Abstract: An intelligence server for a reporting system is disclosed. The reporting system may include a report initiation module, such as a user engine or calling application, for generating a request for a report. The intelligence server includes a server layer for receiving the generated request and for coordinating a flow of a processing of the received request; an application logic layer which includes business intelligence rules used for generating the report; and an analytical layer, in communication with the user engine and the server layer, for receiving the request to be processed from the server layer, transmitting the processed request to one or more data storage devices, and for extracting data from the data storage devices responsive to the transmitted request. The extracted data is then processed by the applications in the application logic layer to generate the report and the processing is independent of a user interface.

Abstract: A system for collaborative processing, comprising a controlling module with access to at least one relational database capable of performing a first set of functions on the data in the database and at least one external analytical engine, the external analytical engine being external to the relational database and being capable of a second set of functions on the data in the database. The controlling module is capable of iteratively processing a multi-step calculation including generating SQL statements to the relational database, passing preliminary results to an external analytical engine and saving data back into the relational database for further processing until the multi-step calculation is performed.

Abstract: A method and system for guiding drilling into a report are disclosed. Through the use of the invention, a user can drill within a first report dimension or from the first report dimension into a second report dimension. Additionally, a drill map providing a plurality of drilling paths is associated with each report. The system of the invention includes drill transformation tools and drill map management tools for assisting a user in navigating through report instances.

Abstract: An object management system in a reporting system. The system includes an object data repository and an object server in a reporting system. The object data repository may maintain a definition and other information for at least one object accessible by a plurality of user interfaces. The server may provide a single access point for enabling users at a plurality of user sites to access objects stored in the object data repository.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for exchanging information over a computer network. A network server computer system receives a query request from at least one client computer system over a computer network. The query request is formatted into an extensible markup language query document according to an extensible markup language document application program interface. The extensible markup language query document is transmitted to at least one business intelligence server computer system. The at least one business intelligence server computer system retrieves the information requested in the extensible markup language query document from at least one data storage device.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for use in searching a metadata repository used to store metadata objects relating to data stored in a storage device of a decision support system. In embodiments of the invention, a search object is submitted to an object server by a requestor. The object server may search itself for objects meeting the search criteria. If unsuccessful, the search object may be sent to a metadata server which uses a metadata search engine to search the metadata repository. Results of the search may be returned to the requestor by the object server.

Abstract: A layered architecture for communication of reporting system reports to users connecting via a web server. Users communicate via HTTP with web servers without download of plugins or executable files to the user system. The web servers are clustered to balance requests and transmit the requests. The web servers pass report requests via XML to the business intelligence servers to perform the work with the databases. The business intelligence servers convert reports into XML and provide the XML-based version to the web server. The web server then transmits an HTML or DHTMNL report back to the client over the web.