US 7,031,955 B1Granted

Optimization using a multi-dimensional data model

Assigneei2 Technologies US, Inc.

InventorsPedro S. de Souza, Assia Abada, Rajasekhar Mallipeddi, Yasser A. Kazzaz

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Abstract

A system (10) for optimization using multi-dimensional data includes a server (12) that uses a multi-dimensional data model to organize data stored at one or more data storage locations (14). The multi-dimensional data model includes a number of data dimensions (50, 70) that each include a hierarchy of members (54, 74). The server (12) receives input from a user specifying a problem instance to be solved using an optimization engine (20). The problem instance is specified by the user in a multi-dimensional format and the optimization engine (20) is unable to solve the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format. The system (10) also includes a transformation module (22) that receives the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format, transforms the problem instance into a format appropriate for the optimization engine (20), and communicates the transformed problem instance to the optimization engine (20) to be solved.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for optimization using multi-dimensional data, comprising:

a server operable to:
using a multi-dimensional data model, organize data stored at one or more data storage locations, the multi-dimensional data model including a plurality of data dimensions each including a hierarchy of members;
receive input from a user specifying a problem instance to be solved using an optimization engine, the problem instance specified by the user in a multi-dimensional format, the optimization engine being unable to solve the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format, the problem instance including:
a problem domain including all data in the multi-dimensional data model located hierarchically below one or more specified intersections in the multi-dimensional data model, each intersection identified by specifying a member in each data dimension;
an evaluation level specified by identifying a particular level in the hierarchy of each data dimension;
an objective function including a data measure or a combination of data measures to be optimized;
and
one or more problem constraints;
and
communicate the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format;
and a transformation module operable to:
receive the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format;
transform the problem instance into a format appropriate for the optimization engine, the transformation including parsing the received problem instance to identify pre defined multi-dimensional syntax and translating the multi-dimensional syntax to a syntax appropriate for the optimization engine;
communicate the transformed problem instance to the optimization engine to be solved;
receive a solution associated with the problem instance from the optimization engine;
transform the solution into the multi-dimensional format;
and
communicate the transformed solution to the server.

15 more elements

A method for optimization using multi-dimensional data, comprising:

receiving a problem instance to be solved using an optimization engine, the problem instance specified in a multi-dimensional format associated with a multi-dimensional data model including a plurality of data dimensions each including a hierarchy of members, the optimization engine being unable to solve the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format, the problem instance including:
a problem domain including all data in the multi-dimensional data model that located hierarchically below one or more specified intersections in the multi-dimensional data model, each intersection identified by specifying a member in each data dimension;
an evaluation level specified by identifying a particular level in the hierarchy of each data dimension;
an objective function including a data measure or a combination of data measures to be optimized;
and
one or more problem constraints;
and
communicate the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format;
and
using a transformation module, transforming the problem instance into a format appropriate for the optimization engine, the transformation including parsing the received problem instance to identify pre-defined multi-dimensional syntax and translating the multi-dimensional syntax to a syntax appropriate for the optimization engine;
communicating the transformed problem instance to the optimization engine to be solved;
receiving a solution associated with the problem instance from the optimization engine;
using the transformation module, transforming the solution into the multi-dimensional format;
and
communicating the transformed solution to the server.

12 more elements

Software enabling optimization using multi-dimensional data, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:

receive a problem instance to be solved using an optimization engine, the problem instance specified in a multi-dimensional format associated with a multi-dimensional data model including a plurality of data dimensions each including a hierarchy of members, the optimization engine being unable to solve the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format, the problem instance including:
a problem domain including all data in the multi-dimensional data model located hierarchically below one or more specified intersections in the multi-dimensional data model, each intersection identified by specifying a member in each data dimension;
an evaluation level specified by identifying a particular level in the hierarchy of each data dimension;
an objective function including a data measure or a combination of data measures to be optimized;
and
one or more problem constraints;
and
communicate the problem instance in the multi-dimensional format;
and
transform the problem instance into a format appropriate for the optimization engine, the transformation including parsing the received problem instance to identify pre-defined multi-dimensional syntax and translating the multi-dimensional syntax to a syntax appropriate for the optimization engine;
communicate the transformed problem instance to the optimization engine to be solved;
receive a solution associated with the problem instance from the optimization engine;
transform the solution into the multi-dimensional format;
and
communicate the transformed solution to the server.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.