Granted Patent B2

US 8,195,602 · App. 12/455,664 · Granted Jun 5, 2012

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. A relational database management system comprising:

a relational data store configured to store fact data;

a multi-dimensional data store configured to store aggregated fact data in a multi-dimensional data structure and to communicate bi-directionally with the relational data store;

a communication interface operably connected between the relational data store and the multi-dimensional data store for communication of fact data from the relational data store to the multi-dimensional data store and for the communication of aggregated fact data from the multi-dimensional data store to the relational data store; and

a computer system comprising computer hardware, the computer system programmed to implement:

a query servicing mechanism configured to service one or more natural language queries from a user, the query servicing mechanism comprising:

a query processing mechanism configured to process a given natural language query using operations to:

make a determination of whether servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the relational data store or multi-dimensional data store;

upon a determination that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the relational data store,

 automatically route the given natural language query to the relational data store, so that data is accessed from the relational data store and forwarded to the query processing mechanism for use in servicing the given natural language query, in a manner transparent to the user; and

wherein upon a determination that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the multi-dimensional data store,

automatically route the given natural language query to the multi-dimensional data store, so that aggregated fact data can be accessed and forwarded to the query processing mechanism for use in servicing the given natural language query, in a manner transparent to the user.

2. The relational database management system of claim 1 , wherein the query servicing mechanism is implemented in a module within the relational database management system.

3. The relational database management system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is configured to receive the given natural language query from a user via a web-enabled browser, and the computer system is configured to communicate the given natural language query to the query servicing mechanism.

4. The relational database management system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is configured to generate the multi-dimensional data store by calculating aggregated fact data from the fact data according to a multi-dimensional data aggregation process, and storing the aggregated fact data in the multi-dimensional data store.

5. The relational database management system of claim 4 , wherein the computer system is configured to calculate the aggregated fact data on demand and to store the aggregated fact data in the multi-dimensional data store.

6. The relational database management system of claim 4 , wherein the multi-dimensional data aggregation process comprises:

(i) determining if the aggregated fact data needed to service the given natural language query is already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, and

in response to determining that the aggregated fact data needed to service the given natural language query is already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store,

retrieving the pre-calculated aggregated fact data and returning the retrieved pre-calculated aggregated fact data to the query processing mechanism; and

(ii) in response to determining that the needed aggregated fact data is not already pre-aggregated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, calculating the needed aggregated fact data on demand, and automatically forwarding the aggregated fact data to the query processing mechanism.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

by a computer system comprising computer hardware:

receiving one or more natural language queries from a user;

determining whether servicing a given natural language query of the one or more natural language queries needs data stored in a relational data store or in a multi-dimensional data store, wherein the relational data store is configured to communicate fact data to the multi-dimensional data store and the multi-dimensional data store is configured to communicate aggregated fact data to the relational data store,

wherein the relational data store stores fact data and the multi-dimensional data store data store stores aggregated fact data

in a multi-dimensional data structure;

in response to determining that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the relational data store,

automatically routing the given natural language query to the relational data store, so that fact data is accessed from the relational data store and forwarded to the user; and

in response to determining that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the multi-dimensional data store,

automatically routing the given natural language query to the multi-dimensional data store, so that aggregated fact data can be accessed and forwarded to the user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user interacts with a web-enabled browser to generate a natural language query, and the natural language query is communicated to the computer system.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the multi-dimensional data store is generated by calculating aggregated fact data from the fact data according to a multi-dimensional data aggregation process, and storing the aggregated fact data in the multi-dimensional data store.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the aggregated fact data is calculated on demand and stored in the multi-dimensional data store.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the multi-dimensional data aggregation process comprises:

(i) in response to determining that the aggregated fact data needed to service the given natural language query is already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, then the pre-calculated fact data is retrieved and returned to the user; and

(ii) in response to determining that the needed fact data is not already pre-aggregated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, then the needed aggregated fact data is calculated on demand, and the aggregated fact data is automatically forwarded to the user.

12. A tangible computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more natural language queries from a user;

determining whether servicing a given natural language query needs data stored in a relational data store or a multi-dimensional data store,

wherein the relational data store stores fact data and the multi-dimensional data store data store stores aggregated fact data, formed via a segmented aggregation process involving aggregation along multiple dimensions in a determined sequence, in a multi-dimensional data structure, and wherein the multi-dimensional data store is configured to communicate bi-directionally with the relational data store;

in response to determining that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the relational data store,

automatically routing the given natural language query to the relational data store, so that data is accessed from the relational data store and forwarded to the user; and

in response to determining that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the multi-dimensional data store formed via the segmented aggregation process,

automatically routing the given natural language query to the multi-dimensional data store, so that aggregated fact data can be accessed and forwarded to the user.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the user interacts with a web-enabled browser to generate a natural language query, and the natural language query is communicated to the computing device.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the multi-dimensional data store is generated by calculating aggregated fact data from the fact data according to a multi-dimensional data aggregation process, and storing the aggregated fact data in the multi-dimensional data store.

15. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the aggregated fact data is calculated on demand and stored in the multi-dimensional data store.

16. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the multi-dimensional data aggregation process comprises:

(i) in response to determining that the aggregated fact data needed to service the given natural language query is already pre-calculated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, then the pre-calculated aggregated fact data is retrieved and returned to the user; and

(ii) in response to determining that the needed aggregated fact data is not already pre-aggregated and stored within the multi-dimensional data store, then the needed aggregated fact data is calculated on demand, and the aggregated fact data is automatically forwarded to the user.

Assignments (10)