System for performing single query searches of heterogeneous and dispersed databases
Inventors
Maluf, David A. • Gurram, Mohana M. • Knight, Christopher D. • Okimura, Takeshi • Tran, Vu Hoang • Trinh, Anh Ngoc
Assignees
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA
Publication Number
US-9824128-B1
Publication Date
2017-11-21
Expiration Date
2033-08-01
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Abstract
The present invention is a distributed computer system of heterogeneous databases joined in an information grid and configured with an Application Programming Interface hardware which includes a search engine component for performing user-structured queries on multiple heterogeneous databases in real time. This invention reduces overhead associated with the impedance mismatch that commonly occurs in heterogeneous database queries.
Core Innovation
The present invention is a distributed computer system of heterogeneous databases joined in an information grid and configured with an Application Programming Interface (API) hardware which includes a search engine component performing user-structured queries on multiple heterogeneous databases in real time. It enables connecting to a plurality of heterogeneous databases comprising structured, semi-structured, and unstructured documents to receive and perform search queries and return results. The system includes relate and join functions to relate results of multiple search queries and perform set operations such as union, intersection, and difference on search results.
The problem addressed is known as the impedance mismatch between user-interface programming languages and the logical language structure of databases, particularly between semantic or object-oriented programming models and relational database architectures. This mismatch requires complex and costly object-relational mapping code, complicating queries across heterogeneous databases. The invention aims to reduce the overhead associated with this impedance mismatch and support efficient, real-time querying of heterogeneous, geographically dispersed databases without the need to convert data from each database into a common format like XML.
Claims Coverage
The patent includes one independent apparatus claim and one independent method claim detailing the system components and operational steps for querying heterogeneous databases.
Distributed computer apparatus for schema-less querying of heterogeneous databases
An apparatus comprising at least one registrar computer configured to register multiple heterogeneous databases in an information grid using URLs; at least one search query object containing at least two user-defined schema values defining relationships among the databases; and at least one API processing computer providing a real-time user interface that displays available context fields and updates with search results from different heterogeneous databases including schema-less and schema-based databases.
Method for querying a schema-less database in an information grid
Instantiating a search query object in a search session using an API processing computer and user interface; connecting to an information grid comprising multiple heterogeneous databases accessible via URLs; updating and mapping the query object with user-defined schema values stored in a global context field database; submitting search queries to the information grid without translating the queries into a common markup language format; updating the user interface in real time with search results; and relating search results between different heterogeneous databases including schema-less and schema-based databases.
The claims cover a system and method for performing dynamic, real-time, schema-less queries across multiple heterogeneous and geographically dispersed databases via an API-based interface that supports user-defined schema relationships, logical operators, and iterative search refinement without needing data format translation.
Stated Advantages
Reduces overhead associated with impedance mismatch between programming languages and heterogeneous databases.
Allows real-time querying of multiple heterogeneous databases joined in an information grid without requiring data translation into a common markup format.
Enables users without prior programming experience to perform complex, successive searches and define relationships between databases dynamically during a single search session.
Supports structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data in heterogeneous databases.
Provides a user interface that dynamically updates to display available context fields and real-time search results, facilitating iterative query refinement.
Documented Applications
Querying numerous geographically dispersed heterogeneous databases used by government and private enterprises such as NASA, including databases containing structured, semi-structured, and unstructured documents.
Performing complex analytics and research solutions by enabling industry-standard API access to information grids comprised of heterogeneous databases without requiring costly preprocessing or data conversion.
Interested in licensing this patent?