Patent ID: 7571182

Claim:
A computer based method for transforming a nonrelational multidimensional database, the method comprising: receiving a dimension identifier that identifies a portion of the nonrelational multidimensional database comprising a nonbalanced tree structured dimension hierarchy with at least two branches, wherein each branch comprises at least a leaf-level dimension member; traversing the branches of the dimension hierarchy and calculating the depth of each leaf-level dimension member to determine the maximum depth (D m ) in the dimension hierarchy; and exporting one or more dimension members from the dimension hierarchy into a data transfer file comprising a plurality of rows, wherein each row comprises Dm positions, wherein the exporting comprises, for each row in the data transfer file: inserting the dimension members from a branch of the dimension hierarchy into successive positions in the row; and if unpopulated positions remain in the row, repeating at least one dimension member to fill the unpopulated positions in the row, wherein the repeated dimension member is the leaf-level dimension member.