Patent ID: 7003512

Claim:
A computer-based system for collaborative processing, comprising: a controlling module operating on computer hardware with access to at least one relational database capable of performing a first set of functions on the data in the database and at least one external analytical engine, the external analytical engine being external to the relational database and being capable of a second set of functions on the data in the database; wherein the controlling module performs the following steps: receiving a request to generate a report based on data in the relational database, the request including at least one multi-step calculation to be performed on data in the relational database; querying first data in the relational database to resolve a first step of the multi-step calculation; passing data generated by the querying act to the external analytical engine, wherein the external analytical engine is directed to perform at least one operation on the data; receiving externally-operated data from the external analytical engine after the at least one operation; querying the relational database to resolve another step in the multi-step calculation, the query operating on at least part of the first data and at least part of the externally-operated data; and generating a report in response to the request after the second querying step has been performed.