Non-tabular datasource connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10922341-B2
Application number	US-201815885565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for querying and obtaining results from an external data source that operates with a different querying language is provided. The system activates a datasource connector of the system. The system receives attributes of a query in a native language of the system, and the datasource connector formats the attributes of the query into a query language statement in a native language of the external source. The datasource connector then makes an application programming interface (API) call to the external source. The API call includes a transmission of the query language statement to the external source, which causes the external source to perform a query using the query language statement. The datasource connector receives results of the query performed at the external source, whereby the results are in a non-tabular format. The datasource connector then reformats the results into a tabular format.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
activating, by a native data search and processing system, a datasource connector of the native data search and processing system, the datasource connector configured to communicate with an external source;
receiving, by the native data search and processing system, a plurality of attributes of a query in a native language of the native data search and processing system, the plurality of attributes being displayed and received via a customized user interface configured to assist in building a query language statement;
formatting, by the datasource connector, the plurality of attributes of the query into the query language statement in a native language of the external source, the native language of the external source being different from the native language of the native data search and processing system;
causing display of the query language statement in the native language of the external source on the customized user interface displaying the plurality of attributes, the display of the query language statement being automatically updated after each input of an attribute of the plurality of attributes on the customized user interface;
making, by the datasource connector, an application programming interface (API) call to the external source in response to activation of a search trigger associated with the displayed query language statement on the customized user interface, the API call including transmission of the query language statement to the external source, the API call causing the external source to perform a query using the query language statement;
receiving, by the datasource connector, results of the query performed at the external source, the results being in a non-tabular format;
reformatting, by the datasource connector, the results in the non-tabular format into a tabular format;
persisting the results, as a lookup table, for use in a further query performed within the native data search and processing system; and
performing the further query in the native language of the native data search and processing system using either the lookup table or in real-time using the results.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the results in a key-value (KV) store; and
performing a second further query within the native data search and processing system using the stored results in the KV store.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, using the results, performing a second further query in the native language of the native data search and processing system, the second further query being based on a pipelined command in a pipelined search and processing language.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the plurality of attributes comprises receiving a pipelined command in a pipelined search and processing language that includes the plurality of attributes.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising exporting the results to a native application of the native data search and processing system in which native application statistical analysis may be performed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reformatting the results into the tabular format comprises:
extracting, by a customized parser, events from the results;
based on the extract events, generating a row for each event of an object of the query; and
generating a table using the row for each event of the object.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the results in the tabular format are displayed in the customized user interface used to receive the plurality of attributes of the query.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting suggestions for attributes in a first dropdown menu, wherein the receiving the plurality of attributes of the query comprises receiving a selection of an attribute from the dropdown menu; and
in response to the selection of the attribute, querying the external source for further attributes related to the selected attribute and presenting suggestions for the further attributes in a second dropdown menu for selection.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of attributes of the query comprises an object, the method further comprising:
determining related objects that are related to the object of the query; and
presenting the related objects as selectable attributes for the query.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a filtering criteria to filter the results;
updating the query language statement with the filtering criteria;
making a further API call to the external source, the further API call including transmission of the updated query language statement to the external source, the further API call causing the external source to run a second further query using the updated query language statement;
receiving results of the second further query at the external source, the results of the second further query being in the non-tabular format; and
reformatting the results of the second further query into the tabular format.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a command to activate the datasource connector of the native data search and processing system, the command being a part of a pipelined command in a pipelined search and processing language.

12. A native data search and processing system comprising:
one or more hardware processors; and
a storage device storing instructions that configure the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising:
activating a datasource connector of the native data search and processing system, the datasource connector configured to communicate with an external source;
receiving a plurality of attributes of a query in a native language of the native data search and processing system, the plurality of attributes being displayed and received via a customized user interface configured to assist in building a query language statement;
formatting, by the datasource connector, the plurality of attributes of the query into the query language statement in a native language of the external source, the native language of the external source being different from the native language of the native data search and processing system;

causing display of the query language statement in the native language of the external source on the customized user interface displaying the plurality of attributes, the display of the query language statement being automatically updated after each input of an attribute of the plurality of attributes on the customized user interface;
making, by the datasource connector, an application programming interface (API) call to the external source in response to activation of a search trigger associated with the displayed query language statement on the customized user interface, the API call including transmission of the query language statement to the external source, the API call causing the external source to perform a query using the query language statement;
receiving results of the query performed at the external source, the results being in a non-tabular format;
reformatting, by the datasource connector, the results in the non-tabular format into a tabular format;
persisting the results, as a lookup table, for use in a further query performed within the native data search and processing system; and
performing the further query in the native language of the native data search and processing system using either the lookup table or in real-time using the results.

13. The native data search and processing system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise exporting the results to a native application of the native dat

Assignees

• Splunk Inc

Inventors

• De Boer Frederick Dean

Classifications

• G06F16/3329

  Natural language query formulation · CPC title

• G06F16/24549

  Run-time optimisation · CPC title

• G06F9/54

  Interprogram communication · CPC title

• G06F16/328

  Management therefor · CPC title

• G06F9/547

  Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services · CPC title