INTELLIGENT DATA PRE-CACHING IN A RELATIONAL DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130275685A1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barbas, Pedro M., Curtis, Hana, Maycock, Ken, Perez Rodriguez, Pablo
• Application Number:
  US13/447,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20130275685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24552 Database cache management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for pre-caching information in a database management system. Usage patterns of the database are analyzed to identify regularly recurring requests for information stored in the database. Based on the analyzed usage patterns, a pre-caching strategy is determined. The pre-caching strategy identifies information in the database that is likely to satisfy an anticipated future request. Prior to a time at which the future request is anticipated to be received, a cache in the database is populated with information that satisfies the anticipated future request in accordance with the determined pre-caching strategy. The information that populates the cache is retrieved from a storage medium that is slower to access than the cache.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for pre-caching information in a database management system, the method comprising:

analyzing usage patterns of the database to identify regularly recurring requests for information stored in the database;

based on the analyzed usage patterns, determining a pre-caching strategy, the pre-caching strategy identifying information in the database that is likely to satisfy an anticipated future request; and

prior to a time at which the future request is anticipated to be received, populating a cache in the database with information that satisfies the anticipated future request in accordance with the determined pre-caching strategy, the information populating the cache being retrieved from a storage medium that is slower to access than the cache.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-caching strategy includes one or more of:

a connection for a current user, a current time of a request, a time at which an anticipated subsequent request is expected to occur for a user, and a general data consultation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the pre-caching strategy based on one or more adaptive conditions, the adaptive conditions including one or more of;

time-based adaptive conditions, location-based adaptive conditions, and security-based adaptive conditions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database management system is a relational database management system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing usage patterns of the database includes one or more of:

analyzing usage patterns based on individual users, and analyzing usage patterns based on groups of users sharing a common user profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein populating the cache occurs shortly before the time at which the anticipated future request is expected to be received.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the pre-caching strategy in one of:

an extended markup language file format and a proprietary binary format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a pre-caching strategy includes predicting a future request that is different from a received historical requests for a particular user or user group, based on the analyzed usage pattern for the particular user or user group.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the pre-caching strategy to take leverage from a query optimizer for the database management system.

10. A computer program product for pre-caching information in a database management system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to analyze usage patterns of the database to identify regularly recurring requests for information stored in the database;

computer readable program code configured to, based on the analyzed usage patterns, determine a pre-caching strategy, the pre-caching strategy identifying information in the database that is likely to satisfy an anticipated future request; and

computer readable program code configured to, prior to a time at which the future request is anticipated to be received, populate a cache in the database with information that satisfies the anticipated future request in accordance with the determined pre-caching strategy, the information populating the cache being retrieved from a storage medium that is slower to access than the cache.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the pre-caching strategy includes one or more of:

a connection for a current user, a current time of a request, a time at which an anticipated subsequent request is expected to occur for a user, and a general data consultation.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to modify the pre-caching strategy based on one or more adaptive conditions, the adaptive conditions including one or more of;

time-based adaptive conditions, location-based adaptive conditions, and security-based adaptive conditions.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the database management system is a relational database management system.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code configured to analyze usage patterns of the database includes one or more of:

computer readable program code configured to analyze usage patterns based on individual users, and computer readable program code configured to analyze usage patterns based on groups of users sharing a common user profile.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein populating the cache occurs shortly before the time at which the anticipated future request is expected to be received.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code configured to store the pre-caching strategy in one of:

an extended markup language file format and a proprietary binary format.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine a pre-caching strategy includes computer readable program code configured to predict a future request that is different from a received historical requests for a particular user or user group, based on the analyzed usage pattern for the particular user or user group.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer readable program code configured to use the pre-caching strategy to take leverage from a query optimizer for the database management system.

19. A system for pre-caching information in a database management system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions operable to be executed by the processor, wherein the instructions include instructions causing a pre-cache engine to perform the following operations;

analyzing usage patterns of the database to identify regularly recurring requests for information stored in the database;

based on the analyzed usage patterns, determining a pre-caching strategy, the pre-caching strategy identifying information in the database that is likely to satisfy an anticipated future request; and

prior to a time at which the future request is anticipated to be received, populating a cache in the database with information that satisfies the anticipated future request in accordance with the determined pre-caching strategy, the information populating the cache being retrieved from a storage medium that is slower to access than the cache.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the pre-caching strategy includes one or more of:

a connection for a current user, a current time of a request, a time at which an anticipated subsequent request is expected to occur for a user, and a general data consultation.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising instructions causing the pre-cache engine to perform the following operation:

modifying the pre-caching strategy based on one or more adaptive conditions, the adaptive conditions including one or more of;

time-based adaptive conditions, location-based adaptive conditions, and security-based adaptive conditions.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the database management system is a relational database management system.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein analyzing usage patterns of the database includes one or more of:

analyzing usage patterns based on individual users, and analyzing usage patterns based on groups of users sharing a common user profile.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein determining a pre-caching strategy includes predicting a future request that is different from a received historical requests for a particular user or user group, based on the analyzed usage pattern for the particular user or user group.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising using the pre-caching strategy to take leverage from a query optimizer for the database management system.