Query model over information as a networked service

• US 9,367,623 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Khosravy, Moe, Gwozdz, Lukasz, Liensberger, Christian, Swedberg, Gregory David, Bouw, Ren Jacco, Mall, Roger Soulen
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US14/623,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 707713-769, 707/781
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24547 Optimisations to support specific applications; Extensibility of optimisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24565 Triggers; Constraints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Techniques for hosting data or connecting to hosted data are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a first computing device in a first region of control can receive a data set from a second computing device in a second region of control via a communication network. The first computing device can then analyze the received data set to determine structural information, such as one or more structural features associated with the received data set. The determined structural information can then be transmitted to the second computing device. In response to the transmission, the first computing device can receive input from the second computing device regarding a query capability to enforce over the received data set.

Claims

1. A method for hosting data or connecting to hosted data, comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device in a first region of control, from a second computing device in a second region of control via a communications network, a data set;

analyzing, by the first computing device, the received data set to determine structural information associated with at least a subset of data of the received data set from the second computing device in the second region of control, the determined structural information including one or more structural features associated with the received data set;

transmitting the determined structural information to the second computing device in the second region of control via the communications network;

in response to transmitting the determined structural information to the second computing device in the second region of control, receiving by the first computing device in the first region of control via the communications network, input from the second computing device in the second region of control regarding a query capability to enforce over the received data set; and

enforcing, by the first computing device in the first region of control, the query capability over the received data set based on the received input from the second computing device in the second region of control.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the analyzing includes determining column information associated with the received data set.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein receiving by the first computing device includes receiving input regarding a plurality of distinct query capabilities to enforce over the received data set.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving search parameter input from the second computing device in the second region of control defining first structural information of the structural information over which at least one authorized consuming device is authorized to search the received data set.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

receiving search result input from the second computing device in the second region of control defining second structural information of the structural information for which at least one authorized consuming device is authorized to receive results from the received data set.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

automatically generating a query interface based on the search parameter input and the search result input for at least one authorized consuming device to use to search the at least one data set according to query constraints defined by the search parameter input and the search result input.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

combining the query interface with at least one other query interface according to same or similar search parameter input based on comparing the query interface with the at least one other query interface.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

combining the query interface with at least one other query interface according to same or similar search results input based on comparing the query interface with the at least one other query interface.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving search result input from the second computing device in the second region of control defining second structural information of the structural information for which at least one authorized consuming device is authorized to receive results from the received data set.

10. A method for publishing data, comprising:

publishing, by a publishing computing device in a first region of control to a receiving computing device in a second region of control, a data set via a communications network;

receiving, by the publishing computing device, structured information associated with the published data set from the receiving computing device in the second region of control via the communications network, the structured information being generated by the receiving computing device based on an analysis of the published data set; and

transmitting, by the publishing computing device, data representing at least one search parameter from the received structured information, to the receiving computing device via the communications network to be enforced by the receiving computing device for searching by at least one consuming device over the data set.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one search parameter to the receiving computing device for automatic generation of a query interface for querying over the at least one data set.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

selecting at least one search result option from the structured information for receiving results by the at least one consuming device in response to the searching with the at least one search parameter.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one search result option to the at least one receiving device for automatic generation of a query interface that returns search results based on the at least one search result option.

14. The method according to claim 10 wherein the receiving includes interfacing to an interface having information relating to columns associated with the data set.

15. A computing device having a computing processor and memory containing instructions that when executed by the computing processor cause the computing processor to perform a process comprising:

receiving a data set from another computing device via a communications network;

determining structural information associated with the received data set, the determined structural information including one or more structural features associated with the received data set;

transmitting, via the communications network, data representing the determined structural information with the one or more structural features associated with the received data set to the another computing device; and

in response to transmitting the data representing the determined structural information, receiving an input from the another computing device via the communications network, the received input including a query capability to be enforced by the computing device over the received data set, wherein the query capability applies to at least one of the one or more structural features of the received data set.

16. The computing device according to claim 15 wherein the query capability to be enforced identifies one of the structural features over which a consuming device is authorized to search the received data set.

17. The computing device according to claim 15 wherein the query capability to be enforced identifies one of the structural features for which a consuming device is authorized to receive search results from the received data set.

18. The computing device according to claim 15 wherein the query capability to be enforced identifies one of the structural features over which a consuming device is authorized to search the received data set and identifies another one of the structural features for which a consuming device is authorized to receive search results from the received data set.

19. The computing device according to claim 15 wherein the query capability to be enforced identifies one of the structural features over which a consuming device is authorized to search the received data set or identifies one of the structural features for which a consuming device is authorized to receive search results from the received data set, and wherein the method further includes automatically generating a query interface for a consuming device to search the received data set according to the query capability to be enforced.

20. The computing device according to claim 15 wherein:

receiving the input includes;

receiving search parameter input from the another computing device defining first structural information over which the at least one authorized consuming device is authorized to search the received data set;

receiving search result input from the another computing device defining second structural information of the structural information for which the at least one authorized consuming device is authorized to receive results from the received data set; and

the process performed by the computing processor further includes automatically generating a query interface based on the search parameter input and the search result input for the at least one authorized consuming device to use to search the data set according to query constraints defined by the search parameter input and the search result input.