System for database reporting
View Patent ↗A method of creating user-generated reports. The method begins with the step of receiving information related to consumer internet behavior. That information is then assembled into a database having facts and dimensions, in which the database resides on a server, the server being connected to a communications network. The method then provides a report generation system, including a report generation module resident on the server. The module generates a report, beginning with accepting user criteria for generating a report from a front end system resident on a client computer. It then generates from the database a dataset corresponding to the first report and forwards the same to the client computer, and it displays the report generated from the first dataset. The module then reiterates the report generation steps to generate a second report, the first report remaining resident on the client computer.
1. A method of creating reports, comprising:
receiving, from a client computer system, consumer information related to consumer internet behavior;
assembling the consumer information into an online analytical processing (OLAP) database, the OLAP database comprising:
a plurality of hierarchy tables configured to store at least some of the consumer information, each hierarchy table of the plurality of hierarchy tables comprising at least one fact associated with at least one dimension,
wherein the plurality of hierarchy tables are arranged such that each successive level of the plurality of hierarchy tables includes a greater number of dimensions,
wherein the OLAP database resides on a server system, the server system being connected to a communications network;
providing a report generation system, including a report generation module resident on the server system;
generating a first report, the generating comprising:
accepting user criteria from a front end system resident on the client computer system;
generating from the OLAP database a first dataset based on the user criteria;
forwarding the first dataset to the client computer system; and
generating the first report based on the first dataset;
displaying the first report generated from the first dataset; and
reiterating the generating the first report to generate another report, the first report remaining resident on the client computer system.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dataset is a data object resident on the client computer system.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reiterating the generating the first report generates another dataset, resident on the client computer system together with the first dataset.
4. A method of creating reports, comprising:
receiving, from a client computer system, consumer information related to consumer internet behavior;
assembling the consumer information into an online analytical processing (OLAP) database, the OLAP database comprising a plurality of hierarchy tables configured to store at least some of the consumer information, each hierarchy table comprising at least one fact associated with at least one dimension,
wherein the plurality of hierarchy tables are arranged such that each successive level of the plurality of hierarchy tables includes a greater number of dimensions,
wherein the OLAP database resides on a server system, the server system being connected to a communications network;
providing a report generation system, including a report generation module resident on the client computer system, and a remote report module, resident on the server system;
generating a first report, the generating comprising:
accepting user criteria for generating the first report from a front end system resident on the client computer system;
generating from the OLAP database a first dataset corresponding to the user criteria and retaining the first report on the server system; and
generating the first report based on the first dataset;
displaying the first report on the client computer system under control of the remote report module; and
reiterating the generating the first report to generate a second report, the first report remaining resident on the server system.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dataset is a data object resident on the server system.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reiterating the generating the first report generates a second dataset, the second dataset resident on the server system together with the first dataset.
7. A report generation system, comprising:
an online analytical processing (OLAP) database containing consumer information related to consumer internet behavior, the consumer information received from a client computer system, the OLAP database comprising a plurality of hierarchy tables configured to store at least some of the consumer information, each hierarchy table comprising at least one fact associated with at least one dimension,
wherein the plurality of hierarchy tables are arranged such that each successive level of the plurality of hierarchy tables includes a greater number of dimensions,
wherein the OLAP database resides on a server system, the server system being connected to a communications network; and
a report generation system including a report generation module resident on the client computer system, the report generation system being capable of:
accepting user criteria from a front end system resident on the client computer system,
generating from the OLAP database a first dataset based on the user criteria,
generating the first report based on the first dataset and the user criteria, and
reiterating the generating the first report to generate a second report, the first report remaining resident on the client computer system.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user criteria specifies a dimension of the first report.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user criteria specifies a fact of the first report.