Real-time event processing system for telecommunications and other applications

• US 6,496,831 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Polito, Jonathan E., Korth, Henry F., Cliff, Jr., Thomas M., Branch, Benson L., Blott, Stephen M., Baulier, Gerald D., Speicher, Scott L., Silberschatz, Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HWANG, JOON H
• Application Number:
  US09/276,339
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/8, 707/10, 707/100-104, 379/201.01, 379/201.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A real-time event processing system (EPS) for processing a sequence of events generated by one or more applications. In an illustrative embodiment, the EPS includes a set of real-time analysis engines (RAEs) operating in parallel, e.g., a set of clusters each including one or more RAEs, and one or more mappers for mapping a given input event to a particular one of the clusters. A main-memory database system is coupled to the RAEs, and the RAEs process events associated with input streams from one or more data sources and deliver output streams to one or more data sinks. The data source and data sinks may be, e.g., network elements, clients, databases, etc. The events are processed in accordance with services implemented in the RAEs, and utilize data stored in a memory portion of the main-memory database system accessible to the RAEs. The data may include, e.g., a subscription table storing subscription information indicating the service or services that should be executed for a given event. The services are generated in a service authoring environment (SAE) in the EPS, using a declarative language. The SAE generates the services in the form of object code components, e.g., dynamically linked libraries, which may be dynamically linked into the RAEs without interrupting event processing. Recovery information regarding a recovery point for a given RAE or set of RAEs in the EPS may be stored in a memory portion of the main-memory database system, and utilized to implement a roll-back of the RAE to the recovery point.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing events generated by at least one system application, the apparatus comprising:

a processor for executing code to implement at least a portion of at least one real-time analysis engine; and

a main-memory database system associated with the processor, wherein the real-time analysis engine processes the events in accordance with at least one service implemented in the real-time analysis engine, utilizing data stored in a memory portion of the main-memory database system accessible to the real-time analysis engine, and wherein the real-time analysis engine processes events in further accordance with at least one of

(i) subscription information stored in the form of a compact subscription table generated as a function of contents of at least one additional more complex table associated with the system application, and

(ii) the at least one service being generated by compiling code generated in a service authoring environment associated with the real-time analysis engine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the real-time analysis engine receives the events in the form of one or more input streams from at least one data source, and delivers information representative of processed events in one or more output streams to at least one data sink.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one of the data source and the data sink comprises at least one of a network element of the system, a client associated with the application, and a database element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a plurality of processors for executing code to implement the at least one real-time analysis engine.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor executes code to implement at least a portion of the main-memory database system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data stored in the memory portion of the main-memory database system accessible to the real-time analysis engine includes at least one of configuration data, summary data and aggregation data, wherein configuration data comprises read-only data that supports event processing, summary data comprises condensed information regarding processed events, and aggregation data comprises combined information for a set of processed events.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the subscription information is stored in the memory portion of the main-memory database system accessible to the real-time analysis engine and indicates subscription of customers to one or more services supported by the real-time analysis engine.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the stored subscription information indicates at least one service that should be executed for at least one of a given event and a given subscriber.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the subscription information is stored in the compact subscription table in the memory portion of the main-memory database system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor executes code to implement at least one of a plurality of real-time analysis engines operating in parallel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor executes code to implement at least a portion of at least one mapper for mapping a given one of the events to a particular one of the real-time analysis engines.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of at least a subset of the plurality of real-time analysis engines are associated with a separate processor and a separate memory.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor executes code to implement a plurality of clusters of real-time analysis engines operating in parallel, wherein each of the clusters includes one or more real-time analysis engines, and at least one mapper for mapping a given input event to a particular one of the clusters of real-time analysis engines.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein at least a subset of the clusters each include a daily maintenance process, a query management process and at least one storage element.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further including a global services element associated with at least a subset of the clusters, the global services element comprising at least one storage element and at least one of a data collection and mapping element, a cluster management element, a recovery management element, and a query services element.

16. A method of processing events generated by at least one system application, the method comprising the steps of:

processing the events in at least one real-time analysis engine, utilizing data stored in a memory portion of a main-memory database system accessible to the real-time analysis engine, in accordance with at least one service implemented in the real-time analysis engine, and wherein the real-time analysis engine processes events in further accordance with at least one of

(i) subscription information stored in the form of a compact subscription table generated as a function of contents of at least one additional more complex table associated with the system application, and

(ii) the at least one service being generated by compiling code generated in a service authoring environment associated with the real-time analysis engine.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable medium for storing one or more programs for processing events generated by at least one system application, wherein the one or more programs when executed by a processor implement the step of processing the events in at least one real-time analysis engine, utilizing data stored in a memory portion of a main-memory database system accessible to the real-time analysis engine, in accordance with at least one service implemented in the real-time analysis engine, and wherein the real-time analysis engine processes events in further accordance with at least one of

(i) subscription information stored in the form of a compact subscription table generated as a function of contents of at least one additional more complex table associated with the system application, and

(ii) the at least one service being generated by compiling code generated in a service authoring environment associated with the real-time analysis engine.

18. An apparatus for processing events generated by at least one system application, the apparatus comprising:

at least one real-time analysis engine; and

a main-memory database system associated with the real-time analysis engine, wherein the real-time analysis engine processes the events in accordance with at least one service implemented in the real-time analysis engine, utilizing data stored in a memory portion of the main-memory database system accessible to the real-time analysis engine, and wherein the real-time analysis engine processes events in further accordance with at least one of

(i) subscription information stored in the form of a compact subscription table generated as a function of contents of at least one additional more complex table associated with the system application, and

(ii) the at least one service being generated by compiling code generated in a service authoring environment associated with the real-time analysis engine.

19. A method of processing events generated by at least one system application, the method comprising:

configuring a plurality of real-time analysis engines to operate in parallel; and

mapping a given one of the events to a particular one of the real-time analysis engines, wherein the real-time analysis engines process the events utilizing data stored in a memory portion of a main-memory database system accessible to at least a subset of the real-time analysis engines, and wherein the real-time analysis engines process the events in further accordance with at least one of

(i) subscription information stored in the form of a compact subscription table generated as a function of contents of at least one additional more complex table associated with the system application, and

(ii) the at least one service being generated by compiling code generated in a service authoring environment associated with the real-time analysis engines.

20. An apparatus for processing events generated by at least one system application, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of real-time analysis engines operating in parallel; and

at least one mapper for mapping a given one of the events to a particular one of the real-time analysis engines, wherein the real-time analysis engines process the events utilizing data stored in a memory portion of a main-memory database system accessible to at least a subset of the real-time analysis engines, and wherein the real-time analysis engines process the events in farther accordance with at least one of

(i) subscription information stored in the form of a compact subscription table generated as a function of contents of at least one additional more complex table associated with the system application, and

(ii) the at least one service being generated by compiling code generated in a service authoring environment associated with the real-time analysis engines.