Processing queries against one or more markup language sources

• US 20060031204A1
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Manikutty, Anand, Yu, Qin, Arora, Vikas, Lu, Ying, Muthiah, Karuna, Krishnaprasad, Muralidhar, Liu, Zhen Hua, Kotsovolos, Susan M., Warner, James, Zhang, Hui X.
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/8365 Query optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Techniques are provided for processing a query, including receiving the query, where the query specifies certain operations to be performed, including (a) a first set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a markup language data source and (b) a second set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source. Then it is determined that a first server that manages the markup language data source is capable of performing the first set of operations. A request is sent to the first server to perform the first set of operations. A response is received, where the response contains results of performing the first set of operations on the markup language data source. Finally, results are generated for the query based at least in part on the results of performing the first set of operations.

Claims

1. A method of processing a query, comprising:

receiving the query, wherein the query specifies certain operations to be performed, wherein the certain operations comprise a first set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a markup language data source;

determining, based on a particular set of criteria, that a second set of one or more operations are to be performed at a first server associated with the markup language data source, wherein the first set of one or more operations include all operations in the second set of one or more operations;

sending a request to the first server to perform the second set of one or more operations;

receiving a response to the request, wherein the response contains results of performing the second set of one or more operations on the markup language data source; and

generating results for the query based at least in part on the results of performing the second set of one or more operations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining based on the particular set of criteria comprises:

determining a first set of costs associated with performing the first set of one or more operations at the first server;

determining a second set of costs associated with performing the first set of one or more operations at a middle-tier engine; and

wherein the particular set of criteria comprises the first set of costs and the second set of costs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises determining, based on the first set of costs and the second set of costs, that a third set of one or more operations are to be performed at the middle-tier engine, wherein the first set of one or more operations include all operations in the third set of one or more operations, and the third set of one or more operations include no operation that are in the second set of one or more operations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining based on the particular set of criteria comprises determining, based on one or more rules, that the second set of one or more operations are to be performed at the first server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining based on the one or more rules comprises determining that the first server is capable of performing all of the certain operations;

and wherein the second set of one or more operations comprises all operations in the first set of one or more operations, and the first set of one or more operations comprises all of the certain operations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more operations comprises fewer than all operations in the first set of one or more operations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular set of criteria comprise an indication that first server is capable of performing the second set of one or more operations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the method further comprises;

determining that a second server associated with the second data source is capable of performing the third set of one or more operations;

sending a second request to the second server to perform the third set of one or more operations;

receiving a second response to the second request, wherein the second response comprises results of performing the third set of one or more operations on the second data source; and

wherein the generating step comprises generating results for the query based at least in part on the results of performing the first set of one or more operations and the results of performing the third set of one or more operations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language data source is an XML data source and the first server is capable of processing at least one of XQuery, XQueryX, and XPath formats.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the second data source is a relational database.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the second data source is a second markup language data source.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server is an SQL/XML enabled database server;

and wherein sending the request to the first server comprises sending the second set of one or more operations to the first server in the form of an SQL statement with embedded XML Query operations.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the SQL statement with embedded XML Query operations comprises an SQL statement utilizing an XMLTable construct.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the SQL statement with embedded XML Query operations comprises the second set of one or more operations indicated in an argument of an XMLQuery statement.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the method further comprises;

determining that the first set of one or more operations requires results from the third set of one or more operations;

retrieving data related to the third set of one or more operations from the second data source; and

wherein the request sent to the first server comprises the data related to the third set of one or more operations from the second data source; and

wherein the results of performing the first set of one or more operations on the markup language data source are based at least in part on the first server performing the third set of one or more operations on the data related to the third set of one or more operations from the second data source.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the method further comprises;

determining that the first set of one or more operations require results from the third set of one or more operations;

retrieving data related to the third set of one or more operations from the second data source; and

performing, at a middle-tier engine, the third set of one or more operations on the data related to the third set of one or more operations, wherein the middle-tier engine is distinct from the first server; and

wherein the request sent to the first server comprises the results of the middle-tier engine performing the third set of one or more operations on the data related to the third set of one or more operations; and

wherein the results of performing the first set of one or more operations on the markup language data source are based at least in part on the results of the middle-tier engine performing the third set of one or more operations on the data related to the third set of one or more operations.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the method further comprises;

determining that the first server is capable of performing the third set of one or more operations;

determining that the first set of one or more operations require results from the third set of one or more operations;

retrieving data related to the third set of one or more operations from the second data source; and

performing a cost calculation to determine whether to request that the first server performs the third set of one or more operations;

based at least in part on the cost calculation, performing one of;

(a) including the data related to the third set of one or more operations in the request sent to the first server; and

(b) performing, at a middle-tier engine, the third set of one or more operations on the data related to the third set of one or more operations; and

including, in the request sent to the first server, the results of the middle-tier engine performing the third set of one or more operations on the data related to the third set of one or more operations.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more operations are included in the query in an XQuery format.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more operations are included in the query in an XQueryX format.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more operations are included in the query at least in part in an XPath format.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the markup language data source is an XML data source.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server comprises an XQuery-enabled database server.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server comprises an XQueryX-enabled database.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server comprises an XPath-enabled database.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating results for the query comprises generating results in a markup language associated with the markup language data source.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating results for the query comprises generating results in one or more of plain text, binary, and compressed forms.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the markup language data source is separate from the second data source.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the second data source comprises the markup language data source.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the first server is implemented as part of a second server that manages the second data source.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operations comprise a third set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

and wherein the first server implemented separately from a second server that manages the second data source.

32. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

33. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

34. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

35. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

36. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

37. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

38. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

39. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

40. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

41. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

42. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

43. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

44. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

45. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 14.

46. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 15.

47. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 16.

48. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 17.

49. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 18.

50. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 19.

51. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 20.

52. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 21.

53. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 22.

54. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 23.

55. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 24.

56. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 25.

57. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 26.

58. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 27.

59. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 28.

60. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 29.

61. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 30.

31. A method of processing a query, comprising:

receiving the query, wherein the query specifies certain operations to be performed, wherein the certain operations comprise (a) a first set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a markup language data source and (b) a second set of one or more operations that are to be performed on a second data source;

determining that a first server that manages the markup language data source is capable of performing the first set of one or more operations;

sending a request to the first server to perform the first set of one or more operations;

receiving a response to the request, wherein the response contains results of performing the first set of one or more operations on the markup language data source; and

generating results for the query based at least in part on the results of performing the first set of one or more operations.

62. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 31.