US 6,286,007 B1 · Method and system for efficiently storing and viewing data in a database

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for efficiently storing and viewing data in a database. Data is stored in a nested data model which includes a plurality of nodes. A plurality of edges connect the plurality of nodes. Each edge has a unique edge name. A plurality of instances of data objects are associated with the nested data model. Each instance is associated with one of the edges such that the instance is also associated with that edge's name. An instance ordinal is associated with each instance which represents the number of times the edge associated with each instance is encountered during a traversal of the nested data model. The data stored utilizing the nested data model is accessed utilizing the instance ordinal and edge name associated with each of the plurality of instances, such that the data is accessed as being flat without flattening the nested data model.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method in a data processing system for viewing data stored utilizing a nested data model as being flat, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a nested data model of said data, said nested data model including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting said plurality of nodes, each of said plurality of edges having a unique edge name;
associating a plurality of instances of data objects with said nested data model, each of said plurality of instances being associated with one of said plurality of edges, wherein each of said plurality of instances is associated with an edge name associated with said one of said plurality of edges;
associating an instance ordinal with each of said plurality of instances representing a number of times said one of said plurality of edges associated with said each of said plurality of instances is encountered during a traversal of said nested data model;
and
accessing said data stored in nested data model utilizing said instance ordinal and said edge name associated with each of said plurality of instances, wherein said data is accessed as being flat without flattening said nested data model.

2 more elements

A data processing system for viewing data stored utilizing a nested data model as flat, comprising:

means for storing a nested data model of said data, said nested data model including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting said plurality of nodes, each of said plurality of edges having a unique edge name;
means for associating a plurality of instances of data objects with said nested data model, each of said plurality of instances being associated with one of said plurality of edges, wherein each of said plurality of instances is associated with an edge name associated with said one of said plurality of edges;
means for associating an instance ordinal with each of said plurality of instances representing a number of times said one of said plurality of edges associated with said each of said plurality of instances is encountered during a traversal of said nested data model;
and
means for accessing said data stored in said nested data model utilizing said instance ordinal and said edge name associated with each of said plurality of instances, wherein said data is accessed as being flat without flattening said nested data model.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for efficiently storing and viewing data in a database

Life of this patent

Method and system for efficiently storing and viewing data in a database

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20