Dynamically sizing buffers to optimal size in network layers when supporting data transfers related to database applications

• US 7,827,141 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Itikarlapalli, Krishna Mohan, Bande, Amit, Chatterjee, Debashish
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nofal; Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US10/908,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/622
• US Class Current: 707/622
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24552 Database cache management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements

Abstract

In transferring data from/to a database server, the size of a network buffer used by a network layer is dynamically adjusted according to the call type and expected size of data to be transferred for the call. Due to such use of appropriate buffer size, throughput performance of the transfer may be enhanced.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of transferring data from a first database system to a second database system using multiple computing layers, said computing layers containing an application layer, a network layer, and a set of intermediate layers between said network layer and said application layer, said method being performed in said first database system, said method comprising:

in a database application comprised in an application layer of said set of upper layers implemented in said first database system, formulating a first call and then a second call, both said first call and said second call for transferring respective data to an application layer in said second database system;

receiving in said set of intermediate layers, said first call and then said second call;

at said set of intermediate layers, estimating a first expected amount of data and a second expected amount of data to be transferred for said first call and said second call respectively, wherein said first expected amount of data is larger than said second expected amount of data;

at said set of intermediate layers, determining a first TCP/IP buffer size based on said first expected amount of data and determining a second TCP/IP buffer size based on said second expected amount of data, wherein said first TCP/IP buffer size is larger than said second TCP/IP buffer size when said first expected amount of data is larger than said second expected amount of data;

communicating from said set of intermediate layers to said network layer said first TCP/IP buffer size used for transferring data associated with said first call and said second TCP/IP buffer size used for transferring data associated with said second call;

at said network layer, providing a first TCP/IP buffer of said first TCP/IP buffer size for transferring data of said first call and providing a second TCP/IP buffer of said second TCP/IP buffer size for transferring data of said second call, wherein said first TCP/IP buffer size is more than said second TCP/IP buffer size in response to said communicating;

storing in said first TCP/IP buffer a first data provided in said first call, and storing in said second TCP/IP buffer a second data provided in said second call; and

transferring said first data stored in said first TCP/IP buffer and said second data stored in said second TCP/IP buffer to said second database system via TCP/IP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of intermediate layers comprises a presentation layer at which said estimating, said determining and said communicating are performed,

wherein said presentation layer converts said first data and said second data into corresponding data consistent with a format suitable for said second database system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said estimating is according to a type of said first call and said second call.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said type said first call is of large object (LOB) type, whereby larger buffer size is determined for transferring the data provided in said first call.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said first call and said second call are generated on a single connection set up between said first database system and said second database system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said presentation layer receives said first call and said second call after said single connection is set up.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said network layer uses system calls for storing data related to calls in TCP/IP buffers, wherein a number of said system calls are reduced due to said estimating and said determining.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating said first TCP/IP buffer size to said second database system such that said second database system can adjust a size of a corresponding TCP/IP buffer used while receiving said first data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a third TCP/IP buffer size used by said second database system for sending a third data corresponding to a third call,

wherein said providing provides a third TCP/IP buffer of said third TCP/IP buffer size in said first database system;

storing said third data in said third TCP/IP buffer upon receipt from said second database system; and

forwarding said third data stored in said third TCP/IP buffer to said database application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first call is a write call.

11. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more sequence of instructions causing a first data base system to transfer data to a second database system using multiple computing layers, said computing layers containing an application layer, a network layer, and a set of intermediate layers between said network layer and said application layer, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said first database system causes said first database system to perform the actions of:

in a database application comprised in an application layer of said set of upper layers implemented in said first database system, formulating a first call and then a second call, both said first call and said second call for transferring respective data to an application layer in said second database system;

receiving in said set of intermediate layers, said first call and then said second call;

at said set of intermediate layers, estimating a first expected amount of data and a second expected amount of data to be transferred for said first call and said second call respectively, wherein said first expected amount of data is larger than said second expected amount of data;

at said set of intermediate layers, determining a first TCP/IP buffer size based on said first expected amount of data and determining a second TCP/IP buffer size based on said second expected amount of data, wherein said first TCP/IP buffer size is larger than said second TCP/IP buffer size when said first expected amount of data is larger than said second expected amount of data;

communicating from said set of intermediate layers to said network layer said first TCP/IP buffer size used for transferring data associated with said first call and said second TCP/IP buffer size used for transferring data associated with said second call;

at said network layer, providing a first TCP/IP buffer of said first TCP/IP buffer size for transferring data of said first call and providing a second TCP/IP buffer of said second TCP/IP buffer size for transferring data of said second call, wherein said first TCP/IP buffer size is more than said second TCP/IP buffer size in response to said communicating;

storing in said first TCP/IP buffer a first data provided in said first call, and storing in said second TCP/IP buffer a second data provided in said second call; and

transferring said first data stored in said first TCP/IP buffer and said second data stored in said second TCP/IP buffer to said second database system via TCP/IP.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said set of intermediate layers comprises a presentation layer at which said estimating, said determining and said communicating are performed,

wherein said presentation layer converts said first data and said second data into corresponding data consistent with a format suitable for said second database system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first call and said second call are generated on a single connection set up between said first database system and said second database system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said network layer uses system calls for storing data related to calls in TCP/IP buffers, wherein a number of said system calls are reduced due to said estimating and said determining, and wherein said first call is a write call.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating said first TCP/IP buffer size to said second database system such that said second database system can adjust a size of a corresponding TCP/IP buffer used while receiving said first data.

16. A first database system for transferring data to a second database system using multiple computing layers, said computing layers containing an application layer, a network layer, and a set of intermediate layers between said network layer and said application layer, said first database system comprising:

a memory to store a set of instructions;

one or more processors to retrieve and execute said set of instructions, which cause said first database system to perform the actions of;

in a database application comprised in an application layer of said set of upper layers implemented in said first database system, formulating a first call and then a second call, both said first call and said second call for transferring respective data to an application layer in said second database system;

receiving in said set of intermediate layers, said first call and then said second call;

at said set of intermediate layers, estimating a first expected amount of data and a second expected amount of data to be transferred for said first call and said second call respectively, wherein said first expected amount of data is larger than said second expected amount of data;

at said set of intermediate layers, determining a first TCP/IP buffer size based on said first expected amount of data and determining a second TCP/IP buffer size based on said second expected amount of data, wherein said first TCP/IP buffer size is larger than said second TCP/IP buffer size when said first expected amount of data is larger than said second expected amount of data;

communicating from said set of intermediate layers to said network layer said first TCP/IP buffer size used for transferring data associated with said first call and said second TCP/IP buffer size used for transferring data associated with said second call;

at said network layer, providing a first TCP/IP buffer of said first TCP/IP buffer size for transferring data of said first call and providing a second TCP/IP buffer of said second TCP/IP buffer size for transferring data of said second call, wherein said first TCP/IP buffer size is more than said second TCP/IP buffer size in response to said communicating;

storing in said first TCP/IP buffer a first data provided in said first call, and storing in said second TCP/IP buffer a second data provided in said second call; and

transferring said first data stored in said first TCP/IP buffer and said second data stored in said second TCP/IP buffer to said second database system via TCP/IP.

17. The first database system of claim 16, wherein said set of intermediate layers comprises a presentation layer at which said estimating, said determining and said communicating are performed,

wherein said presentation layer converts said first data and said second data into corresponding data consistent with a format suitable for said second database system.

18. The first database system of claim 17, wherein said first call and said second call are generated on a single connection set up between said first database system and said second database system.

19. The first database system of claim 17, wherein said network layer uses system calls for storing data related to calls in TCP/IP buffers, wherein a number of said system calls are reduced due to said estimating and said determining, and wherein said first call is a write call.

20. The first database system of claim 16, further comprising:

communicating said first TCP/IP buffer size to said second database system such that said second database system can adjust a size of a corresponding TCP/IP buffer used while receiving said first data.