IP Library Granted Patent US 8,738,576
Granted Patent B2
US 8,738,576 · App. 13/529,359 · Granted May 27, 2014

Methods and apparatus for improving data warehouse performance

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,738,576
App. No.
13/529,359
Granted
May 27, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus for improving data warehouse performance are disclosed. An example method to transform a first database into a second database includes generating a first mapping file associated with a fact table of the first database, the first mapping file referenced by a first hierarchical directory file path, generating a second mapping file associated with a dimension table, the second mapping file referenced by a second hierarchical directory file path, and retrieving data from the second database using the first and second mapping files via sequential navigation of the first and second hierarchical directory file paths.

Claims (32)

1. A method to transform a first database into a second database, comprising:

generating, with a processor, a first mapping file associated with a fact table of the first database, the first mapping file referenced by a first hierarchical directory file path;

generating, with the processor, a second mapping file associated with a dimension table, the second mapping file referenced by a second hierarchical directory file path;

appending, with the processor, the second hierarchical directory file path to the first hierarchical directory file path to facilitate access to the first and the second mapping files, respectively;

copying data, with the processor, from the fact table of the first database to the first mapping file, and copying data from the dimension table of the first database to the second mapping file to form the second database; and

retrieving data from the second database using the first and second mapping files via sequential navigation of the first and second hierarchical directory file paths in response to receiving a request to access data in the first database.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sequential navigation comprises traversing a plurality of nested hierarchical directory file paths referenced by the first hierarchical directory file path.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 , wherein executing the sequential navigation further comprises revealing a plurality of database dimensions, each one of the plurality of database dimensions defined by an associated dimension mapping file.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the dimension table comprises a dimension key, the dimension key associated with a data file stored in a third hierarchical file path, the third hierarchical file path nested under the second hierarchical file path.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising identifying at least one nested hierarchical file path in response to receiving at least one of the first or second mapping files, the at least one nested hierarchical file path comprising a subsequent level of the first or second hierarchical file path.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein generating the hierarchical path further comprises generating a star schema structure.

7. An apparatus to transform a first database into a second database, comprising:

an organizer to:

generate a first mapping file associated with a fact table of the first database, the first mapping file referenced by a first hierarchical directory file path;

generate a second mapping file associated with a dimension table;

append the second mapping file associated with the dimension table, the second mapping file referenced by a second hierarchical directory file path; and

append the second hierarchical directory file path to the first hierarchical directory file path to facilitate access to the first and the second mapping files, respectively;

a compression engine to copy data from the fact table of the first database to the first mapping file, and to copy data from the dimension table of the first database to the second mapping file to form the second database; and

a data retriever to retrieve data from the second database using the first and second mapping files via sequential navigation of the first and second hierarchical directory file paths in response to receiving a request to access data in the first database.

8. An apparatus to transform a first database into a second database as defined in claim 7 , further comprising a data formatter to execute a sequential navigation by traversing a plurality of nested hierarchical directory file paths referenced by the first hierarchical directory file path.

9. An apparatus to transform a first database into a second database as defined in claim 7 , wherein the organizer is to associate a dimension key with a data file stored in a third hierarchical file path, the third hierarchical file path nested under the second hierarchical file path.

10. An apparatus to transform a first database into a second database as defined in claim 7 , wherein the data retriever is to identify at least one nested hierarchical file path in response to receiving at least one of the first or second mapping files, the at least one nested hierarchical file path comprising a subsequent level of the first or second hierarchical file path.

11. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:

generate a first mapping file associated with a fact table of the first database, the first mapping file referenced by a first hierarchical directory file path;

generate a second mapping file associated with a dimension table, the second mapping file referenced by a second hierarchical directory file path;

append the second hierarchical directory file path to the first hierarchical directory file path to facilitate access to the first and the second mapping files, respectively;

copy data from the fact table of the first database to the first mapping file, and copy data from the dimension table of the first database to the second mapping file to form the second database; and

retrieve data from the second database using the first and second mapping files via sequential navigation of the first and second hierarchical directory file paths in response to receiving a request to access data in the first database.

12. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to traverse a plurality of nested hierarchical directory file paths referenced by the first hierarchical directory file path.

13. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to revealing a plurality of database dimensions, each one of the plurality of database dimensions defined by an associated dimension mapping file.

14. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to identify at least one nested hierarchical file path in response to receiving at least one of the first or second mapping files, the at least one nested hierarchical file path comprising a subsequent level of the first or second hierarchical file path.

15. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to generate a star schema structure when generating the hierarchical path.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063605/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 053473 / FRAME 0001) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063603/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 037172 / FRAME 0415) Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 061750/0221 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: NIELSEN CONSUMER LLC; BYZZER INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055742/0719 →
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER LLC
Reel/Frame 055557/0949 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2021
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: NIELSEN CONSUMER LLC
Reel/Frame 055325/0353 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENTS LISTED ON SCHEDULE 1 RECORDED ON 6-9-2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053473 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 7, 2020
From: A.C. NIELSEN (ARGENTINA) S.A.; A.C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 054066/0064 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NIELSEN UK FINANCE I, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053473/0001 →
SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 30, 2015
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY ((US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT FOR THE FIRST LIEN SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 037172/0415 →