query.

11. A method for searching stored content comprising:

receiving a search request from a user;

selecting, transparent to the user, whether a full text search is performed prior to a search of one or more stored relational database tables, after a search of one or more stored relational database tables, or in parallel with a search of one or more stored relational database tables, wherein the full text search and the search of the one or more stored relational database tables are both associated with a search request, wherein the selecting operation includes;

determining whether the search request includes an object identifier;

in the event that the search request includes the object identifier, determining whether the search request includes a term associated with the object identifier; and

in the event that the search request includes the object identifier and the term associated with the object identifier, selecting that the full text search is performed after the search of one or more stored relational database tables;

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed prior to a search of one or more stored relational database tables;

executing the full text search prior to executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables; and

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed after the search of one or more stored relational database tables;

executing the full text search after executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables, wherein the executing of the full text search is performed only on the results on the executing of the search of the one or more stored relational database tables; and

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed in parallel with the search of one or more stored relational database tables;

executing the full text search in parallel with executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables.

12. A method as in claim 11, further comprising translating the search request into a full text query.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein translating the search request into the full text query uses a mapping between a data model for a complex objects in the query and an indexer schema.

14. A method as in claim 12, wherein translating the search request for an indexer comprises translating into a first query language associated with a full text index search system.

15. A method as in claim 11, further comprising translating the search request into relation database query.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein translating the search request into the relational database query uses a mapping between a data model for a complex objects in the query and relational database tables.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein translating the search request for the relational database query comprises translating into a second query language is associated with a relational database system.

18. A method as in claim 15, wherein the full text search and the search of the one or more stored relational database tables is transparent to a search requestor.

19. A computer program product for searching stored content, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a search request from a user;

selecting, transparent to the user, whether a full text search is performed prior to a search of one or more stored relational database tables, after a search of one or more stored relational database tables, or in parallel with a search of one or more stored relational database tables, wherein the full text search and the search of the one or more stored relational database tables are both associated with a search request, wherein the selecting operation includes;

determining whether the search request includes an object identifier;

in the event that the search request includes the object identifier, determining whether the search request includes a term associated with the object identifier; and

in the event that the search request includes the object identifier and the term associated with the object identifier, selecting that the full text search is performed after the search of one or more stored relational database tables;

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed prior to a search of one or more stored relational database tables;

executing the full text search prior to executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables; and

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed after the search of one or more stored relational database tables;

executing the full text search after executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables, wherein the executing of the full text search is performed only on the results on the executing of the search of the one or more stored relational database tables; and

in the event that the full text search is selected to be performed in parallel with the search of one or more stored relational database tables;

executing the full text search in parallel with executing the search of one or more stored relational database tables.