Apparatus and method for processing queries against combinations of data sources

• US 20080059449A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Business Objects Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Business Objects SA (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Cameron, Richard Bruce, Webster, Richard David
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/244 Grouping and aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24534 Query rewriting; Transformation

Abstract

A computer readable medium includes executable instructions to receive a query based on a semantic abstraction that describes at least one underlying data source. The semantic abstraction includes at least one nested semantic abstraction. The query is analyzed to produce data source specific queries. The data source specific queries are analyzed to produce results, which are returned.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:

receive a query based on a semantic abstraction that describes at least one underlying data source, wherein the semantic abstraction includes at least one nested semantic abstraction;

analyze the query to produce data source specific queries;

execute the data source specific queries to produce results; and

return results.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive include executable instructions to receive a query specifying a dimension.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive include executable instructions to receive a query specifying a dimension based on calculations defined in a semantic abstraction.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive include executable instructions to receive a query specifying a measure.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive include executable instructions to receive a query specifying a measure based on calculations defined in a semantic abstraction.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive include executable instructions to receive a query specifying a dimension and a measure.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the dimension and measure are based on calculations defined in a semantic abstraction.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising executable instructions to determine all dimension and measure dependencies.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising executable instructions to identify usage patterns for dimension members.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the query specifies a hierarchical dimension that is determined based on specifications defined in a semantic abstraction.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to analyze include executable instructions to produce data source queries for at least two of:

a relational data source, an OLAP data source, a combined data source, and combinations thereof.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the semantic abstraction includes data model objects.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to execute include executable instructions to produce staged data prior to producing the results.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising executable instructions to process the results.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive include executable instructions to receive a query specifying measures.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising executable instructions to group measures to produce measure groups and to build a query for each measure group.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising executable instructions to add data source columns for measure data bindings.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive include executable instructions to receive a query based on a semantic abstraction that describes a single data source.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive include executable instructions to receive a query based on a semantic abstraction that describes multiple data sources.

20. A computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions to:

receive a query that specifies at least one of a dimension or a measure that is determined based on calculations defined in a semantic abstraction;

analyze the query to produce data source specific queries;

execute the data source specific queries to produce results; and

return the results.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20 further comprising executable instructions to determine all dimension and measure dependencies and identify usage patterns for dimension members.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the executable instructions to analyze include executable instructions to produce data base queries for at least two of:

a relational data source, an OLAP data source, a combined data source, and combinations thereof.