Patent ID: 8321373

Claim:
A database management system comprising: a relational data store storing fact data; a multi-dimensional data store configured to store aggregated fact data in a multi-dimensional data structure and to communicate bi-directionally with the relational data store; a communication interface operably connected between the relational data store and the multi-dimensional data store for communication of fact data from the relational data store to the multi-dimensional data store and for the communication of aggregated fact data from the multi-dimensional data store to the relational data store; and a computer system comprising computer hardware, the computer system programmed to implement: a query servicing mechanism configured to service one or more natural language queries from a user, the query servicing mechanism comprising: a query processing mechanism configured to process a given natural language query, the query processing mechanism configured to: make a determination of whether servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the relational data store or the multi-dimensional data store; and upon a determination that servicing the given natural language query needs data stored in the multi-dimensional data store, automatically calculate the aggregated fact data and forwarding the calculated aggregated fact data to the query processing mechanism for use in servicing the given natural language query, in a manner transparent to the user.