System, method, and data structure for automatically generating database queries which are data model independent and cardinality independent

• US 9,135,296 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Weber, Thomas P., Levine, Frederick J., Kelley, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gofman, Alex
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gurmu, Muluemebet
• Application Number:
  US14/445,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 707/714
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24526 Internal representations for queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for performing a query in a distributed system. In one example, a query generation system receives an identification of data item components and associations between the data item components, wherein the data item components include a measure and a category, and wherein the identified association indicates that the measure is independent of another data item component, indicates that the measure is dependent on another data item component, or indicates that two or more data item components are correlated. The query generation system creates and executes a database query for retrieving data item components, wherein the database query includes a first Uquery, wherein the first Uquery includes a Mx segment subquery and a U0 segment subquery, wherein the Mx segment subquery is associated with a table that contains the measure, a table that contains columns for a calculated measure, or a correlated table, and wherein the U0 segment subquery is associated with a table that contains the category, a table that contains columns for a calculated category, a dependent measure table, or a dependent filter table. In another example, the query generation system generates a virtual results table by aggregating the Uquery results from one Uquery with Uquery results from another Uquery and reports the virtual results table.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to perform operations that include

receiving an identification of data item components and an identification of associations between the data item components, wherein the data item components include measures and a category, and wherein the identified associations include at least two different associations from the associations comprising an indication that one measure is independent of other measures, an indication that one measure is dependent on another measure, and an indication that two or more measures are correlated;

creating a database query for retrieving data item components, wherein the database query includes a first Uquery, wherein the first Uquery includes a Mx segment subquery and a U0 segment subquery, wherein the Mx segment subquery is operable to gather measures and is associated with an Mx segment table that contains the measures included in the data item components, columns for a calculated measure, or correlated measures, and wherein the U0 segment subquery is associated with a table that contains the category, a table that contains columns for a calculated category, a dependent measure table, or a dependent filter table, and wherein the U0 segment subquery further facilitates selecting a set of categories and join keys, the join keys of the set including join keys that join directly to the Mx segment subquery;

executing each Mx segment subquery to generate Mx segment subquery results;

executing each U0 segment subquery to generate U0 segment subquery results;

joining Mx segment subquery results from each Uquery with the U0 segment subquery results from the same Uquery to generate Uquery results;

generating a virtual results table by aggregating the Uquery results from one Uquery with Uquery results from another Uquery; and

reporting the virtual results table.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data item components further include a filter.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the identified associations further include an indication that a measure is dependent on the filter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identified associations further include an indication that a measure is not dependent on the filter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified associations further include an indication that a measure is not dependent on the category.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one Mx segment subquery is associated with a table that contains a transfer table or a category table.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one U0 segment subquery is associated with a transfer table between category tables or a transfer table between a category table and a measure table.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one U0 segment subquery is associated with a dependent required table.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein generating the virtual results table includes joining the Uquery results with the results from another Uquery.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein generating the virtual results table includes unioning the Uquery results with the results from another Uquery and applying an aggregating query to the unioned results to generate the virtual results table.

11. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations including:

receiving an identification of data item components and an identification of associations between the data item components, wherein the data item components include measures and a category, and wherein the identified associations include at least two different associations from the associations comprising an indication that one measure is independent of other measures, an indication that one measure is dependent on another measure, and an indication that two or more measures are correlated;

creating a database query for retrieving data item components, wherein the database query includes a first Uquery, wherein the first Uquery includes a Mx segment subquery and a U0 segment subquery, wherein the Mx segment subquery is operable to gather measures and is associated with an Mx segment table that contains the measures included in the data item components, columns for a calculated measure, or correlated measures, and wherein the U0 segment subquery is associated with a table that contains the category, a table that contains columns for a calculated category, a dependent measure table, or a dependent filter table, and wherein the U0 segment subquery further facilitates selecting a set of categories and join keys, the join keys of the set including join keys that join directly to the Mx segment subquery;

executing each Mx segment subquery to generate Mx segment subquery results;

executing each U0 segment subquery to generate U0 segment subquery results;

joining Mx segment subquery results from each Uquery with the U0 segment subquery results from the same Uquery to generate Uquery results;

generating a virtual results table by aggregating the Uquery results from one Uquery with Uquery results from another Uquery; and

reporting the virtual results table.

12. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein the data item components further include a filter.

13. The computer-program product of claim 12, wherein the identified associations further include an indication that a measure is dependent on the filter.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the identified associations further include an indication that a measure is not dependent on the filter.

15. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the identified associations further include an indication that a measure is not dependent on the category.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein at least one Mx segment subquery is associated with a table that contains a transfer table or a category table.

17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein at least one U0 segment subquery is associated with a transfer table between category tables or a transfer table between a category table and a measure table.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein at least one U0 segment subquery is associated with a dependent required table.

19. The computer-program product of claim 18, wherein generating the virtual results table includes joining the Uquery results with the results from another Uquery.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19, wherein generating the virtual results table includes unioning the Uquery results with the results from another Uquery and applying an aggregating query to the unioned results to generate the virtual results table.

21. A computer-program product comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations including;

receiving an identification of data item components and an identification of an association between the data item components, wherein the data item components include a measure and a category, and wherein the identified association indicates that the measure is independent of another data item component, indicates that the measure is dependent on another data item component, or indicates that two or more data item components are correlated;

creating a database query for retrieving data item components, wherein the database query includes a first Uquery, wherein the first Uquery includes a Mx segment subquery and a U0 segment subquery, wherein the Mx segment subquery is operable to gather measures and is associated with an Mx segment table that contains the measure included in the data item components, columns for a calculated measure, or correlated measures, and wherein the U0 segment subquery is associated with a table that contains the category, a table that contains columns for a calculated category, a dependent measure table, or a dependent filter table, and wherein the U0 segment subquery further facilitates selecting a set of categories and join keys, the join keys of the set including join keys that join directly to the Mx segment subquery;

executing the Mx segment subquery to generate Mx segment subquery results;

executing the U0 segment subquery to generate U0 segment subquery results; and

joining the Mx segment subquery results with the U0 segment subquery results to generate Uquery results.

22. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the operations further include:

generating Uquery results for a second Uquery;

generating a virtual results table by aggregating the Uquery results from the first Uquery with Uquery results from the second Uquery; and

reporting the virtual results table.

23. The computer-program product of claim 22, wherein generating the virtual results table includes joining the Uquery results from the first Uquery with Uquery results from the second Uquery.

24. The computer-program product of claim 22, wherein generating the virtual results table includes unioning the Uquery results from the first Uquery with Uquery results from the second Uquery and applying an aggregating query to the unioned results to generate the virtual results table.

25. The computer-program product of claim 22, wherein the data item components further include a filter and further comprising receiving an identified association that indicates that a data item component is dependent on the filter.

26. The computer-program product of claim 22, wherein the data item components further include a filter and wherein the operations further include receiving an identified association that indicates that a data item component is not dependent on the filter.

27. The computer-program product of claim 22, wherein the operation further include:

receiving an identified association that indicates that a data item component is not dependent on the category.

28. The computer-program product of claim 22, wherein the operations further include:

receiving an identified association that indicates that a category is independent of a measure.

29. The computer-program product of claim 27, wherein the operation further include:

receiving an identified association that indicates that a category is independent of a filter.

30. The computer-program product of claim 22, wherein multiple cardinality exists between tables associated with the Uqueries.

31. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein the first Uquery includes multiple U0 subquery segments.

32. The computer-program product of claim 21, wherein results from the multiple U0 subquery segments are joined with the Mx segment results.