Abstract: An abstract database is an effective way to reduce the complexity of a large database management system. Abstract databases allow a user to compose queries based on the logical relationships among data items, without requiring a user to understand the underlying database schema used to store the data in the database system. Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods, systems, and articles of manufacture that extend the capabilities of an abstract database to include “late bound” polymorphic functions in an abstract data layer. Abstract functions are “late bound” because the function definition (i.e., the execution logic) is not determined until the function is actually invoked. They are polymorphic because same function may operate using many different many data input types. Additionally, abstract functions are generally transparent to the end user.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for managing metadata associated with a data abstraction model abstractly describing data in a database. One embodiment provides a method of managing metadata describing objects of a data abstraction model with logical fields that define abstract views of physical data in a database. The method comprises traversing a logical tree structure representing the data abstraction model. The logical tree structure has a plurality of nodes, each representing a logical field or a category of logical fields of the data abstraction model. The method further comprises identifying metadata describing logical fields or categories represented by the plurality of nodes. The identified metadata is stored in a queryable database. A user is allowed to query the database to identify objects in the data abstraction model that may be used to construct an abstract query.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for query processing and, more particularly, for determining that Cartesian Products will occur in query results without executing corresponding queries. One embodiment provides a method for detecting Cartesian Products in query results. The method comprises identifying, from a query against one or more databases, joins between different tables of the one or more databases. Without executing the query against the one or more databases, it is determined on the basis of cardinalities of the identified joins whether a Cartesian Product will occur in a query result corresponding to the query.

Abstract: The present invention generally is directed to a method, system and article of manufacture for controlling the access to data granted to a requesting entity based upon data accessed by the entity in the past. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention allow for access control independent from the particular manner in which the data is physically represented. Generally, abstraction layers are provided to represent various data sources available for use by an application and to compose queries used by the application to access and/or update information contained in these data sources. A runtime component is responsible for resolving an abstract query into concrete data access requests to one or more data repositories using information contained in a data repository abstraction component (one of the abstraction layers). Typically, data is organized into a series of domains. Within each domain, data is associated with an account.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for utilizing an abstract derived entity are disclosed. An abstract derived entity is a data object present in an abstract data model that may be referenced by other entities in the abstract data model as though it were a relational table present in a physical data source. In one embodiment, an abstract data model provides data access independent of the manner in which the data is physically represented in a set of physical data sources. In addition, an abstract derived entity may be used to provide aggregate data joined with other non-aggregate data. Aggregate data values are calculated from the column of a relational table, or other sets of input data. In one embodiment, an abstract derived entity may describe a describe relational table comprising a set of aggregate data used to form a column of the relational table joined to other columns formed from the sets of input data specified by the abstract derived entity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for defining and processing aggregate data is disclosed. Using database abstraction techniques, a set of logical fields may be used to compose queries of a set of underlying physical data sources. In one embodiment, a logical field may represent an aggregate data value calculated from the elements appearing in a column of a relational table in an underlying physical data source. The elements may be divided into to subsets to calculate multiple aggregate values. An abstract derived entity is a data object present in a database abstraction model that may be accessed as though it were a relational table contained in an underlying physical data source. In one embodiment, columns of the table defined by the abstract derived entity may be populated with aggregate data values joined to other data as specified by a composition rule included in the definition of the abstract derived entity.

Abstract: A graphical query interface provides visual feedback to a user during the construction of a query. In a first embodiment, the visual feedback helps the user determine the quality of the query as the query is being built. The relationship of columns in the database is graphically displayed to a user. When the user selects a column in the database, a filtered display mechanism displays only those columns or records that satisfy the portion of the query already constructed. In a second embodiment, the visual feedback eliminates some possible selections in the query tree due to previously-made selections that eliminate the eliminated selections as possibilities. In the second embodiment, the visual feedback mechanism may function according to data values in columns, and may also function according to known relationships between columns themselves.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for constructing queries that are executed against a database and, more particularly, for constructing queries capable of returning classified information related to data in a database. One embodiment includes receiving user input specifying a plurality of result fields for an abstract query. Each result field corresponds to a logical field specification of a data abstraction model abstractly describing the data in the database. The method further includes receiving user input selecting one of the plurality of result fields, and receiving user input specifying a classification definition for the selected result field. The classification definition is suitable for dividing data to be returned for the selected result field into a plurality of categories. Then, a classification field for the abstract query is generated on the basis of the selected result field and the classification definition. The classification field is included with the abstract query.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for processing queries and, more particularly, for graphically representing relationships between different queries. One embodiment provides a method for graphically representing a relationship between a first and a second query. The method includes selecting, from the first and second queries, elements to be compared. On the basis of the selected elements, a degree of similarity between the first and second queries is calculated. The method further includes displaying a first query object representative of the first query and a second query object representative of the second query in a user interface. The first and second query objects are positionally arranged on the basis of the calculated degree of similarity. The positional arrangement reflects the relationship between the first and second queries.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for accessing data stored in multiple data sources. Such methods employ an automated software agent to maintain a collection of data sources available for querying. The data sources may all reside within a single local network or may be distributed throughout multiple locations. Generally, the automated software agent searches a given domain for additional data sources according to a defined set of selection criteria. After discovering an additional data source, the automated software agent configures a query application to reflect the availability the additional data source. Further, the automated software agent may periodically evaluate the collection of data sources against the selection criteria and remove those that are either no longer available or no longer satisfy the selection criteria.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for creating queries and, more particularly, for creating queries using query conditions from previously defined queries. One embodiment provides a method for composing a query. The method comprises displaying at least a first query object representative of a first query and a second query object representative of a second query in a user interface. Each of the query objects is positionally related to define a plurality of user-selectable regions. Each region corresponds to a different executable query.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for linking logical fields abstractly describing data in a database and, more particularly, for creating an abstract query using linked logical fields. One embodiment provides a method of linking logical fields abstractly describing data in a database. The method includes creating link information for a first logical field from the plurality of logical fields. The link information identifies at least one second logical field from the plurality of logical fields and an associated link type operation. The first and second logical fields are linked using the link information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture that allow saved abstract queries to be referenced from within query statements constructed using standard query languages, such as Structured Query Language (SQL), are provided.

Abstract: A database query optimizer for a computer system having dynamically configurable logical partitions generates an optimized query strategy which is dependent on a logical partition configuration. When the query is executed, the configuration of the logical partition in which the query is executed is compared to the logical partition configuration for which the query was optimized. If the configurations are different, a new query can be automatically generated. Optimizing database queries to the current system configuration of a dynamic, logically partitioned system potentially offers greater efficiency in the execution of database queries for complex, logically partitioned systems.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for processing queries that are executed against a database and, more particularly, for processing aggregation queries that are executed against a database. One embodiment provides a method of constructing queries selectively capable of returning aggregation information related to data in a database.

Abstract: Methods, articles of manufacture, and systems for searching collections of data using context sensitive expanded term searching are provided. The collection of data may be a relational database, text document, or any other type of searchable collection of data. In either case, a query including a search condition based on a specified search term may be modified to include additional conditions based on a set of expanded (e.g., conceptually-related) search terms. For some embodiments, a user may be given the ability to control the level of expansion and the context in which the terms may be expanded.

Abstract: Methods, articles of manufacture, and systems for searching collections of data using context sensitive expanded term searching using dynamic term expansion are provided. The collection of data may be a relational database, text document, or any other type of searchable collection of data. In either case, a query including a search condition based on a specified search term may be modified to include additional conditions based on a set of expanded (e.g., conceptually-related) search terms dynamically linked with the query. For some embodiments, a user may be given the ability to choose whether the set of expanded search terms are dynamically linked with the query or not.