Database management system having data aggregation module integrated therein

Abstract

An improved method of and apparatus for aggregating data including a scalable multi-dimesional database (MDDB) and a high-performance aggregation engine that are integrated into a database management system (DBMS). The improved DBMS can be used to realize achieving a significant increase in system performance (e.g. deceased access/search time), 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.

1 - 176 . (canceled)  
     
     
         177 . In a database management system (DBMS) comprising a relational datastore storing data in tables, a method for aggregating the data stored in the tables of the relational datastore and providing query access to the aggregated data, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing an integrated aggregation module, operatively coupled to the relational datastore, for aggregating the data stored in the relational datastore and storing the resultant aggregated data in a non-relational datastore;    (b) generating a reference to aggregated data generated by the aggregation module; and    (c) processing a given query statement, wherein, upon identifying that the given query statement is on said reference, retrieving from the integrated aggregation module portions of aggregated data identified by said reference that are relevant to said given query statement.    
     
     
         178 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein step (c) further comprises the step of extracting at least one dimension from the given query statement, accessing locations of the non-relational datastore based upon the extracted at least one dimension, and returning the retrieved data back to the user.  
     
     
         179 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein step (a) further comprises the steps of loading data from the relational datastore, aggregating the data loaded from the relational datastore, and storing in the non-relational datastore the data loaded from the relational datastore and resultant aggregated data.  
     
     
         180 . The method of  claim 179 , wherein said aggregation module, upon determining that the non-relational datastore does not contain data required to service the given query statement, controls the aggregation engine to generate aggregated data required to service the given query statement and returns the aggregated data back to the user.  
     
     
         181 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the DBMS comprises a relational database management system (RDBMS) storing fact data in the relational datastore.  
     
     
         182 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the non-relational datastore comprises a multi-dimensional database.  
     
     
         183 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the DBMS includes OLAP analysis logic integral to the DBMS.  
     
     
         184 . The method of  claim 183 , wherein the DBMS includes OLAP presentation logic integral to the DBMS.  
     
     
         185 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the DBMS is used as an enterprise wide data warehouse that interfaces to a plurality of information technology systems.  
     
     
         186 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the DBMS is used as a database store in an informational database system.  
     
     
         187 . The method of  claim 186 , wherein the informational database system requires aggregation and calculations on basic detailed data.  
     
     
         188 . The method  claim 177 , wherein the DBMS is used as a database store in an operational database system.  
     
     
         189 . The method of  claim 188 , wherein the operational database system is part of one of following systems: a Customer Relations Management System, an Enterprise Resource Planning System, a Customer Data Record Database System.  
     
     
         190 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein user operations in querying the relational datastore and non-relational datastore generate natural language queries communicated from a client machine.  
     
     
         191 . The method of  claim 190 , wherein said client machine comprises a web-enabled browser to generate said natural language queries.  
     
     
         192 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein communication with the aggregation module occurs over a standard interface.  
     
     
         193 . The method of  claim 192 , wherein the standard interface comprises one of: OLDB, OLE-DB, ODBC, SQL, and JDBC.  
     
     
         194 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the DBMS comprises an object database management system (ODBMS).  
     
     
         195 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the DBMS comprises as an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS).  
     
     
         196 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein said non-relational datastore comprises a multi-dimensional database storing data logically organized along a plurality of cartesian dimensions.  
     
     
         197 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein said given query statement is generated in response to user input.