System and method for analyzing data in a report

• US 8,589,337 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gibson, Stephen D., Leikucs, Andrew A., Winter, Stewart J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US13/466,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and a system for analyzing a data value of interest in a multidimensional database. The data value of interest is first identified in a structured report. The data source for the structured report is retrieved. A context for the data value of interest in the data source is collected, for example, by extracting a slicer from the structured report, by extracting members of master-detail pages, or by extracting a default measure from the structured report. An analysis specification based on the collected context is then built, and the data value of interest is analyzed using the analysis specification. The result from analyzing the data value of interest may be presented in an analysis view.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing a data value of interest in a multidimensional database, the method comprising:

identifying the data value of interest in a structured report, wherein the identifying of the data value of interest in the structured report comprises identifying the data value of interest on a cross-tab intersection in a cross-tab in the structured report;

identifying a data source for the structured report;

collecting a context for the data value of interest in at least one of the data source and the structured report;

building an analysis specification, by a processor, based on the collected context; and

analyzing the data value of interest using the analysis specification;

wherein building the analysis specification comprises;

extracting a slicer from the structured report and adding the slicer to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having said slicer;

extracting a member of one or more detailed pages in a master-detail relationship and adding the one or more detailed pages to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having one or more detailed pages;

extracting a default measure from the structured report and adding the default measure to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having a default measure; and

adding at least one child of the member to the analysis specification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a result from the analyzing of the data value of interest in an analysis view.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-tab intersection has multiple columns.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-tab intersection has multiple rows.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis specification is based on an analysis algorithm directed to a general exploration style analysis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis specification is based on an analysis algorithm directed to a driving factor analysis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the slicer is a set of members that generates a subset of a multidimensional cube.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adding of the at least one child of the member to the analysis specification is based upon the member being an innermost nested member.

9. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable data storage devices; and

computer-executable program instructions, stored on the one or more computer-readable data storage devices for execution by the one or more processors, wherein the program instructions comprise;

program instructions for identifying a data value of interest in a structured report, wherein the program instructions for identifying the data value of interest in the structured report comprise program instructions for identifying the data value of interest on a cross-tab intersection in a cross-tab in the structured report;

program instructions for identifying a data source for the structured report;

program instructions for collecting a context for the data value of interest in at least one of the data source and the structured report;

program instructions for building an analysis specification, with a processor, based on the collected context; and

program instructions for analyzing the data value of interest using the analysis specification;

wherein the program instructions for building the analysis specification comprise;

program instructions for extracting a slicer from the structured report and adding the slicer to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having said slicer;

program instructions for extracting a member of one or more detailed pages in a master-detail relationship and adding the one or more detailed pages to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having one or more detailed pages;

program instructions for extracting a default measure from the structured report and adding the default measure to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having a default measure; and

program instructions for adding at least one child of the member to the analysis specification.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for presenting a result from the analyzing of the data value of interest in an analysis view.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the cross-tab intersection has multiple columns.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the cross-tab intersection has multiple rows.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the analysis specification is based on an analysis algorithm directed to a general exploration style analysis.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the analysis specification is based on an analysis algorithm directed to a driving factor analysis.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the slicer is a set of members that generates a subset of a multidimensional cube.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the adding of the at least one child of the member to the analysis specification is based upon the member being an innermost nested member.

17. A computer program product comprising executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, configured for causing one or more programmable processors to:

identify a data value of interest on a cross-tab intersection in a cross-tab in a structured report;

identify a data source for the structured report;

collect a context for the data value of interest in at least one of the data source and the structured report;

build an analysis specification, with a processor, based on the collected context; and

analyze the data value of interest using the analysis specification;

wherein building the analysis specification comprises;

extracting a slicer from the structured report and adding the slicer to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having said slicer;

extracting a member of one or more detailed pages in a master-detail relationship and adding the one or more detailed pages to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having one or more detailed pages;

extracting a default measure from the structured report and adding the default measure to the analysis specification based upon the structured report having a default measure; and

adding at least one child of the member to the analysis specification.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the executable instructions are further configured for causing one or more programmable processors to identify the data value of interest on the cross-tab intersection in the cross-tab in the structured report, wherein the cross-tab intersection has multiple columns and multiple rows.