Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-31
2003-12-02
Robinson, Greta (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06658413
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data storage in computer systems, and more specifically to a system and method, for use in a multidimensional database system, for locking intermediate intersections of bi-directional integrity data measures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the continued increase in computer system processing power and data storage capabilities, increasingly large databases are being made widely available. Simple database designs which work for small databases are generally unsuitable for very large databases, because access times tend to increase geometrically with the size of the database. Even with greatly enhanced processing power, times to access very large databases can become unmanageably long unless care is taken in design of the database.
One database design in common use at the present time is OLAP. This database design technique can be run on several different types of underlying database engines, such as those commercially available from Hyperion, Oracle, and i2 Technologies. In addition to 1-dimenstional OLAP database structures, of particular interest to the present invention are MOLAP (Multidimensional OLAP) systems.
In such systems, some types of data, often referred to as aggregated data, can be pre-computed in order to improve read access times. Data that is suitable to be aggregated is that wherein, in a multidimensional database, data for a higher level may be generated using the data for lower level members within the structure. For example, unit sales of a product can be aggregated in a database which defines multiple sales territories within a sales region; the aggregate unit sales for the region is the sum of the sales for the individual. territories.
In order to improve read access times, such aggregatable data can be precomputed, and stored in various locations within the database. In the above example, the region sales data for a product can be stored within the region entry, so that it can be directly accessed at run time by reading each of the sales territory numbers once, and storing the sum in the corresponding region entry. It is not necessary to access each of the sales territories when total sales for the region is desired.
Aggregatable data can cause problems in certain circumstances, such as when the database is used for demand planning and forecasting. Changing a particular intersection will change other entries if the changed data is aggregatable, which may not be desired. In order to improve usefulness of such databases with hierarchically aggregated data, it would be desirable to provide a mechanism for locking the values for selected intersections, while leaving others free to be changed such that aggregation integrity is preserved. Preferably, changes would be allowed to be made directly or indirectly. A system and method for allowing selected intersections to be locked against changes will preferably operate in a reasonably efficient manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a multi-dimensional database includes hierarchical levels. The data is hierarchical, with aggregatable data measures, so that changes in a first intersection will cause changes in other intersections for the aggregated measure. Selected intersections can be locked, so that changes in aggregatable data are restricted. Constrained sets corresponding to the locked intersections limit the scope of changes which may be made, and ensure a high level of efficiency.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5794229 (1998-08-01), French et al.
patent: 5799300 (1998-08-01), Agrawal et al.
patent: 5832475 (1998-11-01), Agrawal et al.
patent: 5835910 (1998-11-01), Kavanagh et al.
patent: 5899993 (1999-05-01), Jenkins, Jr.
patent: 5918232 (1999-06-01), Pouschine et al.
patent: 5943677 (1999-08-01), Hicks
patent: 6282544 (2001-08-01), Tse et al.
patent: 6353828 (2002-03-01), Ganesh et al.
patent: 6374263 (2002-04-01), Bunger et al.
patent: 6434544 (2002-08-01), Bakalash et al.
patent: 6480849 (2002-11-01), Lee et al.
patent: 6480850 (2002-11-01), Veldhuisen
patent: 6484172 (2002-11-01), Lee et al.
patent: WO 01/16808 (2001-03-01), None
Notification of Transmittal of International Preliminary Examination Report, 4 pages, Aug. 23, 2001.
PCT International Search Report for International Application No. PCT/US00/24356 dated Dec. 29, 2000.
Matharu Harmindar S.
Reddy Venugopal P.
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
i2 Technologies US, Inc.
Le Debbie M.
LandOfFree
Multidimensional database system with intermediate lockable... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Multidimensional database system with intermediate lockable..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Multidimensional database system with intermediate lockable... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3178869