Methods and apparatus for specifying and processing descriptive queries for data sources
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsNorman Howard Cohen, Paul C. Castro, Archan Misra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved descriptive query techniques are provided. More particularly, techniques are provided for specifying and processing descriptive queries for data providers grouped into provider kinds with hierarchical containment relationships. The query may include arbitrary boolean combinations of arbitrary tests on the values of attributes of the data providers.
Claims22
A method of processing descriptive queries for data sources in a system comprising a set of data providers, wherein each data provider is distinguished by a type of data that the data provider provides and a set of attributes, wherein each attribute has a unique name and a particular type of value, and wherein the data providers are grouped into provider kinds, wherein each provider kind has a name, and wherein the data providers that are grouped into a same provider kind provide a same type of data and have a same set of attributes, the method comprising:
- obtaining a descriptive query comprising the name of a given provider kind and a specification of a mapping from an assignment of one or more values for one or more attributes of one or more data providers to a true value or a false value;
- and
- resolving the descriptive query, wherein resolving the descriptive query comprises determining one or more data providers in the set of data providers that belong to the given provider kind specified in the descriptive query and for which the mapping specification in the descriptive query maps the one or more values of the one or more attributes of the one or more data providers to the true value,
- wherein the obtaining and resolving steps are performed at least in part by a processor coupled to a memory.
Apparatus for processing descriptive queries for data sources in a system comprising a set of data providers, wherein each data provider is distinguished by a type of data that the data provider provides and a set of attributes, wherein each attribute has a unique name and a particular type of value, and wherein the data providers are grouped into provider kinds, wherein each provider kind has a name, and wherein the data providers that are grouped into a same provider kind provide a same type of data and have a same set of attributes, the apparatus comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to:
- (i) obtain a descriptive query comprising the name of a given provider kind and a specification of a mapping from an assignment of one or more values for one or more attributes of one or more data providers to a true value or a false value;
- and
- (ii) resolve the descriptive query, wherein resolving the descriptive query comprises determining one or more data providers in the set of data providers that belong to the given provider kind specified in the descriptive query and for which the mapping specification in the descriptive query maps the one or more values of the one or more attributes of the one or more data providers to the true value.
An article of manufacture for processing descriptive queries for data sources in a system comprising a set of data providers, wherein each data provider is distinguished by a type of data that the data provider provides and a set of attributes, wherein each attribute has a unique name and a particular type of value, and wherein the data providers are grouped into provider kinds, wherein each provider kind has a name, and wherein the data providers that are grouped into a same provider kind provide a same type of data and have a same set of attributes, the article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine readable storage medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:
- obtaining a descriptive query comprising the name of a given provider kind and a specification of a mapping from an assignment of one or more values for one or more attributes of one or more data providers to a true value or a false value;
- and
- resolving the descriptive query, wherein resolving the descriptive query comprises determining one or more data providers in the set of data providers that belong to the given provider kind specified in the descriptive query and for which the mapping specification in the descriptive query maps the one or more values of the one or more attributes of the one or more data providers to the true value.
A method of providing a service for processing descriptive queries for data sources in a system comprising a set of data providers, wherein each data provider is distinguished by a type of data that the data provider provides and a set of attributes, wherein each attribute has a unique name and a particular type of value, and wherein the data providers are grouped into provider kinds, wherein each provider kind has a name, and wherein the data providers that are grouped into a same provider kind provide a same type of data and have a same set of attributes, the method comprising:
- a service provider obtaining a descriptive query comprising the name of a given provider kind and a specification of a mapping from an assignment of one or more values for one or more attributes of one or more data providers to a true value or a false value;
- and
- the service provider resolving the descriptive query, wherein resolving the descriptive query comprises determining one or more data providers in the set of data providers that belong to the given provider kind specified in the descriptive query and for which the mapping specification in the descriptive query maps the one or more values of the one or more attributes of the one or more data providers to the true value,
- wherein the obtaining and resolving steps are performed at least in part by a processor coupled to a memory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.