Column Oriented In-Memory Page Caching

• US 20110107021A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Muthukumarasamy, Devarajan Kaladipet
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0207 with multidimensional access, e.g. row/column, matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0882 Page mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof

Abstract

A one-dimensional array is allocated in an in-memory cache for each column in a set of tabular data. The data type of each one-dimensional array is set to be the same as the data type of the corresponding column in the tabular data. Once the one-dimensional arrays have been allocated in memory, a portion of the data from each column in the tabular data is stored in a corresponding one-dimensional array. The tabular data stored in the one-dimensional arrays in the cache may then be utilized to generate an on-screen display of a portion of the tabular data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for column oriented in-memory page caching, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

receiving tabular data comprising a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows;

allocating a one-dimensional array in a memory for each column of the tabular data;

storing data from a plurality of the rows of each column of the tabular data in the allocated one-dimensional arrays; and

utilizing the data stored in the one-dimensional arrays to display a portion of the tabular data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising setting a data type of each of the one-dimensional arrays to be the same as a data type for the corresponding column of tabular data.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the one-dimensional arrays are organized into pages.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising prior to allocating the one-dimensional arrays:

determining whether sufficient memory is available to allocate the one-dimensional arrays; and

in response to determining that sufficient memory is not available to allocate the one-dimensional arrays, flushing one or more of the pages.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising in response to determining that sufficient memory is available to allocate the one-dimensional arrays, allocating a one-dimensional array in the memory for each column of the tabular data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the tabular data is received from an in-process data analysis server.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the in-process data analysis server executes in process with a spreadsheet application program.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the memory comprises a random access memory (RAM).

9. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive tabular data comprising a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows;

allocate a one-dimensional array in a random access memory (RAM) of the computer for each column of the tabular data;

store data from a plurality of the rows of each column of the tabular data in the allocated one-dimensional arrays; and

to utilize the data stored in the one-dimensional arrays to display a portion of the tabular data.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, having further computer-readable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to set a data type of each of the one-dimensional arrays to be the same as a data type for the corresponding column of tabular data.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the one-dimensional arrays are organized into pages.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, having further computer-readable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to determine whether sufficient memory is available to allocate the one-dimensional arrays and to flush one or more of the pages in response to determining that sufficient memory is not available prior.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, having further computer-readable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to allocate the one-dimensional arrays in the memory for each column of the tabular data in response to determining that sufficient memory is available to allocate the one-dimensional arrays.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the tabular data is received from an in-process data analysis server.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the in-process data analysis server executes in process with a spreadsheet application program.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive tabular data comprising a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows from an in-process data analysis server;

allocate a one-dimensional array in a random access memory of the computer for each column of the tabular data;

set a data type of each of the one-dimensional arrays to be the same as a data type for the corresponding column of tabular data;

store data from a plurality of the rows of each column of the tabular data in the allocated one-dimensional arrays; and

to

utilize the data stored in the one-dimensional arrays to display a portion of the tabular data.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the in-process data analysis server executes in process with a spreadsheet application program.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one-dimensional arrays are organized into pages.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, having further computer-readable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to determine whether sufficient memory is available to allocate the one-dimensional arrays and to flush one or more of the pages in response to determining that sufficient memory is not available prior.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, having further computer-readable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to allocate the one-dimensional arrays in the memory for each column of the tabular data in response to determining that sufficient memory is available to allocate the one-dimensional arrays.