Data aggregation server for managing a multi-dimensional database and database management system having data aggregation server integrated therein

A relational database management system (RDBMS) comprising:

• a relational datastore storing fact data;
• an aggregation module, operatively coupled to the relational datastore, for aggregating the fact data and storing the resultant aggregated data in a non-relational multi-dimensional datastore;
• a reference generating mechanism for generating a first reference to aggregated fact data generated by the aggregation module;
• and
• a query processing mechanism for processing a given query statement, wherein, upon identifying that the given query statement is on said first reference, communicates with said aggregation module to retrieve portions of aggregated fact data pointed to by said first reference that are relevant to said given query statement.

In a relational database management system (RDBMS) comprising a relational datastore storing fact data, a method for aggregating the fact data and providing query access to the aggregated data comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an integrated aggregation module, operatively coupled to the relational datastore, for aggregating the fact data and storing the resultant aggregated data in a non-relational multi-dimensional datastore;
• (b) in response to user input, generating a reference to aggregated fact data generated by the aggregation module;
• and
• (c) processing a given query statement generated in response to user input, wherein, upon identifying that the given query statement is on said reference, retrieving from the integrated aggregation module portions of aggregated fact data pointed to by said reference that are relevant to said given query statement.

A database management system (DBMS) comprising:

• a relational datastore storing data in tables;
• an aggregation module, operatively coupled to the relational datastore, for aggregating the data stored in the tables of the relational datastore and storing the resultant aggregated data in a non-relational datastore;
• a reference generating mechanism for generating a first reference to data stored in the relational datastore and a second reference to aggregated data generated by the aggregation module and stored in the non-relational datastore;
• and
• a query processing mechanism for processing query statements, wherein, upon identifying that a given query statement is on said second reference, the query processing mechanism communicates with said aggregation module to retrieve portions of aggregated data identified by said reference that are relevant to said given query statement.

In a database management system (DBMS) comprising a relational datastore storing data in tables, a method for aggregating the data stored in the tables of the relational datastore and providing query access to the aggregated data, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an integrated aggregation module, operatively coupled to the relational datastore, for aggregating the data stored in the relational datastore and storing the resultant aggregated data in a non-relational datastore;
• (b) in response to user input, generating a reference to aggregated data generated by the aggregation module;
• and
• (c) processing a given query statement generated in response to user input, wherein, upon identifying that the given query statement is on said reference, retrieving from the integrated aggregation module portions of aggregated data identified by said reference that are relevant to said given query statement.

A method of aggregating data comprising the steps of:

• (a) loading data from a data source into a multidimensional datastore, wherein the data is logically partitioned into N dimensions;
• (b) performing a first stage of data aggregation operations along a first dimension in the multi-dimensional datastore;
• and
• (c) performing a second stage of aggregation operations for a given slice in the first dimension along N−1 dimensions other than the first dimension in the multi-dimensional datastore.