Method and apparatus for creating aggregates for use in a datamart

US6161103A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• E.Piphany, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Allon Rauer · New York, US
• Gregory Vincent Walsh · Incline Village, US
• John P. McCaskey · Mountain View, US
• Craig Weissman · San Francisco, US
• Jeremy A. Rassen · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 6, 1998
• Grant date: Dec 12, 2000
• Expiry date: May 6, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S707/99934
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method for automatically defining aggregates for use in a datamart is described. The datamart includes fact and dimension tables. The method comprises accessing a schema description and an aggregates description for the datamart. The schema description specifies a schema, which in turn, defines the relationships between the fact tables and dimension tables of the datamart. The aggregates description specifies the aggregates, which define, from the schema definition, which aggregate tables are to be created from the fact tables and dimension tables in the datamart. The data in the aggregates correspond to the pre-computed results of specific types of queries. In response to a query, the aggregates can be searched to determine an appropriate aggregate to use in response to that query. The schema description is used to create a first set of commands to create and populate the fact and dimension tables. Additionally, a second set of commands to create, populate and access, the aggregates are also created from the aggregates description. Some of the commands of the first set of commands are executed causing the creation and population of the tables. Some of the commands of the second …