Test generator for database management systems providing tight joins

• US 6,826,558 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Slutz, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu M
• Application Number:
  US10/411,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/100, 707/102, 707/103.R, 712/200, 717/169
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A test generator produces a set of database query-language statements comprised of randomly chosen elements for testing one or more database management systems on arbitrary databases. The statements are syntactically correct according to the query language, and are semantically correct according to the query language and according to the schema of the target database. A configuration file further specifies parameters of the test statements, in terms of maximum elements, weights of different elements, etc. The generated statements include predicates in which tables in a from clause are tightly joined. In addition, a dictionary of words randomly selected from text columns in a test database is maintained and used to create predicates having words that actually appear in the row data.

Claims

1. A computerized method for generating a dictionary of words for use in a SQL statement generator, the method comprising:

determining the number of rows in a table having a text column;

selecting a row from the table;

selecting a substring comprising a word from the text column of the selected row; and

inserting the word into a dictionary associated to the table.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein a size of the dictionary is a function of the number of rows in the table.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the row is selected randomly.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the substring is selected randomly.

5. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for generating a dictionary of words for use in a SQL statement generator, the method comprising:

determining the number of rows in a table having a text column;

selecting a row from the table;

selecting a substring comprising a word from the text column of the selected row; and

inserting the word into a dictionary associated to the table.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein a size of the dictionary is a function of the number of rows in the table.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the row is selected randomly.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the substring is selected randomly.