Method of and system for data aggregation employing dimensional hierarchy transformation

Abstract

An improved method of and apparatus for aggregating data having at least one dimension logically organized into multiple hierarchies of items, whereby such multiple hierarchies of items are transformed into a single hierarchy that is functionally equivalent to the multiple hierarchies. In the hierarchy transformation process, a given child item is linked with a parent item in the single hierarchy when no other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item. In the event that at least one other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item, the given child item is not linked with the parent item in the single hierarchy. The improved data aggregation mechanism of the present invention achieves a significant increase in system performance (e.g. deceased access/search time). Moreover, the improved data aggregation mechanism of the present invention may be integrated into a standalone data aggregation server supporting an OLAP system (one or more OLAP servers and clients), or may be integrated into a database management system (DBMS), thus achieving improved user flexibility and ease of use. The improved DBMS system of the present invention can be used to realize an improved Data Warehouse for supporting on-line analytical processing (OLAP) operations or to realize an improved informational database system, operational database system, or the like.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a database system comprising data having at least one dimension logically organized into multiple hierarchies of items, a method for transforming the multiple hierarchies of items into a single hierarchy that is functionally equivalent to the multiple hierarchies, the method comprising the step of: 
 linking a given child item with a parent item in the single hierarchy when no other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the event that at least one other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item, the given child item is not linked with the parent item in the single hierarchy.  
     
     
         3 . A data aggregation engine comprising: 
 a hierarchy transformation module that identifies at least one dimension of data logically organized into multiple hierarchies of items, and transforms the multiple hierarchies of items into a single hierarchy (that is functionally equivalent to the multiple hierarchies) by linking a given child item with a parent item in the single hierarchy when no other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item;    an aggregation module that aggregates the data based upon the single hierarchy.    
     
     
         4 . The data aggregation engine of  claim 3 , wherein, in the event that at least one other child item linked to the parent item has a child item in common with the given child item, the hierarchy transformation module does not link the given child item with the parent item in the single hierarchy.  
     
     
         5 . The data aggregation engine of  claim 3 , integrated with an OLAP server (comprising OLAP analysis logic and presentation logic) and client machines operably coupled to the OLAP server to provide user-directed OLAP analysis, to thereby realize an OLAP system capable of performing data aggregation operations on the data, and storing and managing such data.  
     
     
         6 . The OLAP system of  claim 6 , wherein the network includes the infrastructure of the Internet.  
     
     
         7 . The OLAP system of  claim 6 , wherein said client machines include a web-browser-based user interface that enables user access to the OLAP server.  
     
     
         8 . The data aggregation engine of  claim 3 , integral to a DBMS to thereby realize an improved DBMS capable of performing data aggregation operations on the data, and storing and managing such data.  
     
     
         9 . The data aggregation engine of  claim 3 , integral to a DBMS operably coupled to a plurality of client machines over a network, to thereby realize a data warehouse capable of performing data aggregation operations on the data, and storing and managing such data.  
     
     
         10 . The data warehouse of  claim 9 , wherein the network includes the infrastructure of the Internet.  
     
     
         11 . The data warehouse of  claim 10 , wherein said client machines include a web-browser-based user interface that enables user access to the DBMS.  
     
     
         12 . The data aggregation engine of  claim 3 , integrated with an server (comprising analysis logic) and client machines operably coupled to the server to provide user-directed analysis, to thereby realize a decision support system capable of performing data aggregation operations on the data, and storing and managing such data.  
     
     
         13 . The decision support system of  claim 12 , wherein the network includes the infrastructure of the Internet.  
     
     
         14 . The decision support system of  claim 13 , wherein said client machines include a web-browser-based user interface that enables user access to the server.