Database EPM Planning Model Reducing Application Server Load

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current approaches for enterprise performance management planning operations at an enterprise database face performance issues due to substantial data transfer and mass operations being performed at the application server, which can be inefficient and resource-intensive, especially when only a fraction of the data needs to be displayed or calculated.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) planning model within the enterprise database to generate predicted business data, where calculations and mass operations are performed at the database level, and only the necessary data is transmitted to the application server or user interface, allowing for user-specific instantiations of plan data containers for different simulations and predictions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If data transfer and mass operations are performed at the application server, then business planning calculations can be executed, but system efficiency and resource utilization deteriorate due to substantial data transfer and computational load

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebusiness planning efficiencyVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the database management system acts as a mediator between the application server and the data. The database autonomously executes planning operations (copy, calculate, combine, script, lookup, disaggregate, validate, conversion, elimination) on the actual business data before returning results. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for the application server to perform mass operations and handle substantial data transfers, thereby resolving the contradiction between business planning efficiency and computational resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The database management system performs self-service by autonomously executing enterprise performance management planning operations without requiring external intervention from the application server. The database automatically receives planning parameters, executes the required operations on actual business data, and generates predicted business data independently. This self-service capability transfers computational load from the application server to the database, improving overall system efficiency while reducing resource consumption at the application server level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If all actual business data is transferred to the application server, then complete data is available for analysis, but data transfer time and network bandwidth consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata completenessVSAvoiddata transfer time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary predicted business data from the database after performing planning operations locally. Instead of transferring all actual business data to the application server, the database executes operations on the actual data, extracts the essential planning results, and transfers only these refined results to the application server. This extraction approach maintains data completeness for planning purposes while minimizing data transfer time and network bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If mass operations are performed at the application server, then comprehensive business planning can be conducted, but system performance and response time deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplanning operation capabilityVSAvoidsystem response time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The database management system serves as an intermediary that handles all mass operations locally. The application server sends planning parameters to the database, which then autonomously executes copy, calculate, combine, script, lookup, disaggregate, validate, conversion, and elimination operations on actual business data. This intermediary approach maintains comprehensive planning operation capability while significantly improving system response time by eliminating the need for the application server to perform mass operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent shifts the operational dimension from the application server to the database management system. Instead of performing planning operations at the application server level, the operations are executed at the database level where the actual business data resides. This dimensional shift in where operations are performed maintains full planning capability while improving response time by operating closer to the data source.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS9922300B2Enterprise performance management planning operations at an enterprise database

Publication Date: 2018.03.20 SAP SE

AI summary

According to some embodiments, input data may be received from a data source in an enterprise database in accordance with an enterprise performance management planning model, stored by a processor at the enterprise database. An operation may then be performed on the input data to produce a result. The result may then be stored in a data target, wherein the data target points to a data holding entity in an instantiation of a plan data container at the enterprise database.