Continuous, automated database-table partitioning and database-schema evolution

• US 20100153349A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Schroth, Albrecht
• Granted Patent: US 9,424,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/693
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and computational subsystems employed in database-management systems that continuously partition relational-database tables in order to ameliorate database-management-system execution bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Certain embodiments of the present invention employ the creation and instantiation of templates in order to continuously partition a database, while other embodiments of the present invention provide high-level-interface support for on-going relational-database-table partitioning.

Claims

1. A database management system, stored as computer instructions in a computer-readable medium, that provides for automated partitioning, on an on-going, as-needed basis, of a logical table that represents database objects stored in a computer-readable medium, each database object including attribute values, by:

monitoring database operation to detect partition-invoking events; and

when a partition-invoking event occurs and is detected by monitoring database operation,

creating a next partition for the logical table.

2. The database management system of claim 1 wherein monitoring database operation to detect partition-invoking events further includes:

configuring the logical table for monitoring as a result of receiving a table-creation command that includes a partition-by constraint specifying a column of the logical table or of a different table.

3. The database management system of claim 2 wherein partition-invoking events include insertion of a row into the table that includes the column specified by the partition-by constraint, the row containing a value for the column not already contained in the table.

4. The database management system of claim 1 wherein monitoring database operation to detect partition-invoking events further includes:

configuring the logical table for monitoring by creating a trigger or other event handler to detect insertion of a row into the table that includes the column specified by the partition-by constraint, the row containing a value for the column not already contained in the table.

5. The database management system of claim 1 wherein creating a next partition the logical table further includes:

instantiating a template for the logical table, specifying a unique partition name for the instantiated template.

6. A database management system, stored as computer instructions in a computer-readable medium, that provides for creation and instantiation of table templates, the database management system including a query-and-command processing component that:

upon receiving a template-creation command, stores a template in a computer-readable medium for subsequent retrieval by a template name specified by the template-creation command; and

upon receiving a template-instantiation command, instantiates a template by retrieving a template specified by the template-instantiation command and creating one of a table partition or a table according to the retrieved template and one or more parameter values specified by the template-instantiation command.

7. The database management system of claim 6 wherein a template includes a database command with one or more symbolic placeholders.

8. The database management system of claim 7 wherein the query-and-command processing component instantiates the template by:

parsing the template-instantiation command to obtain a template name and one or more template-specified parameter values;

retrieves a stored template corresponding to the template name;

extracts the database command from the template;

substitutes the one or more template-specified parameters for the one or more symbolic placeholders in the database command; and

executes the database command.

9. The database management system of claim 6 wherein the database management system further provides for automated partitioning, on an on-going, as-needed basis, of a logical table that represents database objects stored in a computer-readable medium, each database object including attribute values, by:

monitoring database operation to detect partition-invoking events; and

when a partition-invoking event occurs and is detected by monitoring database operation,

creating a next partition the logical table.

10. The database management system of claim 9 wherein creating a next partition the logical table further includes:

instantiating a template for the logical table, specifying a unique partition name for the instantiated template.

11. A method for automatically partitioning, on an on-going, as-needed basis, a logical table that represents database objects stored in a computer-readable medium within a database system, each database object including attribute values, the method comprising:

monitoring database operation to detect partition-invoking events; and

when a partition-invoking event occurs and is detected by monitoring database operation,

creating a next partition for the logical table and storing the next partition in a computer-readable medium.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein monitoring database operation to detect partition-invoking events further includes:

configuring the logical table for monitoring as a result of receiving a table-creation command that includes a partition-by constraint specifying a column of the logical table or of a different table.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein partition-invoking events include insertion of a row into the table that includes the column specified by the partition-by constraint, the row containing a value for the column not already contained in the table.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein monitoring database operation to detect partition-invoking events further includes:

configuring the logical table for monitoring by creating a trigger or other event handler to detect insertion of a row into the table that includes the column specified by the partition-by constraint, the row containing a value for the column not already contained in the table.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein creating a next partition the logical table further includes:

instantiating a template for the logical table, specifying a unique partition name for the instantiated template.