Patent ID: 7970795
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method for generating a multi-dimensional data structure in order to access data stored at a plurality of data sources, said plurality of data sources being disparate, having disparate source data structures, and having a different number of dimensions than said multi-dimensional data structure, said method comprising: defining at least one dimension and a dimension value associated with the at least one dimension for said multi-dimensional data structure; defining an attribute and an attribute value associated with the attribute for said multi-dimensional data structure, wherein the attribute is assigned to a single dimension; creating a plurality of combinations of dimension values, mapping data items in the first set of data items in said multi-dimensional data structure to corresponding data items in the second set of data items; determining a data gap wherein the mapping step results in a difference between the dimension characteristics of the first set of data items and the second set of data items; bridging the gap by at least one of the following: documenting how the gap was bridged; and creating a mapping file for historic data conversion, wherein the mapping file is configured to store relationships between data items in historical data sources for use in generating new data items from historical data sources.