Systems and methods for scheduling data flow execution based on an arbitrary graph describing the desired data flow

• US 7,953,891 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Howey, James K., Blaszczak, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US10/391,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,996 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 715/763
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management

Abstract

The data transformation system in one embodiment, comprises a capability to receive data, a data destination and a capability to store transformed data, and a data transformation pipeline that constructs complex end-to-end data transformation functionality by pipelining data flowing from one or more sources to one or more destinations through various interconnected nodes for transforming the data as it flows. Each component in the pipeline possesses predefined data transformation functionality, and the logical connections between components define the data flow pathway in an operational sense.

The data transformation pipeline enables a user to develop complex end-to-end data transformation functionality by graphically describing and representing, via a GUI,a desired data flow from one or more sources to one or more destinations through various interconnected nodes (graph). Each node in the graph selected by the user represents predefined data transformation functionality, and connections between nodes define the data flow pathway.

Claims

1. A computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service comprising:

a computer readable storage medium coupled to a processor, wherein the computer readable storage medium includes instructions for;

a data retrieval system to receive data from a source;

a data transformation pipeline comprising;

a plurality of component objects;

a graphical user interface by which a user can diagrammatically represent a data transformation as a series of interconnected nodes in a graph, each node depicted as a graphical representation and representing predefined data transformation functionality and corresponding to a component object from among the plurality of components objects, each node interconnected to another node by way of a graphical representation of an edge wherein the edge represent the data flow between nodes;

an interpreter that traverses the series of interconnected nodes in the graph and translates the graph into a data flow execution plan, said data flow execution plan for obtaining the data, transforming the data, and releasing the data, and at least one work list, said list comprising at least one work item;

a pipeline engine to build the data flow execution based on the data flow execution plan, said data flow execution comprising a set of components instantiated from the plurality of component objects; and

a scheduler that executes at least one work item in at least one work list;

a destination data storage system to store data.

2. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation pipeline of claim 1 wherein at least one instantiated component from among the set of components is defined by its inputs and outputs.

3. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation pipeline of claim 1 wherein at least two uninstantiated components from among the plurality of component objects were developed on different platforms.

4. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation pipeline of claim 1 wherein the computer readable storage medium comprises instructions for:

an extraction component for extracting data from an external data source; and

a loading component for loading data to an external data destination.

5. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service of claim 4 wherein the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for storing the data extracted from an external data source in a buffer.

6. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service of claim 5 wherein the data in the buffer is transformed by a component without being copied to another buffer.

7. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service of claim 5 wherein the instructions for the scheduler automatically allocates sufficient space in the buffer for the external data stored in the buffer to be split without being copies to another buffer.

8. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service of claim 5 wherein the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for enabling at least one component to directly transform the data in the buffer.

9. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service of claim 8 wherein the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for enabling at least one additional component to directly transform the data in the buffer.

10. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service of claim 1 wherein the set of work items comprises instructions for:

extracting data from a data source;

providing data to a component;

splitting data from a single path onto two or more paths;

merging data from two or more paths into a single path; and

providing data to a data destination.

11. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service of claim 1 wherein the instructions for the scheduler include instructions for managing both synchronous and asynchronous components in the graph.

12. The computer system configured to effectuate data transformation service of claim 1 wherein:

at least one instantiated component from among the set of components is defined by its inputs and outputs;

the scheduler further comprises instructions for an extraction component for extracting data from an external data source and a loading component for loading data to an external data destination;

the scheduler further comprises instructions for storing the data extracted from an external data source in a buffer;

the data in the buffer is transformed by a component without being copied to another buffer;

the scheduler further comprises instructions for automatically allocating sufficient space in the buffer for the external data stored in the buffer to be split without being copies to another buffer;

the scheduler further comprises instructions for enabling at least two components to directly transform the data in the buffer;

the instructions for the data transformation pipeline further comprises instructions for optimizing a direct translation of the graph into an optimized translation for the graph; and

each work item is one of the set of work items comprising;

extracting data from a data source, providing data to a component, splitting data from a single path onto two or more paths, merging data from two or more paths into a single path, and providing data to a data destination.

13. A computer readable storage medium where the medium excludes signals, for effectuating a data transformation pipeline comprising instructions for:

a plurality of component objects;

a graphical user interface by which a user can diagrammatically represent a data transformation as a series of interconnected nodes in a graph, each node depicted as a graphical representation and representing predefined data transformation functionality and corresponding to a component object from among the plurality of components objects, each node interconnected to another node by way of a graphical representation of an edge wherein the edge represent the data flow between nodes;

an interpreter that traverses the graph and translates the series of interconnected nodes in the graph into a data flow execution plan and at least one work list, said data flow execution plan for obtaining the data, transforming the data, and releasing the data, said list comprising at least one work item;

a pipeline engine to build the data flow execution based on the data flow execution plan, said data flow execution comprising a set of components instantiated from the plurality of component objects; and

a scheduler that executes at least one work item in at least one work list.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein at least one instantiated component from among the set of components is defined by its inputs and outputs.

15. The computer readable storage medium data transformation pipeline of claim 13 wherein at least two uninstantiated components from among the plurality of component objects were developed on different platforms.

16. The computer readable storage medium data transformation pipeline of claim 13 wherein the set of components comprises instructions for:

an extraction component for extracting data from an external data source; and

a loading component for loading data to an external data destination.

17. The computer readable storage medium data transformation pipeline of claim 16 wherein the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for storing the data extracted from an external data source in a buffer.

18. The computer readable storage medium data transformation pipeline of claim 17 wherein the data in the buffer is transformed by a component without being copied to another buffer.

19. The computer readable storage medium data transformation pipeline of claim 17 wherein the instructions for the scheduler automatically allocates sufficient space in the buffer for the external data stored in the buffer to be split without being copies to another buffer.

20. The computer readable storage medium data transformation pipeline of claim 17 wherein the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for a enabling at least one component to directly transform the data in the buffer.

21. The computer readable storage medium data transformation pipeline of claim 20 wherein the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for enabling at least one additional component to directly transform the data in the buffer.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein each work item is the set of work items comprises instructions for comprising:

extracting data from a data source;

providing data to a component;

splitting data from a single path onto two or more paths;

merging data from two or more paths into a single path; and

providing data to a data destination.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions for the scheduler include instructions for functionality for managing both synchronous and asynchronous components in the graph.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein:

at least one instantiated component from among the set of components is defined by its inputs and outputs;

the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for extracting data from an external data source and a loading component for loading data to an external data destination;

the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for storing the data extracted from an external data source in a buffer;

the data in the buffer is transformed by a component without being copied to another buffer;

the instructions for the scheduler further comprising instructions for automatically allocating sufficient space in the buffer for the external data stored in the buffer to be split without being copies to another buffer;

the instructions for the scheduler further comprises instructions for enabling at least two components to directly transform the data in the buffer;

the instructions for the data transformation pipeline further comprises instructions for optimizing a direct translation of the graph into an optimized translation for the graph; and

each work item is one of the set of work items comprises instructions for extracting data from a data source, providing data to a component, splitting data from a single path onto two or more paths, merging data from two or more paths into a single path, and providing data to a data destination.