Externalizing very large objects in a relational database client/server environment

• US 6,487,551 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dong, Margaret Ann, Pickel, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford W.
• Application Number:
  US09/836,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20010023420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-5, 707/500, 707/516, 707/526, 707/100-103, 707/501, 709/201-203, 709/331-332, 345/10, 345/700, 345/661, 345/666, 345/619-625, 345/655, 345/681-682
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24561 Intermediate data storage techniques for performance improvement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for transmitting data having non-standard data types between computers. A query is executed to retrieve data from a database. The database comprises data having standard data types and data having non-standard data types and is stored on a data storage device connected to a server computer. At the server computer, data having standard data types, small non-standard data types, and large non-standard data types is retrieved. An answer set is generated that comprises data having standard data types, small non-standard data types, and one or more placeholders representing data having the large non-standard data types. The generated answer set is transmitted to a client computer. After transmitting the generated answer set, data represented by each placeholder in the answer set is transmitted to the client computer.

Claims

1. A method for executing a query to retrieve data from a database, the database comprising data having at least one standard data type and data having at least one non-standard data type and being stored on a data storage device connected to a server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

at the server computer,

retrieving data having a standard data type, a small non-standard data type, and a large non-standard data type from the database;

generating an answer set comprising data having the standard data types, the small non-standard data types, and a placeholder, wherein the placeholder represents data having the large non-standard data types;

transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer; and

after transmitting the generated answer se transmitting data having the large non-standard data type represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-standard data types are large object (LOB) data types.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to a largest of the standard data types and the large non-standard data types are greater than the largest of the standard data types.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting data represented by each placeholder comprises transmitting the data represented by each placeholder one row at a time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the answer set is partitioned into at least one block of rows and wherein the step of transmitting the answer set to the client computer comprises separately transmitting each block of rows.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

at the server computer,

receiving data from an application residing on the client computer; and

inputting the received data into the database.

3. The method of clam 1, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to 32 k bytes and the large non-standard data types are greater than 32 k bytes.

8. An apparatus for executing a query to retrieve data from a database, comprising:

a server computer having a data storage device connected thereto, wherein the data storage device stores a database and wherein the database comprises data having at least one standard data type and data having at least one non-standard data type;

one or more computer programs, performed by the server computer, for, at the server computer, retrieving data having a standard data type, a small non-standard data type, and a large non-standard data type from the database, generating an answer set comprising data having the standard data type, data having the small non-standard data type, and a placeholder representing data having a large non-standard data type, transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer, and, after transmitting the generated answer set, transmitting data represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the non-standard data types are large object (LOB) data types.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to 32 k bytes and the large non-standard data types are greater tan 32 k bytes.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to a largest of the standard data types and the large non-standard data types are greater than the largest of the standard data types.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for transmitting data represented by each placeholder comprises transmit the data represented by each placeholder one row at a time.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the answer set is partitioned into at least one block of rows and wherein the means for transmitting the answer set to the client computer comprises separately transmitting each block of rows.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the apparatus further comprising one or more computer programs, performed by the server computer for receiving data from an application residing on the client computer, and inputting the received data into the database.

15. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for executing a query to retrieve data from a database, the database comprising data having at least one standard data type and data having at least one non-standard data type and being stored on a data storage device connected to a server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

at the server computer,

retrieving data having a standard data type, a small non-standard data type, and a large non-standard data type from the database;

generating an answer set comprising data having the standard data type, the small non-standard data type, and a placeholder representing data having the large non-standard data type;

transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer; and

after transmitting the generated answer set, transmitting data having the large non-standard data type represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the non-standard data types are large object (LOB) data types.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to 32 k bytes and the large non-standard data types are greater than 32 k bytes.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to a largest of the standard data types and the large non-standard data types are greater than the largest of the standard data types.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting data represented by each placeholder comprises transmitting the data represented by each placeholder one row at a time.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the answer set is partitioned into at least one block of rows and wherein the step of transmitting the answer set to the client computer comprises separately transmitting each block of rows.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

at the server computer,

receiving data from an application residing on the client computer; and

inputting the received data into the database.

22. A method for executing a query to retrieve data from a database, the database comprising data having at least one non-standard data type and being stored on a data storage device connected to a server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

at the server computer,

retrieving data having a small non-standard data type and a large non-standard data type from the database;

generating an answer set comprising data having the small non-standard data types and a placeholder, wherein the placeholder represents data having the large non-standard data types;

transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer; and

after transmitting the generated answer set, transmitting data having the large non-standard data type represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-standard data types are large object (LOB) data types.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to 32 k bytes and the large non-standard data types are greater than 32 k bytes.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to a largest of the standard data types and the large non-standard data types are greater than the largest of the standard data types.

26. An apparatus for executing a query retrieve data from a database, comprising:

a server computer having a data storage device connected thereto, wherein the data storage device stores a database and wherein the database comprises data having at least one standard data type and data having at least one non-standard data type;

one or more computer programs, performed by the server computer, for, at the server computer, retrieving data having a small non-standard data type and a large non-standard data type from the database, generating an answer set comprising data having the small non-standard data types and a placeholder, wherein the placeholder represents data having the large non-standard data types, transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer, and after transmitting the generated answer set, transmitting data having the large non-standard data type represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the non-standard data types are large object (LOB) data types.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to 32 k bytes and the large non-standard data types are greater tin 32 k bytes.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the stall non-standard data types are less than or equal to a largest of the standard data types and the large non-standard data types are greater than the largest of the standard data types.

30. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for executing a query to retrieve data from a database, the database comprising data having at least one standard data type and data having at least one non-standard data type and being stored on a data storage device connected to a server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

at the server computer,

retrieving data having a small non-standard data type and a large non-standard data type from the database;

generating an answer set comprising data having the small non-standard data types and a placeholder, wherein the placeholder represents data having the large non-standard data types;

transmitting the generated answer set comprising at least the placeholder to a client computer; and

after transmitting the generated answer set, transmitting data having the large non-standard data type represented by the placeholder in the answer set to the client computer.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the non-standard data types are large object (LOB) data types.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to 32 k bytes and the large non-standard data types are greater than 32 k bytes.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the small non-standard data types are less than or equal to a largest of the standard data types and the large non-standard data types are greater than the largest of the standard data types.