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  Method and apparatus for integrating relational and hierarchical dataUSPTO Application #: 20080082514Title: Method and apparatus for integrating relational and hierarchical data Abstract: Methods and apparatus for integrating relational and hierarchical data, schema definitions, and queries in a data processing system are provided. It is determined if one or more schema definitions or one or more query expressions are provided as input to the data processing system. The one or more schema definitions are converted into an intermediate schema language component of an intermediate data language when one or more schema definitions are provided. The one or more query expressions are converted into an intermediate query language component of the intermediate data language when one or more query expressions are provided. The intermediate schema language component or the intermediate query language component is compiled in an intermediate data language processing engine into a run-time representation in accordance with a relational-hierarchical analysis. (end of abstract) Agent: Ryan, Mason & Lewis, LLP - Locust Valley, NY, US Inventors: Andrey Khorlin, Robert Evan Strom, Lu Tian USPTO Applicaton #: 20080082514 - Class: 707 4 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080082514. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001]The present invention relates generally to data processing techniques and, more particularly, to techniques for integrating relational and hierarchical data, schema definitions, and queries in a data processing system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]Two main standards of describing and querying data have evolved. One of these standards is based on a relational model that is used by most modern databases. The other is based on a hierarchical model, examples of which include, XML (Extensible Markup Language), XML Schema Language (XSD) and XQuery Language. [0003]XML is a specification language created to describe data interchange formats and data semantics. An XML document consists of data annotation tags that represent relationships between data values. An XML schema is an auxiliary document describing the structure of an XML document making it easier to interpret. XQuery is a language for querying information from XML documents. [0004]Before the inception of XML, the majority of data was stored in relational tables. A relational table is a data structure that represents a mathematical mapping between one or more types of data. Relational databases store information by organizing data in normalized tables where the stored information can be retrieved through querying languages based on Relational Algebra, an example being Structured Query Language (SQL). [0005]As XML continues to gain popularity, the need for effective integration of hierarchical data expressions and relational data expressions grows. Effective integration between the two has proven difficult because of key differences between them. For example, XML documents organize data in a hierarchical structure with multiple levels of nesting, while the relational model organizes data in flat tables with inter-table functional dependencies. Additionally, in hierarchical data expressions, document order of a node (the position each node occurs in the document) is important, while in relational data expressions document order is not relevant. [0006]Previous attempts have been made at developing techniques to effectively integrate hierarchical data schemas and relational data schemas. These attempts have suffered from problems such as excessive use of the computationally very expensive "join" operation. Such attempts include, XML shredding, as described in P. Bohannon et al., "LegoDB: Customizing Relational Storage for XML Documents," 2002, mapping XML data values to a set of predefined tables based on node type, and mapping XML data to a relational table by number-encoding each of the XML data values. [0007]Attempts have also been made to convert queries written over hierarchical data into queries over relational data. These attempts have suffered shortfalls similar to those described above. These attempts are described in Y. Diao et al., "Towards an Internet-Scale XML Dissemination Service," VLDB, 2004, and C. Koch et al., "FluXQuery: An Optimizing XQuery Processor for Streaming XML Data," VLDB, 2005. These attempts include a pure XML engine to handle processing, and translating hierarchical queries into relational queries. [0008]Various techniques have been proposed for specifying "continuous queries" over steams. In these environments, data is not fixed, but arrives one message at a time in one or more continuous streams. Queries define views over the entire history of one or more streams. Rather than receiving a single result set, subscribers to continuous queries receive a continuously updated result set reflecting how the view changed as a result of the changes to the streams on which it depends. In a mixed environment, any of the following combinations are possible: schemas defined in a relational (SQL) or hierarchical style (XML); messages delivered in a relational (flat) or hierarchical format (XML); and queries written in a relation language (SQL) or hierarchical language (XQUERY/XSLT). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009]The present invention provides techniques for integrating relational and hierarchical data, schema definitions, and queries in a data processing system through the use of an intermediate data language. While not limited thereto, such techniques have been developed and tested for use with XML documents and schemas, and XQuery and SQL language for querying. [0010]By way of example, in one aspect of the invention, a method for integrating relational and hierarchical data, schema definitions, and queries in a data processing system is provided. It is determined if one or more schema definitions or one or more query expressions are provided as input to the data processing system. The one or more schema definitions are converted into an intermediate schema language component of an intermediate data language when one or more schema definitions are provided. The one or more query expressions are converted into an intermediate query language component of the intermediate data language when one or more query expressions are provided. The intermediate schema language component or the intermediate query language component is compiled in an intermediate data language processing engine into a run-time representation in accordance with a relational-hierarchical analysis. [0011]In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the one or more schema definitions may be relational schema or hierarchical schema. Further, the one or more query expressions may be one or more relational query expressions or one or more hierarchical query expressions. [0012]In another additional embodiment of the present invention, the compiling step may include analyzing the intermediate schema language component or the intermediate query language component to capture relationships between at least one of relational tuples and hierarchical data. The steps of determining, converting and compiling may be repeated for additional input data, and the compiling step may be performed in accordance with relationships between at least one of relational tuples and hierarchical data captured from previously input data. [0013]In further embodiments of the present invention, the analyzing step may include the step of computing functional dependency information for augmentation with the intermediate schema language component or the intermediate query language component. The functional dependency information may be utilized to determine redundant cells and a hierarchical representation of the intermediate schema language component or the intermediate query language component. [0014]These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a process for integrating relational data expressions and hierarchical data expressions, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0016]FIG. 2 is a table illustrating a set of flat relations, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0017]FIG. 3 is set of tables illustrating a set of nested relations having functional dependencies, corresponding to the flat relations of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0018]FIG. 4 is a table illustrating a set of flat relations with corresponding functional dependencies, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0019]FIG. 5 is a set of tables illustrating a naming scheme allowing nested relations to be treated as flat, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0020]FIG. 6 is a table illustrating rules used by the intermediate data language for deriving functional dependencies during querying, according to an embodiment of the present invention; Continue reading... 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