Patent Application
20130091177
A hierarchical database is physically structured with hierarchical levels, where there is a root level (Level 1) and level(s) dependent on the root level (Level 2, Level 3, etc.). The hierarchical database is typically accessed in the sequence of the physical database structure, beginning with the root level and traversing to the desired level via a path through any intervening dependent levels. When a hierarchical database record needs to be accessed in an alternate database structure sequence, i.e., a structure other than the physical database structure, the hierarchical sequence of the physical database structure cannot be used. A separate, logical database must be physically created with the alternate structure sequence in order to facilitate access in the desired sequence.
To illustrate, consider a hierarchical database with a physical structure that has levels 1, 2, 3, and 4, where level 1 is the root of the database record. The physical structure can be used to access levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 in sequence. However, assume that an application requires access to level 3 first, and then access to parent levels 1 and 2, and then access to dependent level 4. In this case, the hierarchical database's physical structure cannot be used since the database structure is traversed from the physical root level down to dependent levels in sequence, and access to a parent level from a dependent level is not possible. In order to access the hierarchical database record in the sequence required by the application, a separate logical database structure must be created to represent the logical database structure, where level 3 is the root level of the logical database structure, with dependent levels 1, 2, and 4. However, physically creating the logical database structure is resource intensive. Further, since the physical database record has a level indicator, which is used to maintain each level of the database record, a different processing mechanism may be required for the actual access of the logical database structure levels in order to access the levels in the desired sequence.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating an alternate logical database structure of a hierarchical database, comprises: determining a target level of a physical hierarchical database structure corresponding to a root level of a logical hierarchical database structure by a computing device; accessing a current level of the physical hierarchical database structure equal to the target level by the computing device; decrementing the current level by the computing device; accessing the decremented current level of the physical hierarchical database structure by the computing device; and in response to determining that the decremented current level is a root level of the physical hierarchical database structure, repositioning the current level to the target level by the computing device. The repositioning to the target level provides the capability to access the levels dependent on the target level in the normal order of the physical hierarchical database.
In one aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises: in response to determining that the decremented current level is not the root level of the physical hierarchical database structure, repeating the decrementing of the current level and the accessing of the decremented current level of the physical hierarchical database structure by the computing device.
In one aspect of the present invention, the determining of the target level of the physical hierarchical database structure corresponding to the root level of the logical hierarchical database structure and the accessing of the current level of the physical hierarchical database structure equal to the target level, comprise: obtaining an alternate access key comprising a concatenated key associated with the target level by the computing device; and accessing the current level of the physical hierarchical database structure using the concatenated key by the computing device.
In one aspect of the present invention, the accessing of the decremented current level of the physical hierarchical database structure, comprises: determining a combined key length (X) for the decremented current level and parent levels of the decremented current levels by the computing device; determining a next concatenated key as the first X number of characters of the alternate access key by the computing device; and accessing the decremented current level of the physical hierarchical database structure using the next concatenated key by the computing device.
In one aspect of the present invention, the repositioning of the current level to the target level in response to determining that the decremented current level is a root level of the physical hierarchical database structure, comprises: in response to determining that the decremented current level is the root level of the physical hierarchical database structure, repositioning the current level to the target level using the alternate access key by the computing device.
In one aspect of the present invention, the accessing of the current level of the physical hierarchical database structure equal to the target level, comprises: accessing the current level of the physical hierarchical database structure equal to the target level without physically creating the logical hierarchical database structure by the computing device.
In one aspect of the present invention, the accessing of the decremented current level of the physical hierarchical database structure, comprises: accessing the decremented current level of the physical hierarchical database structure without physically creating the logical hierarchical database structure by the computing device.
System and computer program products corresponding to the above-summarized methods are also described and claimed herein.
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.
Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java® (Java, and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both), Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer special purpose computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified local function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
The present invention generates an alternate logical database structure without physically creating a logical database structure. The present invention uses the physical structure of the hierarchical database to access the various level of the alternate logical database structure. The same processing mechanisms used to access the physical database structure, can be used to access the levels of the alternate logical database structure in the proper sequence.
Assume that C (Level 3) is application or user defined as the target level. C thus is the root level of the logical hierarchical database structure.
Referring to both
The method obtains an alternative access key comprising the concatenated key associated with the target level (401). The method accesses a current level of the physical hierarchical database structure using the concatenated key (402), and decrements the current level (403). The method determines a combined key length (X) for the decremented current level and the parent level(s) of the decremented current level (404), and determines the next concatenated key as the first X number of characters of the alternate access key (405). The method accesses the decremented current level of the physical hierarchical database structure using the next concatenated key (406). The method then determines whether the decremented current level is the root level of the physical hierarchical database structure (407). In response to determining that the decremented current level is the root level of the physical hierarchical database structure, the method repositions the current level to the target level using the alternate access key (408). The repositioning to the target level provides the capability to access the levels dependent on the target level in the normal order of the physical hierarchical database (409), using known methods. In response to determining that the decremented current level is not the root level of the physical hierarchical database structure (205), steps 403 through 406 are repeated.
Referring to both
The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
