METHOD FOR ASSEMBLY OF PERSONALIZED ENTERPRISE INFORMATION INTEGRATORS OVER CONJUNCTIVE QUERIES

• US 20090138430A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Srivastava, Biplav, Nambiar, Ullas B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems

Abstract

A plurality of sources are registered. A plurality of schemas are constructed, based on the plurality of sources. A desired output is obtained as a conjunctive query. A list of potential connections between at least selected ones of the sources is provided. A plurality of join plans are developed, based on the connections.

Claims

1. A method for assembly of personalized enterprise information integrators over conjunctive queries, said method comprising the steps of:

registering a plurality of sources;

constructing a plurality of schemas based on said plurality of sources;

obtaining a desired output as a conjunctive query;

providing a list of potential connections between at least selected ones of said sources; and

developing a plurality of join plans based on said connections.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of registering said plurality of sources comprises a user providing an access path to said source, further comprising selecting an appropriate one of said schemas to publish said source.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

contributing at least one new source during said registration step by said user; and

enhancing attributes of said appropriate one of said schemas by providing metadata.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said metadata comprises at least one of an attribute type for at least one of said attributes and a sample instance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said conjunctive query is provided in SQL form.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising selecting said selected ones of said sources based on whether given ones of said sources can answer said query.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising prompting said user to perform at least one of adding to and subtracting from said selected ones of said sources.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said list of potential connections is based on at least one of schema matching techniques and information from plan libraries.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising prompting said user to filter out un-needed ones of said potential connections.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

using statistical information about said sources to provide cost metrics for each of said join plans;

prompting said user to pick a best plan, based on understanding, of said user; and

registering said best plan as a particular schema for a personalized information integrator of said user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising executing a query of said user over said personalized information integrator.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying at least one ranking model and providing ranked answers to said query, said answers being ranked based upon said at least one ranking model.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying at least one new matching source, subsequent to said steps of registering said sources;

displaying said new matching source to said user; and

prompting said user to determine whether said user wishes to add said new matching source into a source querying pool for answering said query.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically creating a query plan for said new source.