Intelligent unmasking in an in-memory database
View Patent ↗Database data is unmasked in order to facilitate its efficient handling by a database engine. In response to a request for data of a masked table including a masked element, an engine identifies a mask interval, and then performs a first join with unmasked elements sharing a common key. The table resulting from this first join is then grouped according to a highest level location of the mask. A second join is then performed between the results of this grouping and the mask interval, to produce a corresponding unmasked table including a plurality of unmasked elements corresponding to the masked element. Unmasking according to embodiments may be particularly useful in leveraging processing power of an in-memory database engine, allowing it to efficiently perform batch processing of requests for masked data received from software of an overlying application layer.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
causing an engine to receive a request for data stored in a first table comprising a masked element including a key and a mask, the masked element corresponding to a plurality of unmasked elements in a database;
causing the engine to process the first table to create a second table converting the masked element into an element interval indicating a highest level position of the mask;
causing the engine to create a third table selecting the plurality of unmasked elements sharing the key;
causing the engine to perform a first join operation of the second table and the third table to create a fourth table including the plurality of unmasked elements sharing the key and falling within the element interval;
causing the engine to perform a grouping operation of the fourth table to create a fifth table locating a maximum position of the mask with the plurality of the unmasked elements;
causing the engine to perform a second join operation of the fifth table and the first table to create a sixth table including the plurality of unmasked elements and the key; and
causing the engine to process the request on the sixth table.
2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the engine comprises a database engine.
3. A method as in claim 2 wherein the database engine comprises an in-memory database engine receiving instructions from an overlying application layer.
4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the masked element comprises a string of characters including a mask symbol.
5. A method as in claim 4 wherein a location of the mask symbol in the string indicates a level position of the mask.
6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the engine is configured to retrieve data from the database according to the request utilizing batch processing.
7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a computer program for performing a method, said method comprising:
causing an engine to receive a request for data stored in a first table comprising a masked element including a key and a mask, the masked element corresponding to a plurality of unmasked elements in a database;
causing the engine to process the first table to create a second table converting the masked element into an element interval indicating a highest level position of the mask;
causing the engine to create a third table selecting the plurality of unmasked elements sharing the key;
causing the engine to perform a first join operation of the second table and the third table to create a fourth table including the plurality of unmasked elements sharing the key and falling within the element interval;
causing the engine to perform a grouping operation of the fourth table to create a fifth table locating a maximum position of the mask with the plurality of the unmasked elements;
causing the engine to perform a second join operation of the fifth table and the first table to create a sixth table including the plurality of unmasked elements and the key; and
causing the engine to process the request on the sixth table.
8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 7 wherein the engine comprises a database engine.
9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the database engine comprises an in-memory database engine receiving instructions from an overlying application layer.
10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 7 wherein the masked element comprises a string of characters including a mask symbol.
11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 10 wherein a location of the mask symbol in the string indicates a level position of the mask.
12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 7 wherein the engine is configured to retrieve data from the database according to the request utilizing batch processing.
13. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors;
a software program, executable on said computer system and embodied upon a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the software program configured to:
cause an engine to receive a request for data stored in a first table comprising a masked element including a key and a mask, the masked element corresponding to a plurality of unmasked elements in a database;
cause the engine to process the first table to create a second table converting the masked element into an element interval indicating a highest level position of the mask;
cause the engine to create a third table selecting the plurality of unmasked elements sharing the key;
cause the engine to perform a first join operation of the second table and the third table to create a fourth table including the plurality of unmasked elements sharing the key and falling within the element interval;
cause the engine to perform a grouping operation of the fourth table to create a fifth table locating a maximum position of the mask with the plurality of the unmasked elements;
cause the engine to perform a second join operation of the fifth table and the first table to create a sixth table including the plurality of unmasked elements and the key; and
cause the engine to process the request on the sixth table.
14. A computer system as in claim 13 wherein the engine comprises a database engine.
15. A computer system as in claim 14 wherein the database engine comprises an in-memory database engine receiving instructions from an overlying application layer.
16. A computer system as in claim 13 wherein the masked element comprises a string of characters including a mask symbol.
17. A computer system as in claim 16 wherein a location of the mask symbol in the string indicates a level position of the mask.
18. A computer system as in claim 13 wherein the engine is configured to retrieve data from the database according to the request utilizing batch processing.