Systems and methods for enhanced SQL indices for duplicate row entries

• US 8,645,313 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Xinyi, Li, Benjamin, Han, Xiaonan, Kerzner, Daniel, Soewandi, Hanijanto
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US11/139,017
• Time in Patent Office: 3,175 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-100
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

A system and method for indexing non-uniquely indexed entries in a report generated with a business intelligence system, such as, for example, an on-line analytical processing (OLAP) system. A dummy index is added to each index element returned in the report. Non-unique index elements receive different dummy indices to distinguish otherwise identical row elements. The dummy index is added to a base template and optionally also to a view template of a report generator of the OLAP system.

Claims

1. A method for indexing non-uniquely indexed entries in a report generated by an online business intelligence system comprising:

identifying non-uniquely indexed entries and uniquely indexed entries returned by a report generator of the online business intelligence system, wherein the non-uniquely indexed entries comprise a plurality of same entries and the uniquely indexed entries comprise of a plurality of different entries; and

adding a dummy index to each of the identified non-uniquely indexed entries and each of the identified uniquely indexed entries, wherein adding a dummy index to each of the identified non-uniquely indexed entries comprises adding a different dummy variable to each of the identified non-uniquely indexed entries.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein adding a dummy index comprises adding the dummy index to a base template of the report generator of the business intelligence system so as to appear on a row axis of the report.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adding a different dummy variable to each of the identified non-uniquely indexed entries comprises changing a dummy variable between duplicate non-uniquely indexed entries, wherein each non-uniquely indexed entry has at least one corresponding value.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dummy index is selectable by a user through a GUI for inclusion on a view template of the report generator of the business intelligence system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising upon the user executing a command to build the report through the GUI, generating a table having distinct row entries for each non-uniquely indexed entry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the report generator generates the report based on a query syntax selected from a group comprising multidimensional expressions and structured query language.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the business intelligence system is an on-line analytical processing (OLAP) system.

8. A system for distinguishing duplicate index elements in a report generated by a business intelligence system comprising:

an online business intelligence system;

a report generator subsystem adapted to add a dummy index to each of a plurality of non-unique index elements and each of a plurality of unique index elements returned by the report generator subsystem, wherein the dummy index is added to a base template of the report generator subsystem so as to appear on a row axis of the report and the dummy index added to each of the plurality of non-unique index elements having a different dummy variable for each of the plurality of non-unique index elements.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the dummy index is selectable for inclusion on a view template of the report generator subsystem of the business intelligence system.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the different dummy variable added to each of the plurality of non-unique index elements changes between the duplicate non-unique index elements, wherein each of the plurality of non-unique index elements has at least one corresponding value.

11. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a GUI that is operable to allow a user to generate a table having distinct row entries for each of the duplicate index element.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the report generator subsystem generates the report based on a query syntax selected from a group comprising multidimensional expressions and structured query language.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the on-line business intelligence system is an on-line analytical processing (OLAP) system.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions therein, the instructions adapted to cause an analytical engine of a business intelligence system to index distinguish non-uniquely indexed entries in a report generated therewith, comprising:

instructions for executing a network-based business intelligence software system;

instructions for executing a report generator subsystem of the analytical engine of the business intelligence system to produce at least one report;

instructions for adding a dummy index to each of a plurality of non-unique indexed elements and each of a plurality of unique indexed elements returned in a report query submitted to the business intelligence system, wherein the dummy index is in a row axis of a base template of the report generator subsystem so as to appear in a row axis of the report and the dummy index added to each of the plurality of non-unique indexed elements having a different dummy variable for each of the plurality of non-unique indexed elements; and

instructions for interfacing with a GUI.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for enabling the dummy index to be selectable for inclusion on a view template of the report generator subsystem.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein instructions for adding different dummy variable to each of the plurality of non-unique indexed elements such that the dummy variable changes between duplicate non-unique indexed elements, wherein each non-unique indexed element has at least one corresponding value.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the instructions for interfacing with a GUI are adapted to allow a user to generate the report having distinct row entries for each duplicate index element.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the instructions for executing a report generator software subsystem comprise instructions for generating the reports based on a query syntax selected from a group comprising multidimensional expressions and structured query language.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the instructions for executing a network-based business intelligence software system comprise instructions for executing an on-line analytical processing (OLAP) system.