SCALABLE, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SEARCH FOR OPTIMAL CONFIGURATION

• US 20160092134A1
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Raitto, John, Shaft, Uri
• Granted Patent: US 10,466,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device

Abstract

According to an embodiment, storage configurations are identified for storing items, such as database tables, partitions, or any other types of objects or data structures, within a desired storage area, such as an in-memory data store or any other limited storage resource. Each of the storage configurations is assigned to a particular item of the items. Each of the storage configurations associates the assigned particular item with one or more storage configuration options. Storage recommendations are generated for at least a set of the storage configurations. A different storage recommendation exists for each storage configuration in the set of the storage configurations. The storage recommendation associates the storage configuration with a range of possible storage sizes for a particular storage area of a system. Based on the storage recommendations, recommended system configurations a generated for different possible storage sizes of the particular storage area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying storage configurations for storing items, each of the storage configurations assigned to a particular item of the items and associating the assigned particular item with one or more storage configuration options;

generating storage recommendations for at least a set of the storage configurations by, for each storage configuration in the set of the storage configurations, storing a storage recommendation that associates the storage configuration with a range of possible storage sizes, according to corresponding storage configuration options, for a particular storage area of a system;

based on the storage recommendations, generating recommended system configurations for different possible storage sizes of the particular storage area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each storage configuration of a plurality of the storage configurations;

calculating a score that is based on at least one of;

a performance benefit for the storage configuration;

a storage cost for the storage configuration;

or

a cost/benefit score that compares the performance benefit to the storage cost;

wherein generating the storage recommendations comprises, for each storage configuration in the set of the storage configurations, generating the storage recommendation for the storage configuration based on the score calculated for the storage configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the recommended system configurations recommends which of the items to store in the particular storage area along with which of the storage configurations to use to store the recommended items, when the system is configured such that the particular storage area is of a particular one of the possible storage sizes.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein the performance benefit for a given storage configuration quantifies an estimated improvement to a system while storing the particular item assigned to the given storage configuration using the associated one or more storage configuration options of the given storage configuration.

wherein the storage cost for a given storage configuration quantifies an estimated size of the particular item assigned to the given storage configuration when stored using the associated one or more storage configuration options of the given storage configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a given storage recommendation for a given storage configuration indicates to use the associated one or more storage configuration options of the given storage configuration to store the particular item assigned to the given storage configuration in the particular storage area when the system is configured such that the size of the particular storage area falls within the range of the given storage recommendation.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the items are stored persistently on one or more storage devices outside of the particular storage area, wherein the particular storage area comprises one or more computer-readable media of faster access speed than the one or more storage devices;

wherein the one or more computer-readable media form an in-memory cache storing copies of the items.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein groups of the items belong to different item hierarchies;

wherein descendent items within a hierarchy are components of an ancestor item within a hierarchy, wherein a storage recommendation for the ancestor item supersedes storage recommendations for the descendent items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein for any given possible storage size, a sum of the storage costs calculated for all storage configurations associated with ranges that include the given possible storage size is less than or equal to the given possible storage size.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more storage configuration options include options for one or more of:

an attribute that selects between different compression techniques, an attribute that selects between different compression levels, an attribute that selects between storing data within a given item using a row-based or column-based format, an attribute that indicates how to distribute the given item across different nodes, or an attribute that indicates a column of the given item to project.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the items include at least a first item assigned to both a first storage configuration and a second storage configuration.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a first storage recommendation associates a first range with a first storage configuration assigned to a first item, wherein a second storage recommendation associates a second and different range with a second storage configuration that is also assigned to the first item.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising not generating any storage recommendation for a first storage configuration assigned to a first item because a second storage configuration is assigned to a second item that includes or is the first item, and the second storage configuration has both a higher performance benefit and a higher cost/benefit score than the first storage configuration.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a lower range limit of a first storage recommendation based on summing the storage costs of a set of storage configurations that have a higher calculated cost/benefit score than the first storage recommendation;

wherein the set of storage configurations for which the storage costs are summed does not include storage configurations that have a higher calculated cost/benefit score but that also are already associated with a range that has an already-defined upper range limit.

14. The method of any of claim 1, further comprising

generating an interface that accepts as input a proposed storage size and outputs a given system configuration recommendation based on the proposed storage size.

receiving first input that specifies a first proposed storage size;

outputting a first system configuration recommendation based on the first proposed storage size and the storage recommendations;

receiving second input that specifies a second proposed storage size that is different than the first proposed storage size;

outputting a second system configuration recommendation that is different than the first system configuration recommendation based on the second proposed storage size and the storage recommendations, without re-generating the storage recommendations between the first input and the second input.

15. The method of any of claim 1, further comprising automatically causing particular items specified in a given system configuration recommendation to be stored using their recommended storage configurations.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, causes performance of:

identifying storage configurations for storing items, each of the storage configurations assigned to a particular item of the items and associating the assigned particular item with one or more storage configuration options;

generating storage recommendations for at least a set of the storage configurations by, for each storage configuration in the set of the storage configurations, storing a storage recommendation that associates the storage configuration with a range of possible storage sizes, according to corresponding storage configuration options, for a particular storage area of a system;

based on the storage recommendations, generating recommended system configurations for different possible storage sizes of the particular storage area.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause performance of:

for each storage configuration of a plurality of the storage configurations;

calculating a score that is based on at least one of;

a performance benefit for the storage configuration;

a storage cost for the storage configuration;

or

a cost/benefit score that compares the performance benefit to the storage cost;

wherein instructions for generating the storage recommendations comprise instructions for, for each storage configuration in the set of the storage configurations, generating the storage recommendation for the storage configuration based on the score calculated for the storage configuration.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein each of the recommended system configurations recommends which of the items to store in the particular storage area along with which of the storage configurations to use to store the recommended items, when the system is configured such that the particular storage area is of a particular one of the possible storage sizes.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17,

wherein the performance benefit for a given storage configuration quantifies an estimated improvement to a system while storing the particular item assigned to the given storage configuration using the associated one or more storage configuration options of the given storage configuration.

wherein the storage cost for a given storage configuration quantifies an estimated size of the particular item assigned to the given storage configuration when stored using the associated one or more storage configuration options of the given storage configuration.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein a given storage recommendation for a given storage configuration indicates to use the associated one or more storage configuration options of the given storage configuration to store the particular item assigned to the given storage configuration in the particular storage area when the system is configured such that the size of the particular storage area falls within the range of the given storage recommendation.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16,

wherein the items are stored persistently on one or more storage devices outside of the particular storage area, wherein the particular storage area comprises one or more computer-readable media of faster access speed than the one or more storage devices;

wherein the one or more computer-readable media form an in-memory cache storing copies of the items.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein groups of the items belong to different item hierarchies;

wherein descendent items within a hierarchy are components of an ancestor item within a hierarchy, wherein a storage recommendation for the ancestor item supersedes storage recommendations for the descendent items.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein for any given possible storage size, a sum of the storage costs calculated for all storage configurations associated with ranges that include the given possible storage size is less than or equal to the given possible storage size.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the one or more storage configuration options include options for one or more of:

an attribute that selects between different compression techniques, an attribute that selects between different compression levels, an attribute that selects between storing data within a given item using a row-based or column-based format, an attribute that indicates how to distribute the given item across different nodes, or an attribute that indicates a column of the given item to project.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the items include at least a first item assigned to both a first storage configuration and a second storage configuration.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein a first storage recommendation associates a first range with a first storage configuration assigned to a first item, wherein a second storage recommendation associates a second and different range with a second storage configuration that is also assigned to the first item.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause performance of not generating any storage recommendation for a first storage configuration assigned to a first item because a second storage configuration is assigned to a second item that includes or is the first item, and the second storage configuration has both a higher performance benefit and a higher cost/benefit score than the first storage configuration.

28. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause performance of:

determining a lower range limit of a first storage recommendation based on summing the storage costs of a set of storage configurations that have a higher calculated cost/benefit score than the first storage recommendation;

wherein the set of storage configurations for which the storage costs are summed does not include storage configurations that have a higher calculated cost/benefit score but that also are already associated with a range that has an already-defined upper range limit.

29. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause performance of:

generating an interface that accepts as input a proposed storage size and outputs a given system configuration recommendation based on the proposed storage size.

receiving first input that specifies a first proposed storage size;

outputting a first system configuration recommendation based on the first proposed storage size and the storage recommendations;

receiving second input that specifies a second proposed storage size that is different than the first proposed storage size;

outputting a second system configuration recommendation that is different than the first system configuration recommendation based on the second proposed storage size and the storage recommendations, without re-generating the storage recommendations between the first input and the second input.

30. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause performance of automatically causing particular items specified in a given system configuration recommendation to be stored using their recommended storage configurations.