Processing data from diverse databases

• US 8,943,087 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mohan, Mukund
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hershley, Mark E
• Application Number:
  US12/179,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20100023496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 707/714, 707/721, 707/759, 707/763, 707/765
• US Class Current: 707/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models

Abstract

Method, system and computer usable medium are provided for processing information items from first and second databases, wherein information items in the first database are related in first way, and information items in the second database are related in a second way. The method comprises providing a semantic relationship between the information items in the first database and the information items in the second database, the semantic relationship providing a single point of entry to the first and second databases. That single point of entry is used to enter a query to the databases, and the semantic relationship is used to navigate between the first and second databases to provide a response to the query.

Claims

1. A method of processing information items from first and second databases, the method comprising:

providing a semantic relationship between the information items in the first database and the information items in the second database, the semantic relationship providing a single point of entry to the first and second databases;

implementing a semantic layer between an external schema and a schema of the first and second databases;

using the single point of entry to enter a query to the databases; and

using the semantic relationship to navigate between the first and second databases to provide a response to the query, and

wherein information items in the first database are related in first way, and information items in the second database are related in a second way, and the first way is different from the second way, and

wherein the first database has at least one of a different application and model from the second database,

wherein providing the semantic relationship includes using triple representations to represent associations among information items of the databases, each triple representation including three elements including a subject, a verb and a predicate; and

the verb is a linking term that combines the subject and the predicate,

wherein using the triple representations includes overlapping or joining triple representations of different information items to provide a link between the different information items.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the semantic relationship includes presenting the information items in the first and second databases in a unified semantic model, independent of the structure of the information items in the databases.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein providing the semantic relationship further includes using the semantic model to link at least some of the information items in the first database with at least some of the information items in the second database.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the semantic relationship includes exposing to users both names and values that can be used to formulate the query.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

using the response to the query to formulate a modified query;

using the single point of entry to enter the modified query; and

using the semantic relationship to navigate between the first and second databases to provide a response to the modified query.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the semantic relationship includes listing all uniquely named information items, as column values of a column of a single table in the databases.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the semantic relationship further includes combining triple representations of some of the information items in the first database with triple representations of some of the information items in the second database.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the elements of each triple representation is either a link to another information items or another triple itself.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein each of the subject or predicate of each triple representation is either a numerical data type or non-numerical data types including text, audio, image, map or video.

10. A system for processing information items from first and second databases, the system comprising:

a processor and a memory;

a semantic model identifying a semantic relationship between the information items in the first database and the information items in the second database, the semantic relationship providing a single point of entry to the first and second databases;

wherein a semantic layer is implemented between an external schema and a schema of the first and second databases, and

a processing unit for using the single point of entry to enter a query to the databases, and for using the semantic relationship to navigate between the first and second databases to provide a response to the query, and

wherein information items in the first database are related in first way, and information items in the second database are related in a second way, and the first way is different from the second way, and

wherein the first database has at least one of a different application and model from the second database;

wherein the semantic model includes triple representations to represent associations between information items in the databases, each triple representation including three elements including a subject, a verb and a predicate; and

the verb is a linking term that combines the subject and the predicate,

wherein in the semantic model, triple representations of different information items are overlapped, joined or common to provide a link between the different information items.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the semantic model presents the information items in the first and second databases in a unified semantic model, independent of the structure of the information items in the databases.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit uses the semantic model to link at least some of the information items in the first database with at least some of the information items in the second database.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the semantic model lists all uniquely named information items in the databases in a single table or namespace.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the semantic model contains all triple representation of information items in the databases in a single or multiple table(s) or namespace(s).

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein:

in the semantic model, the triple representations of some of the information items in the first database are combined with triple representations of some of the information items in the second database.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein each of the subject or predicate of each triple

representation is either a numerical data type or non-numerical data types including text, audio, image, map or video.

17. A computer program product for processing information items from first and second databases, comprising:

a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured for;

providing a semantic relationship between the information items in the first database and the information items in the second database, the semantic relationship providing a single point of entry to the first and second databases;

implementing a semantic layer between an external schema and a schema of the first and second databases;

using the single point of entry to enter a query to the databases; and

using the semantic relationship to navigate between the first and second databases to provide a response to the query, and

wherein information items in the first database are related in a first way, and information items in the second database are related in a second way, and the first way is different from the second way, and

wherein the first database has at least one of a different application and model from the second database,

wherein providing the semantic relationship includes using triple representations to represent associations among information items of the databases, each triple representation including three elements including a subject, a verb and a predicate; and

the verb is a linking term that combines the subject and the predicate, wherein using the triple representations includes overlapping or joining triple representations of different information items to provide a link between the different information items.

18. The computer usable medium, according to claim 17, wherein providing the semantic relationship includes presenting the information items in the first and second databases in a unified semantic model, independent of the structure of the information items in the databases.

19. The computer usable medium, according to claim 18, wherein providing the semantic relationship further includes using the semantic model to link at least some of the information items in the first database with at least some of the information items in the second database.

20. A method of providing a semantic relationship between information items in a first database and information items in a second database, the method comprising:

presenting the information items in the first and second databases in a unified semantic model, independent of the structure of the information items;

implementing a semantic layer between an external schema and a schema of the first and second databases; and

using the semantic relationship to provide a single point of entry to the first and second databases for entry of a query to the databases,

wherein presenting the information items include using triple representations to represent associations between information items in each of the databases, each triple representation including three elements including a subject, a verb and a predicate; and

the verb is a linking term that combines the subject and the predicate,

wherein using the triple representations includes overlapping or joining triple representations of different information items to provide a link between the different information items.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein presenting the information items further includes combining triple representations of some of the information items in the first database with triple representations of some of the information items in the second database.

22. A system for providing a semantic relationship between information items in a first database and information items in a second database, the system comprising:

a processor and a memory;

a semantic model for presenting the information items in the first and second databases in a unified semantic relationship, independent of the structure of the information items;

wherein a semantic layer is implemented between an external schema and a schema of the first and second databases, and

a processing unit for using the semantic relationship to provide a single point of entry to the first and second databases for entry of a query to the databases;

wherein providing the semantic relationship includes using triple representations to represent associations among information items of the databases, each triple representation including three elements including a subject, a verb and a predicate; and

the verb is a linking term that combines the subject and the predicate,

wherein using the triple representations includes overlapping or joining triple representations of different information items to provide a link between the different information items.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the semantic model lists all uniquely named information items in the databases in a single table or namespace.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the semantic model contains all triple representation of information items in the databases in a single or multiple table(s) or namespace(s).

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein:

the semantic model includes triple representations to represent associations between information items in the database, each triple representation including three elements including a subject, a verb and a predicate;

in the semantic model, the triple representations of some of the information items in the first database are combined with triple representations of some of the information items in the second database;

in the semantic model, each of the elements of each triple representation is either a link to another information item or another triple itself;

in the semantic model, triple representations of different information items are overlapped, joined or common to provide a link between the different information items; and

in the semantic model, the subject or predicate element of triple representation is either a numerical or non-numerical data type.