Query modification analysis

• US 6,938,036 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dettinger, Richard D., Stevens, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rayyan, Susan F.
• Application Number:
  US10/279,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/4, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Methods, systems and articles of manufacture are provided for a query analysis approach used to identify “nondestructive” and “destructive” queries. In one aspect, a “non-destructive” query is one which does not return any additional results relative to results returned by a previously executed query or queries. Conversely, a “destructive” query is one which does return additional results relative to results returned by a previously executed query. If the query is determined to be destructive, the query is executed against the complete data repository (e.g., database or data warehouse). If the query is nondestructive, the query (or some restructured form thereof) is executed against a data subset of the complete data repository.

Claims

1. A method of processing queries, comprising:

receiving a query;

performing a comparative analysis between the query and one or more previously executed queries to determine a difference in scope with respect to results; and

executing the query against one of a first data source and a second data source depending upon the difference in scope determined by the comparative analysis, where the second data source is a subset of the first data source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the query comprises, executing the query against the first data source if a scope of the query is greater than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the query comprises, executing the query against the second data source if a scope of the query is less than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the query comprises:

executing the query against the first data source if a scope of the query is greater than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries; and

executing the query against the second data source if the scope of the query is less than the scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing comparative analysis between the query and one or more previously executed queries to determine the difference in scope with respect to results comprises comparatively examining a structure of the query and a structure of the one or more previously executed queries.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data source comprises one or more data structures populated with results returned by execution of the one or more previously executed queries.

7. A method of processing queries, comprising:

receiving a query;

performing a comparative analysis between the query and one or more previously executed queries to determine a difference in scope with respect to results; and

depending upon the difference in scope determined by the comparative analysis, performing one of;

executing the query against a first data source; and

restructuring the query and executing the restructured query against a second data source, where the second data source is a subset of the first data source.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the query is executed against the first data source if a scope of the query is greater than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the query is executed against the second data source if a scope of the query is less than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the query is executed against the first data source if a scope of the query is greater than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries;

and

wherein the query is executed against the second data source if the scope of the query is less than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein performing comparative analysis between the query and one or more previously executed queries to determine the difference in scope with respect to results comprises comparatively examining a structure of the query and one or more previously executed queries.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein performing comparative analysis between the query and one or more previously executed queries to determine the difference in scope with respect to results comprises comparatively examining a structure of the query and a structure of the one or more previously executed queries.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the second data source comprises one or more data structures populated with results returned by execution of the one or more previously executed queries.

14. A method of processing queries, comprising:

receiving a query;

performing comparative analysis between a structure of the query and a structure of a plurality of previously executed queries to determine a difference in scope with respect to results; and

upon determining that a results scope of the query is less than at least one of the plurality of previously executed queries;

restructuring the query; and

executing the restructured query against a first data source, where the first data source contains results returned from execution of the at least one of the plurality of previously executed queries.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first data source is a subset of a larger second data source against which the at least one of the plurality of previously executed queries was executed.

16. A computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation, comprising:

performing a comparative analysis between a query received for execution and one or more previously executed queries to determine a difference in scope with respect to results; and

submitting the query for execution against one of a first data source and a second data source depending upon the difference in scope determined by the comparative analysis, where the second data source is a subset of the first data source.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the query is submitted for execution against the first data source if a scope of the query is greater than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the query is submitted for execution against the second data source if a scope of the query is less than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, submitting the query for execution comprises:

submitting the query for execution against the first data source if a scope of the query is greater than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries; and

submitting the query for execution against the second data source if the scope of the query is less than the scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein performing comparative analysis between the query and one or more previously executed queries to determine the difference in scope with respect to results comprises comparatively examining a structure of the query and a structure of the one or more previously executed queries.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second data source comprises one or more data structures populated with results returned by execution of the one or more previously executed queries.

22. A computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation, comprising:

performing a comparative analysis between a query received for execution and one or more previously executed queries to determine a difference in scope with respect to results; and

depending upon the difference in scope determined by the comparative analysis, performing one of;

submitting the query for execution against a first data source; and

restructuring the query and submitting the restructured query for execution against a second data source, where the second data source is a subset of the first data source.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the query is executed against the first data source if a scope of the query is greater than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the query is executed against the second data source if a scope of the query is less than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the query is executed against the first data source if a scope of the query is greater than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries;

and

wherein the query is executed against the second data source if the scope of the query is less than a scope of the one or more previously executed queries.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein performing comparative analysis between the query and one or more previously executed queries to determine the difference in scope with respect to results comprises comparatively examining a structure of the query and one or more previously executed queries.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein performing comparative analysis between the query and one or more previously executed queries to determine the difference in scope with respect to results comprises comparatively examining a structure of the query and a structure of the one or more previously executed queries.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the second data source comprises one or more data structures populated with results returned by execution of the one or more previously executed queries.

29. A computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation, comprising:

performing a comparative analysis between a structure of a query received for execution and a structure of a plurality of previously executed queries to determine a difference in scope with respect to results; and

upon determining that a results scope of the query is less than at least one of the plurality of previously executed queries;

restructuring the query; and

executing the restructured query against a first data source, where the first data source contains results returned from execution of the at least one of the plurality of previously executed queries.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first data source is a subset of a larger second data source against which the at least one of the plurality of previously executed queries was executed.

31. A computer system, comprising:

a data repository, comprising a first data source and a second data source, wherein the second data source is a data subset of the first data source populated with results of previously executing queries;

a runtime component; and

a processor which, when configured with the runtime component, performs an operation comprising;

performing a comparative analysis between a structure of a query received for execution and a structure of a previously executed query to determine a difference in scope with respect to results;

upon determining that a results scope of the query is greater than the previously executed query, executing the restructured query against the first data source; and

upon determining that the results scope of the query is less than the previously executed query;

(i) restructuring the query; and

(ii) executing the restructured query against the second data source.