Method for incremental aggregation of dynamically increasing database

Abstract

A method of performing incremental aggregation of dynamically increasing database data sets. An embodiment of the present invention operates within a data mart or data warehouse to aggregate data stored within an operational database corresponding to newly received data to provide current information. Initially, a computer server creates an intermediate file which is initialized by the server with an aggregate data set. The aggregate data set consists of data values and count values that each correspond to specific group identifiers. The computer determines if any group identifiers within a new set of inputs data are identical to any group identifiers stored within the intermediate file. If an inputted group identifier matches a stored group identifier, the inputted data value is aggregated with the stored data value and the count value corresponding to the specific stored group identifier is incremented by one. If an inputted group identifier does not match any of the stored group identifiers, the inputted group identifier and corresponding data value are stored within the intermediate file and a count value of one is appended to that specific group identifier. Once all the group identifiers within the new set of input data have been determined, the computer stores all the changes that were made to the intermediate file into the aggregate data set.