Method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for generating a multi-dimensional record structure

45 Pages·2013·2.73 MB·English

US005937408A
United States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 5,937,408
Shoup et al. [45] Date of Patent: Aug. 10, 1999
[54] METHOD, ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, Primary Examiner—Wayne Amsbury
AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A Attorney, Agent, or Fi rm—Fliesler, Dubb, Meyer & Lovej oy
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RECORD LLP
STRUCTURE FOUNDATION
[57] ABSTRACT
[75] Inventors: Randall Shoup; James Wolf, both of . . .
- - A record management system is provided for generating a
San Francisco, Calif. multi. -di. mensi. onal vi. ew for di. fferent measures. A set of
[73] Assignee, Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, records is retrieved in response to a set of queries. The
Calif records mclude d1mens1on values and measure values,
Which are associated With the measures. The set of records
_ is maintained in a master table. The record management
[21] Appl' NO" 08/865’415 system generates a record structure foundation, including a
[ 22 ] Filed; Ma y 29 , 1997 q uer y ma p an d amasterta bl e1' n d eX. Th erecor d mana g ement
6 system then employs the record structure foundation to
[51] Int- Cl ~~~~~ ~~ G06F 17/30 generate a multi-dimensional layout mapping for the mea
[52] US. Cl- -------------- -- 07/102; 707/101 sures that are to be represented in the vieW. The record
[58] Field Of Search .................................... .. 707/102, 101 structure foundation and measure values in the master table
_ are used to convert the layout mapping into the desired
[56] References Clted multi-dimensional vieW. The record management system
U S PATENT DOCUMENTS includes data storage units for implementing the master
' ' table, query map, master table index, and layout mapping.
5,241,621 8/1993 Smart ...................................... .. 706/46 These data storage units are coupled to a set of processing
5,257,365 10/1993 Powers et al 707/100 engines, Which include a control engine, query engine, index
576237591 4/1997 Csen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ 345/326 engine, and layout engine that provide for performing opera
5’647’O58 7/1997 Agrawal et a1‘ ' """ " 707/1 tions that result in the generation of a multi-dimensional
5,701,467 12/1997 Freeston ........ .. 707/100 View
5,706,495 1/1998 Chadha et al. ...... .. 704/7 '
5,778,354 7/1998 Leslie et a1. 707/2
5,832,182 11/1998 Zhang et a1. ............................ .. 395/10 28 Claims, 23 Drawing Sheets
QUERY MAP
Query 1 Year, Region, Product, Soies($) /-311
Query 2 Year, Region(Eusi), Sales Office, Product, Sc||es($) /312
MASTER TABLE INDEX
Dimension Dimension Vuiue
Year 1995 01: 1-4 /3201
Q2: 1-4
Year 1996 Q1; 5-10 /-3202
Q2: 5-13
Region East 01-. 1'2’ 5'7 / 320 3
Q2: i-iS 320
Region West Q1: 3-4, 8-10 / 4
Product VCR 8;_ 11L 5f‘>_,78 / 320 5
Product TV - {5:109 / 320 6
Stereo 01'- 7' 1O / 320 7
Product Q2: 1H3
Sales Office New York 02; 1, 3, 5, a, 11 /§208
Sales Office Boston 02: 2, 4, s, 9, 12 / 209
Sales Office Philadelphia 02: 7, 1o, 13 /3201o
U.S. Patent 5,937,408
Aug. 10, 1999 Sheet 1 0f 23
941 9%’
1995
E t
“S 911 912 21;,
West
9_7 4 215 21s
93/
Stereo \
VCR TV
FIG. 1A
U.S. Patent Aug. 10,1999 Sheet 2 0f 23 5,937,408
§\\
8822
m65m%
%B9%B022>2>2m%
N52:mEmm52955
\5m/s
£2m5252225592>\
U.S. Patent Aug. 10,1999 Sheet 3 0f 23 5,937,408
112
Input Control /
Unit
[122
118 119
f /
MetQdQtQ Multi~Dimensiono|
Record Structure
[120 [121
Display Memory Display Unit
114 115
Record
Structure
Engine
116
117
5,937,408
U.S. Patent Aug. 10,1999 Sheet 4 0f 23
105
/
1996/ / /
1995
New
York
East
Boston
Son
Francisco
West
Seattle
VCR TV Stereo
FIG. 3
U.S. Patent Aug. 10,1999 Sheet 5 0f 23 5,937,408
230mm
8c20o%.m;
cBwom
v2t6o2>
um;
Gum

U.S. Patent Aug. 10,1999 Sheet 7 0f 23 5,937,408
No
Yes
Retrieve Query /227
Requirements
i
222
Submit Query /
i
Receive Query /323
Response
I
Update Query /224
map
' 2
Update Master / 25
Table Index
Generate
View?
Retrieve View
Formatting
i
Generate _ Layout
Mapping
i
Gene rate View
t
Display View
U.S. Patent 5,937,408
Aug. 10, 1999 Sheet 8 0f 23
START
Select Record
Select Dimension
Volue
Existing
Dimension Index No
Record?
243
Update Index 245\
Record
Unselected
Dimension Vuiue?
U.S. Patent Aug. 10,1999 Sheet 9 0f 23 5,937,408
ldendify Groups
of / 260
Records
Designate Cells /261
FIG. 6C