Querying a database using relationship metadata

A computer system including a database system, the database system configurable to perform a method comprising:

• classifying a database query into a designated one or more of a plurality of categories specified in a multidimensional categorization scheme via a processor, each category having one or more category dimensions, each category dimension providing a respective access path to records in the database, the database including a first plurality of records retrieved in response to queries and a second plurality of records storing queries, each of the first plurality of records being classified into a respective one or more of the plurality of categories based on one or both of a content of the record and a respective relationship metadata entry generated for the record, the respective relationship metadata being generated based on whether the respective record successfully or unsuccessfully answered any one or more of the queries stored as records, the relationship metadata entry including:
• category relationship metadata identifying one or more relationships among the designated one or more categories and a respective one or more of the plurality of categories, wherein the relationships includes a first relationship type metadata to indicate a record relationship to another record in a multitenant database system (MTS) and a second relationship type metadata to indicate a category relationship to other available categories of the multidimensional categorization scheme associated with a user's tenant ID in the multitenant database system;
• and
• record relationship metadata identifying relationships between the record and other records in the database, including other records classified as belonging to a same one or more categories into which the record was classified;
• and
• retrieving one or more records from the database based on the database query, the retrieved records including a first one or more records that are related to any of the one or more categories, the retrieved records including a second one or more records that are related to the first one or more records based on the record relationship metadata;
• for one or more of the retrieved records, computing a statistical likelihood that the record represents a solution to the query meriting inclusion in a result set for the query;
• and
• transmitting via a communication interface a query response that includes only the subset of retrieved records for which the statistical likelihood exceeds a designated threshold.

The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media having instructions stored thereon for performing a method, the method comprising:

• classifying a database query into a designated one or more of a plurality of categories specified in a multidimensional categorization scheme via a processor, each category having one or more category dimensions, each category dimension providing a respective access path to records in the database, the database including a first plurality of records retrieved in response to queries and a second plurality of records storing queries, each of the first plurality of records being classified into a respective one or more of the plurality of categories based on one or both of a content of the record and a respective relationship metadata entry generated for the record, the respective relationship metadata being generated based on whether the respective record successfully or unsuccessfully answered any one or more of the queries stored as records, the relationship metadata entry including:
• category relationship metadata identifying one or more relationships among the designated one or more categories and a respective one or more of the plurality of categories, wherein the relationships includes a first relationship type metadata to indicate a record relationship to another record in a multitenant database system (MTS) and a second relationship type metadata to indicate a category relationship to other available categories of the multidimensional categorization scheme associated with a user's tenant ID in the multitenant database system;
• and
• record relationship metadata identifying relationships between the record and other records in the database, including other records classified as belonging to a same one or more categories into which the record was classified;
• and
• retrieving one or more records from the database based on the database query, the retrieved records including a first one or more records that are related to any of the one or more categories, the retrieved records including a second one or more records that are related to the first one or more records based on the record relationship metadata;
• for one or more of the retrieved records, computing a statistical likelihood that the record represents a solution to the query meriting inclusion in a result set for the query;
• and
• transmitting via a communication interface a query response that includes only the subset of retrieved records for which the statistical likelihood exceeds a designated threshold.