Method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for generating...

Details Method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for generating... Method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for generating...

2000-02-25

2004-05-11

Robinson, Greta (Department: 2177)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C707S793000, C707S793000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06735590

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of Invention
The present invention is directed toward the field of information systems. More particularly, the present invention is directed toward providing multi-dimensional organization, maintenance, and views of records.
B. Description of Related Art
Database management systems are employed to manage large amounts of records in a database. These systems provide for storing, accessing, and manipulating the records. Records may be extracted from a database management system by submitting a query to the system. In response to the query, the database management system searches the records in the database to identify and provide a set of records which correspond to the requirements set forth in the query.
Once a set of records is provided in response to the query, a person who submitted the query may wish to view the records in a particular format. It is often desirable to view the records in a multi-dimensional format. In a multi-dimensional format, each value in a record is categorized as being either a dimension value or a measure value. The dimension values characterize the measure values, and the measure values contain data to be either quantitatively or qualitatively analyzed.
For example, a company may have sold video cassette recorders, televisions, and stereos in 1995 and 1996 in both an eastern region and a western region of the United States. The measure of sales made by the company may be characterized by a number of different dimensions. One possible set of dimensions includes a region dimension, year dimension, and product dimension.
FIG.
1
(
a
) illustrates a traditional multi-dimensional record structure
90
characterizing the company's sales with respect to the region, year, and product dimensions. The record structure
90
is formed so that cells
91
1-12
in the structure
90
are filled with sales measure values, which are retrieved from a database or other source of records such as a data file. The x-axis
92
of the structure
90
is sectioned into regions that correspond to a set of product dimension values, namely, video cassette recorder (“VCR”), television (“TV”), and stereo. The y-axis
93
of the structure
90
is sectioned into regions that correspond to a set of region dimension values, namely East and West. The z-axis
94
of the structure
90
is sectioned into regions that correspond to a set of year dimension values, namely, 1995 and 1996.
Each sales measure value residing in a cell 91
1-12
is characterized by the combination of a product dimension value, a region dimension value, and a year dimension value. The measure value in the front upper left hand cell
91
, is characterized by the VCR product dimension value, East region dimension value, and 1995 year dimension value. Accordingly, the measure value in cell
91
1
indicates the sales of VCR's in the East region of the United States in 1995.
The multi-dimensional record structure
90
in FIG.
1
(
a
) may also be represented in the format of the multi-dimensional record structure
100
shown in FIG.
1
(
b
). Structure
100
provides a two dimensional set of cells 101
1-12
containing sales measure values. Each axis of a cell in structure
100
is characterized by a set of dimension values. The horizontal axis
104
of the structure
100
is divided into a set of sections. Each of these sections corresponds to a unique pair of a year dimension value and a product dimension value. The vertical axis
103
of the structure
100
is also divided into a set of sections. Each of these sections corresponds to a unique region dimension value. The upper left hand cell
101
, in the structure
100
contains a measure value indicating the sales of VCR's in the East region of the United States in 1995.
FIG. 2
illustrates a conventional multi-dimensional record management system
110
, which creates multi-dimensional record structures. The multi-dimensional record management system
110
retrieves records to be employed in a multi-dimensional record structure from a data source, such as a data file or database. Once the multi-dimensional record structure is created no further access to the data source is necessary. Alternatively, data may be directly input to the record management system
110
by a user.
The multi-dimensional record management system
110
includes an input control unit
112
, display unit
121
, several data storage modules, and several processing engines. These components are coupled together by a system bus
122
that provides for the transfer of data, address, and control signals between the components. The system bus
122
may be extended outside the multi-dimensional record management system
110
to couple the record management system
110
to a data source.
The input control unit
112
enables a record management system
110
user to provide instructions or data to the system
110
through an input device, such as a keyboard or mouse. The display unit
121
assists in providing a user interface and displays different views of constructed multi-dimensional record structures.
The data storage modules include a multi-dimensional record structure storage unit
119
, a metadata storage unit
118
, and a display memory
120
. The metadata storage unit
118
contains sets of rules that are provided by the user of the record management system
110
. For each dimension that is to be included in the multi-dimensional record structure, the metadata rules enumerate all of the dimension values that are associated with the dimension. The rules also specify any hierarchical relationship that exists between different dimensions and their respective dimension values. This specification of hierarchical relationships requires a user to identify all hierarchical relationships between each dimension value in a set of related dimensions. These rules are entered by the user prior to instructing the system
110
to build a multi-dimensional record structure, since the system
110
employs the rules in forming the record structure.
The task of entering such highly detailed rules into the metadata storage unit
118
places a significant burden on the user. The user must be knowledgeable of all dimension records that will be incorporated into the record structure. Typically, users are aware of the dimensions that are relevant to a measure being provided in the record structure. However, the set of dimension values that make up each dimension is not always readily apparent to the user.
For example, in the record structure shown in FIG.
1
(
a
), the user must provide the metadata storage unit
118
with each associated dimension value for the product dimension, year dimension, and region dimension. This may not appear difficult in light of FIG.
1
(
a
), but the magnitude of the user's task is greatly increased if any dimension includes a great number of dimension values. This is a reality for many users, who wish to include a dimension in the record structure that may be comprised of hundreds or thousands of dimension values. A product dimension for a record structure being prepared to view sales measures in a large corporation could easily be made up of hundreds of product dimension values.
Further, the dimension values that are associated with a dimension can change over time. This prevents a standard metadata set of rules from being developed for continued use. For example, a set of product dimension values for a large company may change over time, as new products are introduced and old products are discontinued. The user of the record system
110
will have to know or learn all of the product dimension values that were in existence over the time period for which the product dimension is being represented in the record structure. In FIG.
1
(
a
), this time period is only two years, but this time period could be extended to any number of years in many circumstances.
It is desirable to eliminate the need for the user of a multi-dimensional record management system to provide detailed listings of dimension values and relationships between pa

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