DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

摘要

A method of operating a database system access to plurality of heterogeneous databases, each of said databases having a structure based on a respective database model and storing a plurality of data entities having attributes and occurrences within the structure; providing an interface database, the interface database populated with a plurality of unique, multi-character expressions associated with the data entities of plurality of databases, whereby the plurality of unique, multi-character expressions are defined by assigning to every entity, every attribute and every entity occurrence a unique, multi-character expression, the expression having a predetermined hierarchical structure which defines the relationship between each entity, attribute and entity occurrence with every other entity, attribute and entity occurrence in the interface database and storing said expressions in an expression set table linking each element of each expression to a hierarchical level and a position in a data model.

主权项

1. A method of operating a database system comprising the steps of:
providing access to at least one database, each of said at least one database having a structure based on a respective database model and storing a plurality of data entities having attributes and occurrences within the structure; providing an interface database, the interface database populated with a plurality of unique, multi-character expressions associated with the data entities of the at least one database, whereby for the interface database, the plurality of unique, multi-character expressions are defined by assigning to every entity, every attribute and every entity occurrence a unique, multi-character expression, the expression having a predetermined hierarchical structure which defines the relationship between each entity, attribute and entity occurrence with every other entity, attribute and entity occurrence in the interface database and storing said expressions in an expression set table linking each element of each expression with a natural language phrase relating the expression to a hierarchical level and a position in a data model.