TECHNIQUES FOR GENERATING INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTROL DATABASE PROCESSING

• US 20150261573A1
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: RAUSCH, NANCY, FROST, MIKE, AMES, ADAM MICHAEL, GIDLEY, SCOTT, WATSON, CHRIS
• Granted Patent: US 9,223,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24532 of parallel queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4806 Task transfer initiation or dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues

Abstract

An apparatus includes a task selector to receive an indication of a database task to be performed, wherein the database task includes first and second subtasks; a source selector to receive an indication of a source device to perform the first and second subtasks, and to retrieve from the source device an indication of a processing environment currently available within the source device that includes an identity and version level of a database routine of the specified source device; and an instruction generator to determine a set of languages able to be interpreted by the database routine based on the identity and version level, determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks in parallel based on the processing environment, select a language in which to generate instructions to perform the first subtask based on the determination, and generate and transmit the instructions to the source device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor component;

a task selector for execution by the processor component to receive an indication of a specified task to be performed, wherein the specified task comprises first and second subtasks;

a source selector for execution by the processor component to receive an indication of a specified source device to perform the first and second subtasks, and to retrieve from the specified source device an indication of a source processing environment currently available within at least the specified source device in response to receiving the indication of the specified source device, wherein;

the source device stores a source data set to serve as an input to performance of the specified task; and

the indication of the source processing environment comprises indications of an identity and version level of a database routine of the specified source device; and

an instruction generator for execution by the processor component to determine a first set of one or more languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified source device based on the identity and version level of the database routine of the specified source device, determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel based on at least one aspect of the source processing environment, select a language of the first set of languages in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based on the determination of whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel, generate the instructions to perform the first subtask in the selected language, and transmit first task instructions comprising at least the instructions generated to perform at least the first subtask to the specified source device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a user interface (UI) component for execution by the processor component to generate, by circuitry for presentation on a display, a selection of tasks and a selection of operations to perform on at least a portion of the source data set, wherein:

the selection of tasks comprises the specified task; and

the instruction generator is to receive an indication of selection of one or more operations from the presented selection of operations, and to identify at least the first and second subtasks from the selected one or more operations.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the UI component is to generate, by circuitry for presentation on the display, an indication of the determination of whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel as a default selection with an option to override the determination; and

the instruction generator is to receive an indication of whether the determination is overridden.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the instruction generator to determine the first set of languages based additionally on an identity and version level of an add-on routine that augments the first set of languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified source device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the source processing environment comprising a first quantity of threads of execution supported by a processor component of the specified source device and available to execute the first task instructions, and the instruction generator to determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel, and to select the language in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based at least on the first quantity of threads.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the source processing environment comprising processor components of an available quantity of interconnected source devices that comprises the source device, and the instruction generator to determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel, and to select the language in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based at least on the available quantity of interconnected source devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the source processing environment comprising a type of storage device that enables use of a language of the first set of languages to speed performance of a subtask, and the instruction generator to determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel, and to select the language in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based at least on availability of the type of storage device, wherein:

the type of storage device comprises at least one of random access memory (RAM), cache memory or a redundant array of storage components.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a destination selector for execution by the processor component to receive an indication of a specified destination device to perform at least a third subtask, and to retrieve from the specified destination device an indication of a destination processing environment currently available within at least the specified destination device in response to receiving the indication of the specified destination device, wherein:

the specified task comprises the third subtask;

the destination device is to store data generated by performance of the specified task; and

the indication of the destination processing environment comprises indications of an identity and version level of a database routine of the specified destination device; and

the instruction generator is to determine a second set of one or more languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified destination device based on the identity and version level of the database routine of the specified destination device, determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel based on at least one aspect of the source processing environment and at least one aspect of the destination processing environment, select a language of the second set of languages in which to generate instructions to perform the third subtask based on the destination processing environment, generate the instructions to perform the third subtask, and transmit second task instructions comprising the instructions generated to perform at least the third subtask to the specified destination device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the instruction generator to determine the second set of languages based additionally on an identity and version level of an add-on routine that augments the second set of languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified destination device.

10. The apparatus claim 8, the specified task comprising a fourth subtask, the instruction generator to:

compare the source processing environment to the destination processing environment;

select one of the specified source device and the specified destination device to perform the fourth subtask based on the comparison;

generate instructions to perform the fourth subtask; and

transmit the instructions generated to perform the fourth subtask to the selected one of the specified source device and the specified destination device.

11. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, the computer-program product including instructions operable to cause a computing device to perform operations including:

receive an indication of a specified task to be performed, wherein the specified task comprises first and second subtasks;

receive an indication of a specified source device to perform the first and second subtasks, wherein the source device stores a source data set to serve as an input to performance of the specified task;

retrieve from the specified source device an indication of a source processing environment currently available within at least the specified source device in response to the receipt of the indication of the specified source device, wherein the indication of the source processing environment comprises indications of an identity and version level of a database routine of the specified source device;

determine a first set of one or more languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified source device based on the identity and version level of the database routine of the specified source device;

determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel based on at least one aspect of the source processing environment;

select a language of the first set of languages in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based on the determination of whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel;

generate the instructions to perform the first subtask in the selected language; and

transmit first task instructions comprising at least the instructions generated to perform at least the first subtask to the specified source device.

12. The computer-program product of claim 11, the computing device caused to perform operations including:

generate for presentation on a display a selection of tasks, wherein the selection of tasks comprises the specified task;

generate for presentation on the display a selection of operations to perform on at least a portion of the source data set in response to the receipt of the indication of the specified task;

receive an indication of selection of one or more operations from the presented selection of operations; and

identify at least the first and second subtasks from the selected one or more operations.

13. The computer-program product of claim 12, the computing device caused to perform operations including:

generate for presentation on the display an indication of the determination of whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel as a default selection with an option to override the determination; and

receive an indication of whether the determination is overridden.

14. The computer-program product of claim 11, the computing device caused to perform operations including, determine the first set of languages based additionally on an identity and version level of an add-on routine that augments the first set of languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified source device.

15. The computer-program product of claim 11, the source processing environment comprising a first quantity of threads of execution supported by a processor component of the specified source device and available to execute the first task instructions, and the computing device caused to perform operations including, determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel, and select the language in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based at least on the first quantity of threads.

16. The computer-program product of claim 11, the source processing environment comprising processor components of an available quantity of interconnected source devices that comprises the source device, and the computing device caused to perform operations including, determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel, and select the language in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based at least on the available quantity of interconnected source devices.

17. The computer-program product of claim 11, the source processing environment comprising a type of storage device that enables use of a language of the first set of languages to speed performance of a subtask, and the computing device caused to perform operations including, determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel, and select the language in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based at least on availability of the type of storage device, wherein:

the type of storage device comprises at least one of random access memory (RAM), cache memory or a redundant array of storage components.

18. The computer-program product of claim 11, the computing device caused to perform operations including:

receive an indication of a specified destination device to perform at least a third subtask, wherein the specified task comprises the third subtask and the destination device is to store data generated by performance of the specified task;

retrieve from the specified destination device an indication of a destination processing environment currently available within at least the specified destination device in response to the receipt of the indication of the specified destination device, wherein the indication of the destination processing environment comprises indications of the identity and version level of a database routine of the specified destination device;

determine a second set of one or more languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified destination device based on the identity and a version level of the database routine of the specified destination device;

determine whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel based on at least one aspect of the source processing environment and at least one aspect of the destination processing environment;

select a language of the second set of languages in which to generate instructions to perform the third subtask based on the destination processing environment;

generate the instructions to perform the third subtask; and

transmit second task instructions comprising the instructions generated to perform at least the third subtask to the specified destination device.

19. The computer-program product of claim 18, the computing device caused to perform operations including, determine the second set of languages based additionally on an identity and a version level of an add-on routine that augments the second set of languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified destination device.

20. The computer-program product of claim 18, the specified task comprising a fourth subtask, the computing device caused to perform operations including:

compare the source processing environment to the destination processing environment; and

based on the comparison, select one of the specified source device and the specified destination device to perform the fourth subtask, generate instructions to perform the fourth subtask, and transmit the instructions generated to perform the fourth subtask to the selected one of the specified source device and the specified destination device.

21. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a coordinating device, an indication of a specified task to be performed, wherein the specified task comprises first and second subtasks;

receiving, at the coordinating device, an indication of a specified source device to perform the first and second subtasks, wherein the source device stores a source data set to serve as an input to performance of the specified task;

retrieving from the specified source device an indication of a source processing environment currently available within at least the specified source device in response to receiving the indication of the specified source device, wherein the indication of the source processing environment comprises indications of an identity and version level of a database routine of the specified source device;

determining a first set of one or more languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified source device based on the identity and version level of the database routine of the specified source device;

determining whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel based on at least one aspect of the source processing environment;

selecting a language of the first set of languages in which to generate instructions to perform at least the first subtask based on the determination of whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel;

generating the instructions to perform the first subtask in the selected language; and

transmitting first task instructions comprising at least the instructions generated to perform at least the first subtask to the specified source device.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, comprising:

generating, by circuitry for presentation on a display, a selection of tasks, wherein the selection of tasks comprises the specified task;

generating, by circuitry for presentation on the display, a selection of operations to perform on at least a portion of the source data set in response to the receipt of the indication of the specified task;

receiving, at the coordinating device, an indication of selection of one or more operations from the presented selection of operations; and

identifying at least the first and second subtasks from the selected one or more operations.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, comprising:

generating, by circuitry for presentation on the display, an indication of the determination of whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel as a default selection with an option to override the determination; and

receiving, at the coordinating device, an indication of whether the determination is overridden.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, comprising determining the first set of languages based additionally on an identity and version level of an add-on routine that augments the first set of languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified source device.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, comprising:

employing the identity and version level of at least the database routine of the specified source device to retrieve indications of relative preference ratings for each language of the first set of languages from an instructions database; and

determining a default selection of a language from among the first set of languages in which to generate the instructions to perform each subtask of the first set of subtasks based on the relative preference ratings.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, comprising employing the identity and version level of an add-on routine that augments the first set of languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified source device with a further language to retrieve an indication of a relative preference rating for the further language from the instructions database prior to determining the default selection of a language.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, the comprising for each subtask of the first set of subtasks:

determining whether a set of conditions specified in the instructions database are met to override the default selection of a language for the subtask with an alternate selection of a language from among the first set of languages;

in response to the conditions being met, comparing a relative preference rating of the alternate selection of a language to the relative preference rating of the default selection of a language; and

selecting one of the default selection of a language and the alternate selection of a language in which to generate instructions to perform the subtask based on the comparison.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, comprising:

receiving, at the coordinating device, an indication of a specified destination device to perform at least a third subtask, wherein the specified task comprises the third subtask and the destination device is to store data generated by performance of the specified task;

retrieving from the specified destination device an indication of a destination processing environment currently available within at least the specified destination device in response to receiving the indication of the specified destination device, wherein the indication of the destination processing environment comprises indications of an identity and version level of a database routine of the specified destination device;

determining a second set of one or more languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified destination device based on the identity and version level of the database routine of the specified destination device;

determining whether to perform the first and second subtasks sequentially or at least partly in parallel based on at least one aspect of the source processing environment and at least one aspect of the destination processing environment;

selecting a language of the second set of languages in which to generate instructions to perform the third subtask based on the destination processing environment;

generating the instructions to perform the third subtask; and

transmitting second task instructions comprising the instructions generated to perform at least the third subtask to the specified destination device.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 28, the method comprising determining the second set of languages based additionally on an identity and a version level of an add-on routine that augments the second set of languages able to be interpreted by the database routine of the specified destination device.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 28, wherein the first set of languages differs from the second set of languages.