Apparatus for and method of handling data analysis

• US 8,935,276 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Shao Chun, Sun, Xiao Hua, Zhang, Qiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROMELL, ALEXANDRIA Y
• Application Number:
  US13/171,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769, 707/756, 707/805, 715/200
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for handling data analysis. The apparatus includes an editing device which adds user-specified one of a plurality of operation units to a user-specified layer in a data analysis in response to a user operation, each of the operation units performing a predetermined processing on an associated data source, a connecting device which connects at least one user-specified operation unit in the data analysis to an analysis path in response to a user operation, and a user interface. The user interface receives the user operations and displays the data analysis by representing layers in the data analysis, operation units in the layers and connections on the analysis path in a visual manner.

Claims

1. An apparatus for handling a data analysis, comprising:

an editing device which adds user-specified one of a plurality of operation units to a user-specified layer in a data analysis in response to a user operation, each of the operation units performing a predetermined processing on an associated data source, wherein the editing device is further configured to delete a user specified operation unit or a user—

specified layer from the data analysis in response to a user operation;

a connecting device which connects at least one user-specified operation unit in the data analysis to an analysis path in response to a user operation wherein the connecting device is further configured to delete the connection from the deleted operation unit to the analysis path in the case that the user specified operation unit is deleted by the editing device located on the analysis path, and wherein the connecting device is further configured to delete the connection from an operation unit in the deleted layer to the analysis path in case the operation unit in the user—

specified layer deleted by the editing device is connected on the analysis path;

a converting device which, in response to a user operation, converts operation units connected in layers where the operation units connected on the analysis path are located into instructions which can be understood by an analysis execution engine of the data analysis system in order of the layers; and

a user interface which receives the user operations and displays the data analysis by representing layers in the data analysis, operation units in the layers and connections on the analysis path in a visual manner, wherein the user interface is further configured to represent a change imposed by the editing device and the connecting device on the data analysis in a visual manner and further configured to represent an active analysis path in the data analysis in a visually distinguishable manner.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined processing by the operation unit comprises at least one of the following:

searching the associated data source for a record meeting a condition;

performing a transaction on the associated data source; and

instructing a data analysis system to present a statistical result obtained when the data analysis system executes a previous operation unit, wherein the statistical result is presented in a specified presenting manner,

wherein, in case that the predetermined processing of the operation unit comprises searching the associated data source for a record meeting a condition, the operation unit is associated with information for instructing the data analysis system on how to gather statistics from the searched record and how to present the statistical result.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the editing device is further configured to change the layer where a user-specified operation unit locates or to change the position relation between the user-specified operation unit and another operation unit in the same layer in response to a user operation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the editing device is further configured to merge at least two operation units consecutively executed on the analysis path into a composite operation unit in response to a user operation, and

the connecting device is further configured to determine a connection from the composite operation unit to the analysis path by inheriting a connection from an operation unit of the composite operation unit to the analysis path.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the user interface is further configured to represent a change imposed by the editing device and/or the connecting device on the data analysis in a visual manner, and display the composite operation unit in an expanding and folding manner in response to a user operation.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the editing device is further configured to modify a condition parameter for the condition of a user-specified operation unit in response to a user operation; and

the editing device is further configured to associate an operation unit before modification as a backup operation unit with the operation unit after modification, and select one of the operation unit after modification and the associated backup operation unit as an active operation unit in response to a user operation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting device is further configured to save the analysis path and the connected operation unit, or save the user-specified operation unit, and recover the saved analysis path and the connected operation unit, or recover the user-specified operation unit, in response to a user operation.

8. A method of handling a data analysis, comprising:

receiving a user operation;

editing the data analysis, wherein editing the data analysis is adding user—

specified one of a plurality of operation units to a user—

specified layer in a data analysis in response to a user operation, each of the operation units performing a predetermined processing on an associated data source and wherein the editing step further comprises deleting a user—

specified operation unit or a user—

specified layer from the data analysis in response to a user operation;

connecting at least one user-specified operation unit in the data analysis to an analysis path in response to a user operation, wherein the connecting step further comprises;

deleting the connection from the deleted operation unit to the analysis path in the case that the user specified operation unit is deleted at the editing step located on the analysis path; and

deleting the connection from an operation unit in the deleted layer to the analysis path in case the operation unit in the user—

specified layer deleted at the editing step is connected on the analysis path;

in response to a user operation, converting operation units that are connected in layers wherein the operation units connected on the analysis path are located into instructions which can be understood by an analysis execution engine of the data analysis system in order of the layers; and

displaying the data analysis by representing layers in the data analysis, operation units in the layers and connections on the analysis path in a visual manner, wherein the displaying step further comprises;

representing a change imposed at the editing step and the connecting step on the data analysis in a visual manner; and

representing an active analysis path in the data analysis in a visually distinguishable manner.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined processing of the operation unit comprises at least one of the following steps:

searching the associated data source for a record meeting a condition;

performing a transaction on the associated data source; and

instructing a data analysis system to present a statistical result obtained when the data analysis system executes a previous operation unit, wherein the statistical result is presented in a specified presenting manner;

wherein, in case of the predetermined processing of the operation unit of searching the associated data source for a record meeting a condition, the operation unit is associated with information for instructing the data analysis system on how to gather statistics from the searched record and how to present the statistical result.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the editing step further comprises:

changing the layer where a user-specified operation unit locates or changing the position relation between the user-specified operation unit and another operation unit in the same layer in response to a user operation.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the editing step further comprises:

merging at least two operation units consecutively executed on the analysis path into a complex operation unit in response to a user operation, wherein the connecting step further comprises;

determining a connection from the complex operation unit to the analysis path by inheriting a connection from an operation unit of the complex operation unit to the analysis path; and

representing a change imposed at the editing step and/or the connecting step on the data analysis in a visual manner, and displaying the complex operation unit in an expanding and folding manner in response to a user operation.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the editing step further comprises:

modifying a condition parameter for the condition of a user-specified operation unit in response to a user operation; and

wherein the editing step further comprises;

associating an operation unit before modification as a backup operation unit with the operation unit after modification; and

selecting one of the operation unit after modification and the associated backup operation unit as an active operation unit in response to a user operation.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the connecting step further comprises:

saving the analysis path and the connected operation unit, or saving the user-specified operation unit, and recovering the saved analysis path and the connected operation unit, or recovering the user-specified operation unit, in response to a user operation.

14. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium tangibly embodying a computer readable program code having computer readable instructions which, when implemented, cause a computer to carry out the steps of the method of claim 8.