Distributing data across different backing data stores

• US 20080301123A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, James P., Parker, David, Meyer, Luke
• Granted Patent: US 7,631,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for distributing data across multiple data stores are provided. In one embodiment, records are maintained for multiple data stores that associate primary key indicators and time intervals pertaining to data items with distinct data stores. When a request pertaining to at least one data item is received, a primary key indicator and the time of this data item are determined. Further, the records maintained for the multiple data stores are searched using the primary key indicator and the time of the data item to find one or more data stores for the data item.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

maintaining a plurality of records corresponding to a plurality of data stores, each of the plurality of records associating primary key indicators and time intervals pertaining to data items with distinct one or more of the plurality of data stores;

receiving a request pertaining to at least one data item;

determining a primary key indicator and a time of the data item; and

searching the plurality of records using the primary key indicator and the time of the data item to find at least one data store for the data item.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing the found data store to perform the request pertaining to the data item.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein an existence of the plurality of data stores is invisible to an issuer of the request pertaining to the data item.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

dynamically adding a new record for a new data store to the plurality of records.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the request pertaining to the data item is a request to store the data item, a request to delete the data item, or a request to retrieve the data item.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of records includes routing information for a corresponding data store.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the routing information includes database access credentials.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the time is a timestamp of the data item and the time interval information includes a starting timestamp of a time interval and an ending timestamp of the time interval.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining the plurality of records corresponding to the plurality of data stores comprises:

creating the plurality of records, each of the plurality of records including a unique combination of a primary key indicator range from a set of primary key indicator ranges and a time interval from a set of time intervals; and

adding routing information for a distinct data store to each of the plurality of records.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary key indicator of the data item is any one of a numeric portion of a primary key of the data item, a substring of the primary key or a hash of the primary key.

11. A machine-readable storage medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of records corresponding to a plurality of data stores, each of the plurality of records associating primary key indicators and time intervals pertaining to data items with distinct one or more of the plurality of data stores;

receiving a request pertaining to at least one data item;

determining a primary key indicator and a time of the data item; and

searching the plurality of records using the primary key indicator and the time of the data item to find at least one data store for the data item.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 wherein an existence of the plurality of data stores is invisible to an issuer of the request pertaining to the data item.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

dynamically adding a new record for a new data store to the plurality of records.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of records includes routing information for a corresponding data store, the routing information including database access credentials.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 wherein maintaining the plurality of records corresponding to the plurality of data stores comprises:

creating the plurality of records, each of the plurality of records including a unique combination of a primary key indicator range from a set of primary key indicator ranges and a time interval from a set of time intervals; and

adding routing information for a distinct data store to each of the plurality of records.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a database to store a plurality of records corresponding to a plurality of data stores, each of the plurality of records associating primary key indicators and time intervals pertaining to data items with distinct one or more of the plurality of data stores; and

a data distribution manager, coupled to the database, to receive a request pertaining to at least one data item, to determine a primary key indicator and a time of the data item, and to search the plurality of records using the primary key indicator and the time of the data item to find at least one data store for the data item.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising:

a data item router to access the found data store to perform the request pertaining to the data item.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein an existence of the plurality of data stores is invisible to an issuer of the request pertaining to the data item.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the data distribution manager is further to dynamically add a new record for a new data store to the plurality of records.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein each of the plurality of records includes routing information for a corresponding data store, the routing information comprising database access credentials.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the data distribution manager is to maintain the plurality of records corresponding to the plurality of data stores by

creating the plurality of records, each of the plurality of records including a unique combination of a primary key indicator range from a set of primary key indicator ranges and a time interval from a set of time intervals;

and

adding routing information for a distinct data store to each of the plurality of records.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the primary key indicator of the data item is any one of a numeric portion of a primary key of the data item, a substring of the primary key or a hash of the primary key.