Knowledge representation in a multi-layered database

• US 10,169,355 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Satyanarayan, Chacko, Viju, Padmaraj, Ravi, Sarkar, Shampa
• Primary Examiner(s): Brooks, David T.
• Application Number:
  US14/635,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/17 Details of further file system functions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

Knowledge representation in a multi-layered database includes systems and methods for storing and retrieving data in the multi-layered database. The multi-layered database includes an object database layer that stores objects corresponding to real world entities and each object is associated with object properties, object relationships, and relationship properties. Underlying the object database layer is a graph database layer that stores nodes, node properties associated with the nodes, edges, and edge properties associated with the edges, wherein the nodes correspond to objects, node properties are indicative of the object properties, the edges are indicative of the object relationships, and the edge properties are indicative of the relationship properties of the object. Further, underlying the graph database layer is a backend database layer that stores corresponding data and metadata. Data can be stored and retrieved from the multi-layered database by composing and decomposing information between layers.

Claims

1. A system for storing data using a knowledge representation scheme in a multi-layered database, the system comprising:

a processor;

an operation module coupled to the processor to;

receive attributes of a real world entity for storage in the multi-layered database, wherein the attributes characterize properties and relationships of the real world entity; and

store an object corresponding to the real world entity in an object database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein, based on the attributes of the real world entity, the object is associated with object properties that characterize the object, at least one object relationship that relates the object to at least one other object, and relationship properties that characterize the object relation, wherein the object and the at least one object relationship are manipulated independently; and

a decomposer coupled to the processor to;

decompose the object, the object properties, the object relationship, and the relationship properties into a node, node properties associated with the node, at least one edge, and edge properties associated with the edge, wherein the node properties are indicative of the object properties, the edge is indicative of the object relationship, and the edge properties are indicative of the relationship properties of the object;

store the node, the node properties, the edge, and the edge properties in a graph database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the edge connects the node with at least one other node corresponding to the at least one other object;

decompose further the node, the node properties, the edge, and the edge properties into the data and metadata associated with the data; and

store the data and the metadata corresponding to the node of the graph database layer in a backend database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the backend database layer is scalable in real-time, wherein the backend database layer further store the node properties as the data and store the edge properties as the metadata,

wherein the object database layer is pluggable over the graph database layer and the graph database layer is pluggable over the backend database layer to independently change configuration of each layer,

wherein with presence of the object database layer in the multi-layered database, changes in information of the object database layer is automatically incorporated into the nodes and edges in the graph database layer, and the object in the backend database layer,

wherein the object database layer facilitates adding a new real world entity to the graph database layer unaltering the node and the edge.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object relationship includes at least one of a parent-child relationship, a constituent relationship, and a general relationship, wherein in the parent-child relationship a child object inherits the object properties and constituent relationships of a parent object, wherein in a constituent relationship a constituent object is a part of a constituted object, and wherein in a general relationship the object relationship is a general association with another object.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operation module is configured to update the object properties and the constituent relationships of the parent object inherited by the child object, wherein the updating includes one of adding, modifying, and overriding an object property of the parent object by the child object.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein a child node in the graph database layer corresponding to the child object in the object database layer inherits the node properties and constituent relationships of a parent node in the graph database layer corresponding to the parent object in the object database layer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is one of a general object, a system object, and a literal object, and the node is correspondingly one of an object node, a system node, and a literal node.

6. The system claim 1, wherein the operation module is configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user for entering the attributes, wherein rendering of the GUI is selectable by the user from object based rendering, graphical rendering, and tabular rendering.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation module is configured to:

generate an inferred object related to existing objects in the object database layer and inferred relationship of the inferred object, based on predicate logic, wherein the predicate logic depends on constituent relations of the existing objects; and

store the inferred object and the inferred relationship in the object database layer, corresponding inferred node and inferred edges in the graph database layer, and corresponding inferred data and inferred metadata in the backend database layer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is coupled to an indexing module to index the node, node properties, edges, and the edge properties based on at least one indexing technique, wherein the at least one indexing technique is pluggable to the graph database layer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the object properties include at least one of temporal information and geo-spatial information, and wherein the data and the metadata include corresponding temporal data and metadata, and corresponding geo-spatial data and metadata.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation module receives the attributes of the real world entity as part of a plurality of real world entities received as bulk information, and wherein the operation module generates the object, the relationship, the node, the edges, the data and the metadata for each of the plurality of real world entities for storage of the bulk information in the multi-layered database.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the backend database layer performs a map reduce technique on the data and the metadata for storage.

12. A system for retrieving information using a knowledge representation scheme in a multi-layered database, the system comprising:

a processor;

a seek module coupled to the processor to;

receive a query from a user to retrieve the information from the multi-layered database;

identify, based on the query, one or more objects in an object database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the information to be retrieved corresponds to the one or more objects, and wherein each of the one or more the objects is associated with object properties that characterize an object, an object relationship that relates the object to at least one other object, and relationship properties of the object relationship, wherein the object and the object relationship are manipulated independently;

an authorization module coupled to the processor to determine access privileges for the user to access the one or more objects, wherein the access privileges are based on user role; and

a composer module coupled to the processor to

compose the information corresponding to the one or more objects from a graph database layer and a backend database layer when the user is privileged to access the one or more objects, wherein, for each of the one or more objects, the graph database layer includes a node, node properties, edges connecting the node to at least one other node, and edge properties for each of the edges, and wherein, for each node and edge, the backend database layer stores the node properties as the data and store the edge properties as metadata, wherein the backend database layer is scalable in real-time; and

provide the composed information to the user in response to the query,

wherein the object database layer is pluggable over the graph database layer and the graph database layer is pluggable over the backend database layer to independently change configuration of each layer,

wherein with presence of the object database layer in the multi-layered database, changes in information of the object database layer is automatically incorporated into the nodes and edges in the graph database layer, and the object in the backend database layer,

wherein the object database layer facilitates adding a new real world entity to the graph database layer unaltering the node and the edge.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the composing includes:

traversing the graph database layer to identify one or more nodes corresponding to the one or more objects, the edges connecting the one or more nodes, and the properties associated with the one or more nodes and the edges;

obtaining the data and the metadata corresponding to the one or more nodes and the edges from the backend database layer; and

compiling the one or more nodes based on the data and the metadata, and the one or more objects based on the one or more nodes to form the composed information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the obtaining the data and the metadata corresponding to the one or more nodes comprises searching for the data and the metadata in a plurality of storage media based on a frequency of access of the data and the metadata, wherein the plurality of storage media is selected from a cache memory, an internal storage device, an external storage device, and cloud storage media.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the identifying the one or more objects includes performing, by the seek module, a search based on the query in the object database layer and an index of the graph database layer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the index is a segmented index implementing a plurality of indexing techniques.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the identifying the one or more objects includes performing, by the seek module, a non-indexed search on the objects in the object database layer.

18. A computer implemented method for storing data using a knowledge representation scheme in a multi-layered database, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, attributes of a real world entity for storage in the multi-layered database, wherein the attributes characterize properties and relationships of the real world entity;

storing, by the processor, an object corresponding to the real world entity in an object database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein, based on the attributes of the real world entity, the object is associated with object properties that characterize the object, at least one object relationship that relates the object to at least one other object, and relationship properties that characterize the object relation, wherein the object and the at least one object relationship are manipulated independently;

decomposing, by the processor, the object, the object properties, the object relationship, and the relationship properties into a node, node properties associated with the node, at least one edge, and edge properties associated with the edge, wherein the node properties are indicative of the object properties, the edge is indicative of the object relationship, and the edge properties are indicative of the relationship properties of the object;

storing, by the processor, the node, the node properties, the edge, and the edge properties in a graph database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the edge connects the node with at least one other node corresponding to the at least one other object;

decomposing further, by the processor, the node, the node properties, the edge, and the edge properties into the data and metadata associated with the data; and

storing, by the processor, the data and the metadata corresponding to the node of the graph database layer in a backend database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the backend database layer is scalable in real-time, wherein the backend database layer further store the node properties as the data and store the edge properties as the metadata,

wherein the object database layer is pluggable over the graph database layer and the graph database layer is pluggable over the backend database layer to independently change configuration of each layer,

wherein with presence of the object database layer in the multi-layered database, changes in information of the object database layer is automatically incorporated into the nodes and edges in the graph database layer, and the object in the backend database layer,

wherein the object database layer facilitates adding a new real world entity to the graph database layer unaltering the node and the edge.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the object relationship includes at least one of a parent-child relationship, a constituent relationship, and a general relationship, wherein in the parent-child relationship a child object inherits the object properties and constituent relationships of a parent object, wherein in a constituent relationship a constituent object is a part of a constituted object, and wherein in a general relationship the object relationship is a general association with another object.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising updating, by the processor, the object properties and the constituent relationships of the parent object inherited by the child object, wherein the updating includes one of adding, modifying, and overriding an object property of the parent object by the child object.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein a child node in the graph database layer corresponding to the child object in the object database layer inherits the node properties and constituent relationships of a parent node in the graph database layer corresponding to the parent object in the object database layer.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the object is one of a general object, a system object, and a literal object, and the node is correspondingly one of an object node, a system node, and a literal node.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving the attributes of the real world entity comprises providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user for entering the attributes, wherein rendering of the GUI is selectable by the user from object based rendering, graphical rendering, and tabular rendering.

24. The method of claim 18 comprising:

generating, by the processor, an inferred object related to existing objects in the object database layer and inferred relationship of the inferred object, based on predicate logic, wherein the predicate logic depends on constituent relations of the existing objects;

storing, by the processor, the inferred object and the inferred relationship in the object database layer, corresponding inferred node and inferred edges in the graph database layer, and corresponding inferred data and inferred metadata in the backend database layer.

25. The method of claim 18 comprising indexing the object, object properties, and the object inter-relationship based on at least one indexing technique, wherein the at least one indexing technique is pluggable to the graph database layer.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the object properties include at least one of temporal information and geo-spatial information, and wherein the data and the metadata include corresponding temporal data and metadata, and corresponding geo-spatial data and metadata.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving the attributes of the real world entity comprises receiving the attributes of a plurality of real world entities as bulk information, and wherein the method further comprises generating the object, the relationship, the node, the edges, the data and the metadata for each of the plurality of real world entities for storage of the bulk information in the multi-layered database.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the backend database layer performs a map reduce technique on the data and the metadata for storage in a distributed database.

29. A computer implemented method for retrieving information using a knowledge representation scheme in a multi-layered database, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a query from a user to retrieve the information from the multi-layered database;

identifying, by the processor, based on the query, one or more objects in an object database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the information to be retrieved corresponds to the one or more objects, and wherein each of the one or more the objects is associated with object properties that characterize an object, an object relationship that relates the object to at least one other object, and relationship properties of the object relationship, wherein the object and the object relationship are manipulated independently;

determining, by the processor, access privileges for the user to access the one or more objects, wherein the access privileges are based on user role;

composing, by the processor, the information corresponding to the one or more objects from a graph database layer and a backend database layer when the user is privileged to access the one or more objects, wherein, for each of the one or more objects, the graph database layer includes a node, node properties, edges connecting the node to at least one other node, and edge properties for each of the edges, and wherein, for each node, the backend database layer stores the node properties as data and store the edge properties as metadata, wherein the backend database layer is scalable in real-time; and

providing, by the processor, the composed information to the user in response to the query,

wherein the object database layer is pluggable over the graph database layer and the graph database layer is pluggable over the backend database layer to independently change configuration of each layer,

wherein with presence of the object database layer in the multi-layered database, changes in information of the object database layer is automatically incorporated into the nodes and edges in the graph database layer, and the object in the backend database layer,

wherein the object database layer facilitates adding a new real world entity to the graph database layer unaltering the node and the edge.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the composing includes:

traversing, by the processor, the graph database layer to identify one or more nodes corresponding to the one or more objects, the edges connecting the one or more nodes, and the properties associated with the one or more nodes and the edges;

obtaining, by the processor, the data and the metadata corresponding to the one or more nodes and the edges from the backend database layer; and

compiling, by the processor, the one or more nodes based on the data and the metadata, and the one or more objects based on the one or more nodes to form the composed information.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the obtaining the data and the metadata corresponding to the one or more nodes comprises searching for the data and the metadata in a plurality of storage media based on a frequency of access of the data and the metadata, wherein the plurality of storage media is selected from a cache memory, an internal storage device, an external storage device, and cloud storage media.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the identifying the one or more objects includes performing, by the processor, a search based on the query in an index of the graph database layer.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the index is a segmented index implementing a plurality of indexing techniques.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the identifying the one or more objects includes performing, by the processor, a non-indexed search on the objects in the object database layer.

35. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for storing data using a knowledge representation scheme in a multi-layered database, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processor, attributes of a real world entity for storage in the multi-layered database, wherein the attributes characterize properties and relationships of the real world entity;

storing, by the processor, an object corresponding to the real world entity in an object database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein, based on the attributes of the real world entity, the object is associated with object properties that characterize the object, at least one object relationship that relates the object to at least one other object, and relationship properties that characterize the object relation, wherein the object and the at least one object relationship are manipulated independently;

decomposing, by the processor, the object, the object properties, the object relationship, and the relationship properties into a node, node properties associated with the node, at least one edge, and edge properties associated with the edge, wherein the node properties are indicative of the object properties, the edge is indicative of the object relationship, and the edge properties are indicative of the relationship properties of the object;

storing, by the processor, the node, the node properties, the edge, and the edge properties in a graph database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the edge connects the node with at least one other node corresponding to the at least one other object;

decomposing further, by the processor, the node, the node properties, the edge, and the edge properties into the data and metadata associated with the data; and

storing, by the processor, the data and the metadata corresponding to the node of the graph database layer in a backend database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the backend database layer is scalable in real-time, wherein the backend database layer further store the node properties as the data and store the edge properties as the metadata,

wherein the object database layer is pluggable over the graph database layer and the graph database layer is pluggable over the backend database layer to independently change configuration of each layer,

wherein with presence of the object database layer in the multi-layered database, changes in information of the object database layer is automatically incorporated into the nodes and edges in the graph database layer, and the object in the backend database layer,

wherein the object database layer facilitates adding a new real world entity to the graph database layer unaltering the node and the edge.

36. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for retrieving information using a knowledge representation scheme in a multi-layered database, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a query from a user to retrieve the information from the multi-layered database;

identifying, by the processor, based on the query, one or more objects in an object database layer of the multi-layered database, wherein the information to be retrieved corresponds to the one or more objects, and wherein each of the one or more the objects is associated with object properties that characterize an object, an object relationship that relates the object to at least one other object, and relationship properties of the object relationship, wherein the object and the object relationship are manipulated independently;

determining, by the processor, access privileges for the user to access the one or more objects, wherein the access privileges are based on user role;

composing, by the processor, the information corresponding to the one or more objects from a graph database layer and a backend database layer when the user is privileged to access the one or more objects, wherein, for each of the one or more objects, the graph database layer includes a node, node properties, edges connecting the node to at least one other node, and edge properties for each of the edges, and wherein, for each node, the backend database layer stores the node properties as data and store the edge properties as metadata, wherein the backend database layer is scalable in real-time; and

providing, by the processor, the composed information to the user in response to the query,

wherein the object database layer is pluggable over the graph database layer and the graph database layer is pluggable over the backend database layer to independently change configuration of each layer,

wherein with presence of the object database layer in the multi-layered database, changes in information of the object database layer is automatically incorporated into the nodes and edges in the graph database layer, and the object in the backend database layer,

wherein the object database layer facilitates adding a new real world entity to the graph database layer unaltering the node and the edge.