Patent ID: 7167859

Claim:
A method for restricting access to information in a dimensional database, the dimensional database having dimension tables, fact tables, and metadata describing the fact tables, said method comprising: receiving a request from a requestor, said request associated with a plurality of request levels of a corresponding plurality of dimensions and said request associated with at least one fact, the request levels being levels of dimensional hierarchies and the requestor having a security designation; and providing security measures at each of a dimension level and a fact level of the database, wherein providing security at the dimension level comprises: comparing each of the plurality of request levels with each of a corresponding set of security levels, the security levels restricting the levels of each dimensional hierarchy to which the requestor is permitted access; and wherein providing security at the fact level is distinct from providing security at the dimension level and providing security at the fact level comprises: defining a security level for the at least one fact, wherein the security level for the at least one fact is stored as metadata in the database; and comparing the security level for the at least one fact with the security designation of the requestor, the security designation restricting the facts to which the requestor is permitted access.