Dynamic context definitions in distributed databases

• US 8,458,166 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bent, Graham A., Dantressangle, Patrick, Vyvyan, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Son T
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUEN, KEITH CHI HANG
• Application Number:
  US12/248,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 707713-721, 707/705, 706 12- 14, 706/19, 706/21, 706 45- 61
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries

Abstract

A database query is received including a logical table identifier at a distributed database node within a distributed network of databases. The logical table identifier includes a dynamically-updatable constant column identifier. Local logical table definitions are filtered based upon the logical table identifier and the dynamically-updatable constant column identifier to identify a local logical table associated with the logical table identifier and the dynamically-updatable constant column identifier. A local query response is formed including data retrieved from a local physical database table mapped by the local logical table in response to identifying the local logical table associated with the logical table identifier and the dynamically-updatable constant column identifier. The database query is responded to, in response to forming the local query response, with at least the local query response. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a database query comprising a logical table identifier and a dynamically-updatable constant column identifier at a distributed database node within a distributed network of databases, where the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier specifies a requested context matching criterion to identify runtime-updatable constant columns with matching context within logical tables with identical logical table names within the distributed network of databases and where the runtime-updatable constant columns are updatable during a system runtime of use of the distributed network of databases without taking distributed database nodes out of service to allow runtime context changes for the logical tables within the distributed network of databases;

filtering local logical table definitions to identify a local logical table with a table name that matches the received logical table identifier and that comprises a locally-defined dynamically-updatable constant column identifier that matches the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier;

forming a local query response to the database query comprising data retrieved from a local physical database table mapped by the local logical table in response to identifying the local logical table with the table name that matches the received logical table identifier and that comprises the locally-defined dynamically-updatable constant column identifier that matches the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier;

responding to the database query, in response to forming the local query response, with the local query response; and

making an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node and receiving an API response, where the API call comprises an indication to a database node level of the distributed database node to change a dynamically-updatable data value associated with a runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table and a new data value, and further comprising, at the database node level in response to the API call, updating the dynamically-updatable data value associated with the runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table with the new data value during the system runtime.

2. The method of claim 1, where filtering the local logical table definitions to identify the local logical table with the table name that matches the received logical table identifier and that comprises the locally-defined dynamically-updatable constant column identifier that matches the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier comprises:

determining whether the received logical table identifier references a locally-defined logical table; and

determining, in response to determining that the logical table identifier references the local logical table, whether the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier references a runtime-updatable constant column associated with the locally-defined logical table.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

determining that the received logical table identifier does not reference a locally-defined logical table; and

determining that the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier does not reference a runtime-updatable constant column associated with the locally-defined logical table.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising at least one of rejecting the database query and responding to the database query with a null response based upon determining at least one of that the received logical table identifier does not reference the locally-defined logical table and that the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier does not reference the runtime-updatable constant column associated with the locally-defined logical table.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising making an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node and receiving an API response, where the API call comprises an indication to a database node level of the distributed database node to change a column name associated with a runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table, a new column name, and a new data value, and further comprising, at the database node level in response to the API call, renaming the runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table to the new column name during the system runtime and changing a dynamically-updatable data value associated with the runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table to the new data value during the system runtime.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising making an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node and receiving an API response, where the API call comprises an indication to a database node level of the distributed database node to add a runtime-updatable constant column to the local logical table, a column name, and a data value, and further comprising, at the database node level in response to the API call, adding the runtime-updatable constant column to the local logical table during the system runtime, naming the added runtime-updatable constant column using the column name during the system runtime, and adding the data value as a dynamically-updatable data value associated with the added runtime-updatable constant column during the system runtime.

7. The method of claim 6, where the column name comprises a database group name and where adding the runtime-updatable constant column to the local logical table during the system runtime comprises joining a database group associated with the database group name during the system runtime.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising making an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node and receiving an API response, where the API call comprises an indication to a database node level of the distributed database node to remove a runtime-updatable constant column from the local logical table and a constant column name, and further comprising, at the database node level in response to the API call, removing the runtime-updatable constant column identified by the constant column name from the local logical table during the system runtime.

9. The method of claim 8, where the constant column name comprises a database group name and where removing the runtime-updatable constant column identified by the constant column name from the local logical table during the system runtime comprises leaving a database group associated with the database group name during the system runtime.

10. A system, comprising:

a memory adapted to store context information for logical queries; and

a processor programmed to;

receive a database query comprising a logical table identifier and a dynamically-updatable constant column identifier at a distributed database node within a distributed network of databases, where the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier specifies a requested context matching criterion to identify runtime-updatable constant columns with matching context within logical tables with identical logical table names within the distributed network of databases and where the runtime-updatable constant columns are updatable during a system runtime of use of the distributed network of databases without taking distributed database nodes out of service to allow runtime context changes for the logical tables within the distributed network of databases;

filter local logical table definitions to identify a local logical table with a table name that matches the received logical table identifier and that comprises a locally-defined dynamically-updatable constant column identifier that matches the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier;

form a local query response to the database query comprising data retrieved from a local physical database table mapped by the local logical table in response to identifying the local logical table with the table name that matches the received logical table identifier and that comprises the locally-defined dynamically-updatable constant column identifier that matches the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier;

store the local query response to the memory;

respond to the database query, in response to forming the local query response, with the local query response; and

make an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node and receiving an API response, where the API call comprises an indication to a database node level of the distributed database node to change a dynamically-updatable data value associated with a runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table and a new data value, and where the processor is further programmed to, at the database node level in response to the API call, update the dynamically-updatable data value associated with the runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table with the new data value during the system runtime.

11. The system of claim 10, where, in being programmed to filter the local logical table definitions to identify the local logical table with the table name that matches the received logical table identifier and that comprises the locally-defined dynamically-updatable constant column identifier that matches the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier, the processor is programmed to:

determine whether the received logical table identifier references a locally-defined logical table; and

determine, in response to determining that the logical table identifier references the local logical table, whether the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier references a runtime-updatable constant column associated with the locally-defined logical table.

12. The system of claim 10, where the processor is further programmed to:

determine that at least one of;

the received logical table identifier does not reference a locally-defined logical table; and

the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier does not reference a runtime-updatable constant column associated with the locally-defined logical table; and

at least one of;

reject the database query; and

respond to the database query with a null response.

13. The system of claim 10, where the processor is further programmed to make an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node and receiving an API response, where the API call comprises an indication to a database node level of the distributed database node to change a column name associated with a runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table, a new column name, and a new data value, and where the processor is further programmed to, at the database node level in response to the API call, rename the runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table to the new column name during the system runtime and change a dynamically-updatable data value associated with the runtime-updatable constant column of the local logical table to the new data value during the system runtime.

14. The system of claim 10, where the processor is further programmed to make an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node and receiving an API response, where the API call comprises an indication to a database node level of the distributed database node to add a runtime-updatable constant column to the local logical table, a column name, and a data value, and where the processor is further programmed to, at the database node level in response to the API call, add the runtime-updatable constant column to the local logical table during the system runtime, name the added runtime-updatable constant column using the column name during the system runtime, and add the data value as a dynamically-updatable data value associated with the added runtime-updatable constant column during the system runtime.

15. The system of claim 14, where the column name comprises a database group name and where, in being programmed to add the runtime-updatable constant column to the local logical table during the system runtime, the processor is programmed to join a database group associated with the database group name during the system runtime.

16. The system of claim 10, where the processor is further programmed to make an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node and receiving an API response, where the API call comprises an indication to a database node level of the distributed database node to remove a runtime-updatable constant column from the local logical table and a constant column name, and where the processor is further programmed to, at the database node level in response to the API call, remove the runtime-updatable constant column identified by the constant column name from the local logical table during the system runtime.

17. The system of claim 16, where the constant column name comprises a database group name and where, in being programmed to remove the runtime-updatable constant column identified by the constant column name from the local logical table during the system runtime, the processor is programmed to leave a database group associated with the database group name during the system runtime.

18. A system, comprising:

a memory adapted to store context information for logical queries; and

a processor programmed to;

receive a database query comprising a logical table identifier and a dynamically-updatable constant column identifier at a distributed database node within a distributed network of databases, where the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier specifies a requested context matching criterion for further filtering of logical tables with identical logical table names within the distributed network of databases;

filter local logical table definitions to identify a local logical table with a table name that matches the received logical table identifier and that comprises a locally-defined dynamically-updatable constant column identifier that matches the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier; and

in response to identifying the local logical table with the table name that matches the received logical table identifier and that comprises the locally-defined dynamically-updatable constant column identifier that matches the received dynamically-updatable constant column identifier;

form a local query response to the database query comprising data retrieved from a local physical database table mapped by the local logical table;

store the local query response to the memory;

make an application programming interface (API) call to generate a query targeting a distributed logical table definition from a logical node level of the distributed database node to a database node level of the distributed database node, where the API call comprises a database group name;

create, at the database node level in response to the API call, a constant column associated with the local logical table with the database group name as a column name for the constant column to join a database group associated with the database group name;

receive an API response at the logical node level of the distributed database node; and

respond to the database query with the local query response.