Defining a set of data across multiple databases using variables and functions

• US 9,852,162 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, BAI DUC
• Application Number:
  US15/175,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20160292187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/212 with details for data modelling support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/244 Grouping and aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/278 Data partitioning, e.g. horizontal or vertical partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification

Abstract

A method for defining grouping of data, across multiple data sources using variables and functions, may include defining grouping of data corresponding to one or more entities across multiple data sources, using a generic language that relates to multiple entities. The method may include providing access to the data based on Data-Dependent Routing (DDR), using variables and functions defined by the generic language. According to example embodiments, the system may include a user interface to receive one or more statements belonging to the generic language and present data accessed via the one or more statements. The system may also include a processor to execute statements and to provide access to the data. The system may further include a server to host the multiple data sources.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, a statement and key data;

analyzing a grammatical structure of the statement with respect to a grammar of a generic language that corresponds to the statement;

identifying, from the grammatical structure analysis, one or more definitions and one or more rules embedded in the received statement, wherein the one or more definitions indicate one or more entities associated with the received statement and wherein the one or more rules indicate one or more properties associated with the one or more entities;

determining, based on a relationship between the grammatical structure and the one or more definitions and the one or more rules, at least one of the identified definitions and rules embedded in the received statement to be used to define a grouping of data;

defining, based on the determined at least one identified definitions and rules and based on the key data, the grouping of data corresponding to the one or more entities across multiple data sources;

retrieving data across the multiple data sources based on the defined grouping of data; and

presenting, using a user interface, the retrieved data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing the one or more entities by parsing the received statement, and wherein the grouping of data is defined based on the recognized one or more entities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved data is presented to a user, and wherein the data is retrieved without the user having prior knowledge of the multiple data sources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is retrieved against a plurality of reference points in time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more definitions and the one or more rules embedded in the received statement are identified using a syntax tree.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouping of data is further defined using the generic language.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the grouping of data is further defined based on data-dependent routing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple data sources include at least one data source selected from a group of data sources consisting of a database schema, a database, a table, and a column.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming syntactic accuracy in the received statement prior to identifying the one or more definitions and the one or more rules embedded in the received statement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple data sources are located in a cluster of host servers.

11. A system comprising:

a non-transitory memory having stored thereon program instructions usable to implement a user interface configured to receive a statement and key data; and

one or more processors configured to execute stored program instructions to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

analyzing a grammatical structure of the statement with respect to a grammar of a generic language that corresponds to the statement;

identifying, from the grammatical structure analysis, one or more definitions and one or more rules embedded in the received statement;

determining, based on a relationship between the grammatical structure and the one or more definitions and the one or more rules, at least one of the identified definitions and rules embedded in the received statement to be used to define a grouping of data;

defining, based on the determined at least one identified definitions and rules and based on the key data, the grouping of data corresponding to one or more entities across multiple data sources;

retrieving data across the multiple data sources based on the defined grouping of data; and

presenting the retrieved data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the retrieved data is presented to a user, and wherein the data is retrieved without the user having prior knowledge of the multiple data sources.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the data is retrieved against a plurality of reference points in time.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the grouping of data is further defined using the generic language.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a storage unit to store variables and functions defined by the generic language.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the grouping of data is further defined based on data-dependent routing.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the multiple data sources are located in a cluster of host servers.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, the machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which in response to being executed by one or more processors of a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a statement and key data;

analyzing a grammatical structure of the statement with respect to a grammar of a generic language that corresponds to the statement;

identifying, from the grammatical structure analysis, one or more definitions and one or more rules embedded in the received statement;

determining, based on a relationship between the grammatical structure and the one or more definitions and the one or more rules, at least one of the identified definitions and rules embedded in the received statement to be used to define a grouping of data;

defining, based on the determined at least one identified definitions and rules and based on the key data, the grouping of data corresponding to one or more entities across multiple data sources;

retrieving data across the multiple data sources based on the defined grouping of data; and

presenting the retrieved data to a user.