Destructuring and restructuring relational data

• US 9,110,970 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• 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): Hershley, Mark E
• Application Number:
  US12/939,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 707/808
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models

Abstract

A computer system selects a first database corresponding to a first schema and a second database corresponding to a second schema. The computer system then generates a schema table based upon the selected databases. Next, the computer system destructures the schema table, which includes a first entry corresponding to the first database and a second entry corresponding to the second database. The computer system then selects a property map that links the first entry to the second entry, and restructures the destructured schema table using the selected property map, resulting in a restructured schema table. In turn, the computer system processes a user query using the restructured schema table.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting a first database corresponding to a first schema and selecting a second database corresponding to a second schema;

generating, by a processor, a schema table based upon the first database and the second database;

destructuring, by the processor, the schema table, resulting in a destructured schema table, the destructured schema table including a first entry corresponding to the first database and a second entry corresponding to the second database;

wherein the destructuring the schema table comprises;

separating metadata of the schema table into at least one of schema objects and data objects;

assigning the first entry to a first OWL;

Class and assigning the second entry to a second OWL;

Class;

assigning an OWL;

individual to each of the first OWL;

Class and the second OWL;

Class;

selecting a property map that links the first entry to the second entry;

restructuring, by the processor, the destructured schema table using the selected property map, resulting in a restructured schema table, wherein the restructured schema table provides a single point of entry to query data from the first database and the second database; and

processing a user query using the restructured schema table.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the schema table includes a first data object corresponding to the first database and a second data object corresponding to the second database; and

the destructuring further comprises;

disassociating the first data object from the first schema, resulting in the first entry; and

disassociating the second data object from the second schema, resulting in the second entry.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the property map identifies a logical chain from a parent OWL:

Individual to a child OWL;

Individual.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first database corresponds to a fact table and the second database corresponds to a first dimension table, and wherein:

the destructured schema table includes a third entry corresponding to a third database, the third database corresponding to a second dimension table; and

the restructured schema table corresponds to the first database, the second database, and the third database.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the user query further comprises querying the first database and querying the second database.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first schema is different from the second schema.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the property map is a Web Ontology Language (OWL) property map.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating comprises generating the schema table based upon the first database and the second database including table information, column information, and constraint information of the first database and the second database.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the destructured relational schema table is a flat file.

10. An information handling device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by at least one of the processors;

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

selecting a first database corresponding to a first schema and selecting a second database corresponding to a second schema;

generating a schema table based upon the first database and the second database;

destructuring the schema table, resulting in a destructured schema table, the destructured schema table including a first entry corresponding to the first database and a second entry corresponding to the second database;

wherein the destructuring the schema table comprises;

separating metadata of the schema table into at least one of schema objects and data objects;

assigning the first entry to a first OWL;

Class and assigning the second entry to a second OWL;

Class;

assigning an OWL;

individual to each of the first OWL;

Class and the second OWL;

Class;

selecting a property map that links the first entry to the second entry;

restructuring the destructured schema table using the selected property map, resulting in a restructured schema table, wherein the restructured schema table provides a single point of entry to query data from the first database and the second database; and

processing a user query using the restructured schema table.

11. The information handling device of claim 10 wherein:

the schema table includes a first data object corresponding to the first database and a second data object corresponding to the second database; and

the destructuring further comprises steps of;

disassociating the first data object from the first schema, resulting in the first entry; and

disassociating the second data object from the second schema, resulting in the second entry.

12. The information handling device of claim 10 wherein the property map identifies a logical chain from a parent OWL:

Individual to a child OWL;

Individual.

13. The information handling device of claim 10 wherein the first database corresponds to a fact table and the second database corresponds to a first dimension table, and wherein:

the destructured schema table includes a third entry corresponding to a third database, the third database corresponding to a second dimension table; and

the restructured schema table corresponds to the first database, the second database, and the third database.

14. The information handling device of claim 10 wherein processing the user query further comprises querying the first database and querying the second database.

15. The information handling device of claim 10 wherein the first schema is different from the second schema.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions that include:

selecting a first database corresponding to a first schema and selecting a second database corresponding to a second schema;

generating a schema table based upon the first database and the second database;

destructuring the schema table, resulting in a destructured schema table, the destructured schema table including a first entry corresponding to the first database and a second entry corresponding to the second database;

wherein the destructuring the schema table comprises;

separating metadata of the schema table into at least one of schema objects and data objects;

assigning the first entry to a first OWL;

Class and assigning the second entry to a second OWL;

Class;

assigning an OWL;

individual to each of the first OWL;

Class and the second OWL;

Class;

selecting a property map that links the first entry to the second entry;

restructuring the destructured schema table using the property map, resulting in a restructured schema table, wherein the restructured schema table provides a single point of entry to query data from the first database and the second database; and

processing a user query using the restructured schema table.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein:

the schema table includes a first data object corresponding to the first database and a second data object corresponding to the second database; and

the destructuring further comprises steps of;

disassociating the first data object from the first schema, resulting in the first entry; and

disassociating the second data object from the second schema, resulting in the second entry.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the property map identifies a logical chain from a parent OWL:

Individual to a child OWL;

Individual.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the first database corresponds to a fact table and the second database corresponds to a first dimension table, and wherein:

the destructured schema table includes a third entry corresponding to a third database, the third database corresponding to a second dimension table; and

the restructured schema table corresponds to the first database, the second database, and the third database.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein processing the user query further comprises querying the first database and querying the second database.