Method and apparatus for pipelined processing of data

• US 8,042,041 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Group 1 Software Inc. (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Software Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Willey, Scott, Powers, Robert E., Fenn, David L., Sherman, Stephen M., Thakur, Sudheer, Gorelik, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): STORK, KYLE R
• Application Number:
  US09/565,901
• Time in Patent Office: 4,183 Days
• Field of Search: 715/525, 715/526, 715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/511, 715/514, 715/513, 715/517, 715/523, 715/530, 715/234, 715/244, 715/254, 715/243, 715/251, 715/255, 709/223, 709/201, 709/203
• US Class Current: 715/251
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A method and apparatus for pipelined processing of data are described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a user request to process data, obtaining the data from a data storage based on the user request, grouping the set of data to create a hierarchical data, and paginating the hierarchical data to create a paginated result set. The pagination begins before the grouping is completed. The method further includes transferring one or more pages of the paginated result set to a client. The transferring begins before the pagination is completed.

Claims

1. A method for pipelined processing of data, the method comprising:

receiving a user request to process data;

obtaining the data from a data storage based upon the user request;

grouping at least a portion of the data to create a hierarchical data;

paginating at least a portion of the hierarchical data by dividing the data into pages to create a paginated result set, the pagination beginning before the grouping completes; and

transferring one or more pages of the paginated result set to a client before the pagination completes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more pages are identified by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a client is any one of a web server, a design studio, and a browser.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising randomly accessing pages of the paginated result set by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

setting an indicator to notify the user what pages are available to be accessed; and

updating the indicator once more pages are available to be accessed.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein paginating the grouped data includes building an index of report pages.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the paginated result set in a cache.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a second user request to process the data;

retrieving one or more pages of the paginated result set from the cache; and

displaying the one or more pages to the user.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transferring a page including a total value field to the client before a total value is determined;

displaying the page to the user, the total value field being marked as pending; and

updating the total value field with the total value once the total value is determined.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the user request identifies a plan to be used for processing the data.

11. An apparatus for pipelined processing of data, the apparatus including a processor, the apparatus further comprising:

means for receiving a user request to process data;

means for obtaining the data from a data storage based upon the user request;

means for grouping at least a portion of the data to create a hierarchical data;

means for paginating at least a portion of the hierarchical data by dividing the data into pages to create a paginated result set, the pagination beginning before the grouping completes;

means for transferring one or more pages of the paginated result set to a client before the pagination completes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the one or more pages are identified by the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a client is any one of a web server, a design studio, and a browser.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising means for randomly accessing pages of the paginated result set by the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for setting an indicator to notify the user what pages are available to be accessed; and

means for updating the indicator once more pages are available to be accessed.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein means for paginating the grouped data includes means for building an index of report pages.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising means for saving the paginated result set in a cache.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

means for receiving a second user request to process the data;

means for retrieving one or more pages of the paginated result set from the cache; and

means for displaying the one or more pages to the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for transferring a page including a total value field to the client before a total value is determined;

means for displaying the page to the user, the total value field being marked as pending; and

means for updating the total value field with the total value once the total value is determined.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the user request identifies a plan to be used for processing the data.

21. A computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for pipelined processing of data, the method comprising:

receiving a user request to process data;

obtaining the data from a data storage based upon the user request;

grouping at least a portion of the data to create a hierarchical data;

paginating at least a portion of the hierarchical data by dividing the data into pages to create a paginated result set, the pagination beginning before the grouping completes; and

transferring one or more pages of the paginated result set to a client before the pagination completes.