Easy query

• US 9,275,120 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Mayer, Martin, Albrecht, Zoltan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/483,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 707/603
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

A system and method for using an easy query in a business warehouse system environment that includes external end-user systems. A method includes providing a flag in a query to a business warehouse data system, the flag marking the query for access to the query by sources external to the business warehouse data system. The method further includes providing, by the at least one data processor the access points having a number of parameters that are fixed at a design time associated with the query, providing a query result to the access points of the sources external to the business warehouse system according to the number of parameters. The system and method provide an easy way of creating an access function at design time, as well as an easy way of result set consumption provided by the function at runtime.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating, by one or more data processors, an access function at design time of a query by providing a set of access points to the query, the access points having a number of parameters that are fixed at the design time associated with the query, wherein the design time of the query includes a specification of one or more selectable properties of the query, the access function providing a generic application programming interface (API) to retrieve a query result to the query to a business warehouse system from one of a number of end-user systems external to the business warehouse system;

writing, by one or more data processors, the query result in an end-user format into exporting parameters based on the end-user system, the end-user format varying between two end-user systems, wherein each access point provides access to a different end user format for the number of end-user systems, the access points providing access via at least a simple object access protocol (SOAP), a representational protocol (REST), and remote function call (RFC); and

providing the query result in a format that hides complexity and provides the query result in a consumable generic format by each of the number of end-user systems.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein creating the access function includes providing a flag in a query to a business warehouse data system, the flag marking the query for access to the query by end-user systems external to the business warehouse data system.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein providing the set of access points to the query is according to the flag.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein creating the access function further includes providing the query result to the access points of the end-user systems external to the business warehouse system according to the number of parameters.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the access points include an access point defined by a proprietary interface.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing the query result in a tabular form.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the tabular form includes a single table containing a flat and easily consumable representation of the result set.

8. A system comprising:

at least one data processor;

memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, causes the at least one data processor to implement an easy query function module that provides a set of access points to the query, the access points having a number of parameters that are fixed at the design time associated with the query, wherein the design time of the query includes a specification of one or more selectable properties of the query, the easy query function module accesses a generic application programming interface (API) to retrieve the query result to a query to a business warehouse system from one of a number of end-user systems external to the business warehouse system, and writes the query result in an end-user format into exporting parameters based on the end-user system, the end-user format varying between two end-user systems, wherein each access point provides access to a different end user format for the number of end-user systems, the access points providing access via at least a simple object access protocol (SOAP), a representational protocol (REST), and remote function call (RFC);

the easy query function module being further configured to provide the query result in an format that hides complexity and provides the query result in a consumable generic format.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the end-user format has a number of parameters that are fixed at a design time associated with the query.

10. The system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the easy query function module further provides a flag in a query to a business warehouse data system, the flag marking the query for access to the query by end-user systems external to the business warehouse data system.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the easy query function module provides the set of access points to the query according to the flag.

12. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the easy query function module further provides the query result to the access points of the end-user systems external to the business warehouse system according to the number of parameters.

13. The system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the access points include an access point defined by a proprietary interface.

14. The system in accordance with claim 8, the easy query function module further provides the query result in a tabular form.

15. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the tabular form includes a single table containing a flat and easily consumable representation of the result set.