DIRECT-CONNECT FUNCTIONALITY IN A DISTRIBUTED DATABASE GRID

• US 20160335310A1
• Filed: 05/11/2015
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Taylor, Derek, Rishel, Ryder, Aravamudhan, Varadarajan, Cheung, Susan, Drake, Samuel, Aspinwall, David, Lahiri, Tirthankar, Bandi, Nagender, Miller, John, Hoang, Chi-Kim, Wang, Chih-Ping, Tuck, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 11,829,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor

Abstract

A database is stored as a plurality of database shards in a distributed database grid comprising a plurality of grid elements, each including a mid-tier database system. A first grid element receives, from an application executing in the same memory as a mid-tier database system of the first grid element, a first database transaction including at least one database operation on specific data stored in a first database shard that belongs to the first grid element. The first grid element performs and commits the first database transaction without participation of another grid element of the plurality of grid elements. The first grid element receives a second database transaction that requires access to another database shard that does not belong to the first grid element. Multiple grid elements of the plurality of grid elements perform the second database transaction and commit the second database transaction using a two-phase commit protocol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a database as a plurality of database shards in a distributed database grid comprising a plurality of grid elements;

wherein at least a subset of the plurality of grid elements each comprise a mid-tier database system;

wherein the data set is distributed in accordance with a distribution scheme;

receiving, by a first grid element of the plurality of grid elements, from an application executing in the same memory as a mid-tier database system of the first grid element, a first database transaction comprising at least one database operation on specific data stored in a first database shard that belongs to the first grid element;

performing, by the first grid element, the first database transaction in direct mode;

wherein the first database transaction is committed by the first grid element without participation of another grid element of the plurality of grid elements;

receiving, by the first grid element, a second database transaction, wherein the second database transaction requires access to another database shard that does not belong to the first grid element;

performing, by multiple grid elements of the plurality of grid elements, the second database transaction;

committing the second database transaction using a two-phase commit protocol;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of grid elements each comprise a self-contained mid-tier database system configured to store at least a portion of the data set in memory and further configured to respond to database commands.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution scheme for the data set is determined based on instructions from the application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing distribution data to the application based on the distribution scheme; and

determining, by the application, a location of the first database shard comprising the specific data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the distribution data is provided to the application via an API.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application and the distributed database grid are both implemented in a mid-tier application layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a distributed application, and wherein the first database transaction is received from an instance of the distributed application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the distributed application is partitioned based on the distribution scheme for the data set.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the distributed application comprises a plurality of application instances each comprising a driver configured to implement a direct connection with a corresponding grid element.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:

storing a database as a plurality of database shards in a distributed database grid comprising a plurality of grid elements;

wherein at least a subset of the plurality of grid elements each comprise a mid-tier database system;

wherein the data set is distributed in accordance with a distribution scheme;

receiving, by a first grid element of the plurality of grid elements, from an application executing in the same memory as a mid-tier database system of the first grid element, a first database transaction comprising at least one database operation on specific data stored in a first database shard that belongs to the first grid element;

performing, by the first grid element, the first database transaction in direct mode;

wherein the first database transaction is committed by the first grid element without participation of another grid element of the plurality of grid elements;

receiving, by the first grid element, a second database transaction, wherein the second database transaction requires access to another database shard that does not belong to the first grid element;

performing, by multiple grid elements of the plurality of grid elements, the second database transaction;

committing the second database transaction using a two-phase commit protocol.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of grid elements each comprise a self-contained mid-tier database system configured to store at least a portion of the data set in memory and further configured to respond to database commands.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the distribution scheme for the data set is determined based on instructions from the application.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the instructions which, when executed, further cause performance of:

providing distribution data to the application based on the distribution scheme, and

determining, by the application, a location of the first database shard comprising the specific data.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the distribution data is provided to the application via an API.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the application and the distributed database grid are both implemented in a mid-tier application layer.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the application is a distributed application, and wherein the first database transaction is received from an instance of the distributed application.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the distributed application is partitioned based on the distribution scheme for the data set.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the distributed application comprises a plurality of application instances each comprising a driver configured to implement a direct connection with a corresponding grid element.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of grid elements, each comprising at least one processor and a memory;

wherein each particular grid element of at least a subset of the plurality of grid elements comprises a mid-tier database system and a database shard;

wherein data is distributed across each database shard of the plurality of grid elements in accordance with a distribution scheme;

wherein said each particular grid element is configured to;

receive a first database transaction from an application executing in the same memory as the mid-tier database system of the particular grid element, wherein the first database transaction comprises at least one database operation on specific data stored in the database shard of the particular grid element;

commit the first database transaction without participation of another grid element of the plurality of grid elements; and

receive a second database transaction, wherein the second database transaction requires access to other database shards;

wherein the plurality of grid elements is configured to;

perform the second database transaction; and

commit the second database transaction using a two-phase commit protocol.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the application is a distributed application, and wherein the first database transaction is received from an instance of the distributed application.