Distribution of data in a lattice-based database via placeholder nodes

• US 8,996,453 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Williamson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US12/651,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 707/607, 707/802, 707/803, 707/797
• US Class Current: 707/607
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for the distribution of data in a lattice-based database via placeholder nodes. A data store can store data in a lattice-based database or other three-dimensional hierarchical format. Higher-level data, such as yearly profit, may be desired to be spread from parent nodes at different levels or points in the lattice structure to lower nodes or locations, such as quarters. Parent nodes can be associated with a set of programmatic placeholder nodes. A spreading tool can insert child nodes representing quarters, months, or other insertion point(s) represented or encoded by a set of placeholder nodes, dividing, combining, or otherwise distributing quantities appropriately. In aspects, data can be spread from multiple parents and/or multiple target child nodes, at once. In aspects, the spreading tool can access or host sequence logic to ensure data spreading in an order that takes dependencies, formatting, or other factors into account.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating a placeholder node with a parent node in a lattice-based database based on user input, the placeholder node being configured at a different dimensional position of the lattice-based database than the parent node and representing an insertion point for additional child nodes of the parent node, wherein identical placeholder nodes are each associated with multiple parent nodes;

generating a set of child nodes, each child node being associated with the parent node and being inserted into the insertion point of the placeholder node; and

distributing, by a processing device, data from the parent node into the set of child nodes, wherein the placeholder node comprises a function which operates on the data distributed from the parent node into the set of child nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing the respective subset of the data further comprises spreading the data from the parent node into at least two associated child nodes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein spreading the data further comprises dividing a quantity represented by the data over the at least two associated child nodes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the quantity comprises a financial quantity, and dividing the quantity further comprises dividing the financial quantity over the at least two associated child nodes representing at least two time intervals.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the placeholder node after distributing the respective subset of the data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the placeholder node as a record of distributing the respective subset of the data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the lattice-based database comprises at least one of an online analytical processing (OLAP) data source and an extensible markup language (XML) data source.

8. A system comprising:

a memory to store a lattice-based database;

a processing device coupled to the memory, the processing device being configured to;

associate a placeholder node with a parent node in a lattice-based database based on user input, the placeholder node being configured at a different dimensional position of the lattice-based database than the parent node and representing an insertion point for additional child nodes of the parent node, wherein identical placeholder nodes are each associated with multiple parent nodes;

generate a set of child nodes, each child node being associated with the parent node and being inserted into the insertion point of the placeholder node, and

distribute, by the processing device, data from the parent node into the set of child nodes, wherein the placeholder node comprises a function which operates on the data distributed from the parent node into the set of child nodes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein distributing the respective subset of the data further comprises spreading the data from the parent node into at least two associated child nodes.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the lattice-based database comprises at least one of an online analytical processing (OLAP) data source and an extensible markup language (XML) data source.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing device further deletes the placeholder node after distributing the respective subset of the data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the processing device further stores the placeholder node as a record of distributing the respective subset of the data.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions, that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

associate a placeholder node with a parent node in a lattice-based database based on user input, the placeholder node being configured at a different dimensional position of the lattice-based database than the parent node and representing an insertion point for additional child nodes of the parent node, wherein identical placeholder nodes are each associated with multiple parent nodes;

generate a set of child nodes, each child node being associated with the parent node and being inserted into the insertion point of the placeholder node; and

distribute, by the processing device, data from the parent node into the set of child nodes, wherein the placeholder node comprises a function which operates on the data distributed from the parent node into the set of child nodes.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein distributing the respective subset of the data further comprises spreading the data from the parent node into at least two associated child nodes.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein spreading the data further comprises dividing a quantity represented by the data over the at least two associated child nodes.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the quantity comprises a financial quantity, and dividing the quantity further comprises dividing the financial quantity over the at least two associated child nodes representing at least two time intervals.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processing device to delete the placeholder node after distributing the respective subset of the data.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processing device to store the placeholder node as a record of distributing the respective subset of the data.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the lattice-based database comprises at least one of an online analytical processing (OLAP) data source and an extensible markup language (XML) data source.