Database sizer for preemptive multitasking operating system

• US 6,542,893 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Quernemoen, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): DODDS, HAROLD E
• Application Number:
  US09/515,308
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-4, 707/7, 707/8, 707/10, 707/100-104, 707/200-205, 706/45, 706/46, 706/48, 706/60-62, 711/161, 711/162, 711/170-173, 717/100, 717/104-109, 702/186
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Methods for calculating total mass storage requirements for a relational database table including database storage requirements, application and software requirements, system table requirements, scratch and sort requirements, log file requirements, and growth requirements. One method utilizes detailed inputs for each table and table index. Another method produces and utilizes estimates for the database and index requirements for all tables together. Methods can use input parameters including the page size, a fill factor, the log file space, the temporary space, the operating system and application software space, the system database space, the growth percent space, and the page file space. Some methods also take into account inputs such as the number of table, the amount of data, the average number of columns per row, the average row size, the percent of variable length columns, and the average variable length column size per table.

Claims

1. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system using detailed inputs and parameters, wherein the database management system includes at least one database which includes tables having a table size and having an index having an index size comprising:

providing table inputs for tables in the database sufficient to calculate estimated table size for each table;

providing index inputs for each index for each table in the database sufficient to estimate the index size for each table;

providing the input parameters for each database management system;

calculating a total storage requirement for the database using said table inputs, index inputs and input parameters;

calculating a storage requirement for the data base management system using said table inputs, index inputs and input parameters; and

displaying said total storage requirements for database and database management system to a human user.

2. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said calculated storage requirements have separate Operating System and application software space requirements, system table space requirements, scratch and sort space requirements, and log file space requirements.

3. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said input parameters include parameters selected from the group consisting of a page size, a fill factor, a log file space, a temporary space as a percent of a formatted database size including indexes, a space required for Operating System and application software, a space required for system databases, a percent growth required for the database, and a page file space.

4. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said input parameters include a page size.

5. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said input parameters include a fill factor.

6. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 1, wherein said input parameters include a percent growth required for the database.

7. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system using estimated inputs and parameters, wherein the database management system includes at least one database which includes tables having a table size and having an index having an index size comprising:

providing table inputs for tables in the database sufficient to calculate an estimated size for the database including a number of tables, an amount of data, an average number of columns per row, an average row size, a percent variable length columns, and an average variable length column size per table;

providing input parameters for each database management system;

providing a plurality of database table size assumptions;

calculating a storage requirement for the data base management system using said inputs, input parameters, and assumptions; and

displaying said storage requirements to a human user.

8. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 7, wherein said calculated storage requirements have separate Operating System and application software space requirements, system table space requirements, scratch and sort space requirements, and log file space requirements.

9. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 7, wherein said input parameters include a page size.

10. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 7, wherein said input parameters include a fill factor.

11. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 7, wherein said input parameters include a percent growth required for the database.

12. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 7, wherein said assumptions include assumptions selected from a group consisting of an average number of non-cluster indexes per table, an average number of fixed length fields per non-cluster index, an average number of cluster indexes per table, an average number of fixed length fields per cluster index, and a number of variable length fields per cluster index.

13. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 7, wherein said assumptions include an average number of non-cluster indexes per table and an average number of fixed length fields per non-cluster index.

14. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system as recited in claim 7, wherein said assumptions include an average number of cluster indexes per table, an average number of fixed length fields per cluster index, and a number of variable length fields per cluster index.

15. A computerized method for calculating the required bytes of mass storage for a database management system using estimated inputs and parameters, wherein the database management system includes at least one database which includes tables having a table size and having an index having an index size comprising:

providing table inputs for tables in the database sufficient to calculate an estimated size for the database including a number of tables, an amount of data, an average number of columns per row, an average row size, a percent variable length columns, and an average variable length column size per table;

providing the input parameters for each database management system including a page size, a fill factor, a log file space, a temporary space as a percent of a formatted database size including indexes, a space required for Operating System and application software, a space required for system databases, a percent growth required for the database, and a page file space;

providing assumptions including an average number of non-cluster indexes per table, an average number of fixed length fields per non-cluster index, an average number of cluster indexes per table, an average number of fixed length fields per cluster index, and a number of variable length fields per cluster index;

calculating a storage requirement for the data base management system using said inputs, input parameters, and assumptions; and

displaying said storage requirements to a human user.