Schemaless dataflow within an XML storage solution

• US 20040002939A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McConnell, Christopher Clayton, Arora, Siddhartha Cingh
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A relational database management system having an XML storage implementation to reduce overhead associated with consuming data from multiple data providers, where each having proprietary database schemas. The XML storage solution allows data from any arbitrary relational database schema to be loaded, rearranged and retrieved. The present invention is directed to an implementation of an edge table such that large volumes of XML data of any structure can be stored effectively. The edge table may be designed as one large XML document where the schema information is stored separately from the instances, and relationships and constraints are expressed using foreign keys. The edge table further provides for full type support and validation. Indices and clustering provide efficient data access and query execution.

Claims

1. In a database management system, a tabular structure for storing XML data comprising:

a schema table for storing an XSD schema;

an instance table for storing a structure of XML instance data related to said XSD schema; and

a content table for storing content from an instance document associated with said XSD schema,

wherein said XSD schema is enforced on said content and said XML instance data via a foreign key.

2. The database management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said schema table includes a name value and an XPath value for each element and attribute within said XSD schema.

3. The database management system as recited in claim 2, wherein said schema table further includes a parent value of each name value to express a hierarchy of said name values.

4. The database management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said instance table includes said foreign key value from said schema table to relate said XML instance data to said XSD schema.

5. The database management system as recited in claim 4, wherein said instance table includes datatype value information for each instance.

6. The database management system as recited in claim 4, wherein said instance table includes a parent value of each instance to express a hierarchy of said instances.

7. The database management system as recited in claim 1, wherein XML data is separated from relational data within said database management system.

8. The database management system as recited in claim 7, wherein SQL language queries of said database management system include at least one of a statement containing XPath for said XML instance data and a statement containing said relational data.

9. In a relational database management system, a method of receiving data from multiple external data providers, comprising:

receiving XML data, including definitions of instances for each data provider;

maintaining an instance node identifier for each instance;

mapping said instance node identifier to an instance key defined by said definitions; and

storing said mapping in an edge table, wherein said XML data is maintained separately from relational data within said relational database management system.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising storing an XSD schema stored in a schema table and relating said schema table to said edge table by a schema node identifier.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising annotating data within said edge table and said schema table.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising querying said data within relational database management system using statements containing XPath for XML instance data and statements for relational data.

13. A system for providing queryable data to users having a relational database management system including an XML data exchange structure for receiving content from multiple external sources, comprising:

a schema table for storing an XSD schema; and

an instance table for storing a structure of XML instance data related to said XML schema,

wherein said XSD schema is applied to said XML instance data via a foreign key in said instance table that enforces a hierarchy of elements and attributes stored within said schema table.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said schema table includes a name value and XPath value for each element and attribute within said XSD schema.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said instance table includes datatype value information for each instance.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a content table for storing content from an instance document associated with said XSD schema.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein XML data is separated from relational data within said database management system.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein SQL language queries of said database management system include at least one of a statement containing XPath for said XML instance data and a statement containing said relational data.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein users'"'"' queries combine information provided by at least two different external sources.

20. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein data within tables of said relational database management system contain information to annotate data within said tables to provide additional information to facilitate queries.