Patents Assigned to Oracle Corporation
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Patent number: 5860144Abstract: An addressing method and system for accessing a very large size physical buffer by a number of processes. The novel system is applicable within a computer system having an n-bit computer operating system (e.g., where n is 16, 32, 64, etc.). The addressing method allocates a relatively small window of virtual address space, for each software process, which is used to access the very large physical buffer using a relatively small amount of operating system memory overhead. A page frame number (PFN) table of the system address space maintains a listing of physical memory pages used to define the very large physical buffer. The PFN table is used by each process to translate between a relative page number (RPN) and an address of a physical memory page containing the record. The virtual address space ("window") of each process is used to access the physical memory buffer and contains a hash table, a virtual access control block (VACB) free list, and a VACB table.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 1996Date of Patent: January 12, 1999Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Richard Frank, Gopalan Arun, Richard Anderson, Stephen Klein
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Patent number: 5860070Abstract: In a database table with rows each having respective key values, the locking of a key value to enforce key-value uniqueness is accomplished by (a) mapping the key value into a set of hash values to produce a resulting hash value, and (b) locking all key values (i.e., preventing writing of key values in new rows and preventing updates creating new key values in existing rows) that map into the resulting hash value. This provides a compromise between the high-granularity and high-cost solution of indexing, and the low-cost but very low-granularity solution of table-level locking. One useful application of this technique lies in the enforcement of uniqueness of multi-column keys in the table without incurring the cost of indexing all possible combinations of column values that might comprise key values.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1996Date of Patent: January 12, 1999Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Daniel S. Tow, John T. Kucera
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Patent number: 5857180Abstract: The present invention implements parallel processing in a Database Management System. The present invention provides the ability to locate transaction and recovery information at one location and eliminates the need for read locks and two-phased commits. The present invention provides the ability to dynamically partition row sources for parallel processing. Parallelism is based on the ability to parallelize a row source, the partitioning requirements of consecutive row sources and the entire row source tree, and any specification in the SQL statement. A Query Coordinator assumes control of the processing of a entire query and can execute serial row sources. Additional threads of control, Query Server, execute a parallel operators. Parallel operators are called data flow operators (DFOs). A DFO is represented as structured query language (SQL) statements and can be executed concurrently by multiple processes, or query slaves.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 1997Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Gary Hallmark, Daniel Leary
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Patent number: 5852822Abstract: A method and apparatus for building, maintaining, and using a multi-level index is provided. The multi-level index is accessed using a key. The key is divided into multiple portions referred to as sub-keys. The first level of the multi-level index is built on a first-level sub-key. Each index entry at the first-level is for a particular first-level sub-key value, and either includes sub-entries associated with second-level sub-key values or a reference to a second-level data retrieval structure. All second-level data retrieval structures are built on the portion of the key that has been designated as the second-level sub-key. As the vocabulary of the first-level sub-key becomes exhausted, fewer maintenance operations will have to be performed to maintain the first-level data retrieval structure. This decreases the overhead and increases the concurrency in a database system that uses the multiple-level index.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 1996Date of Patent: December 22, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Jagannathan Srinivasan, Samuel DeFazio, Jayanta Banerjee, Chuck Freiwald, Souripriya Das
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Patent number: 5852818Abstract: A method for non-recursive data driven parameter evaluation within an information management system (e.g., a relational database management system, RDBMS). Parameters are attributes within an RDBMS system whose value can be modified to influence the manner in which a database environment responds. Depending on the character of the data within a database environment or the hardware resources allocated to the database, the parameter values have a large influence on the performance efficiency of the database. For instance, a parameter value may influence the memory size of certain data storage areas within a database environment and, if set too small, can cause an inefficiently large amount of input/output accesses to occur as data is moved in and out of disk storage. Also, many parameters are data dependent on other parameters. The novel system presents an automated system for evaluating parameters using a non-recursive evaluation process.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1996Date of Patent: December 22, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Todd Guay, Gregory Smith, Geoffrey Wilson, Gaylen Royal, Jonathan Riel
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Patent number: 5850517Abstract: A client-server architecture for use with mobile clients communicating requests through wireless communications. The requests from the client and the subsequent responses by the server are transferred between the client-server connection through an intermediary agent, which operates asynchronously to the client and to the server.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 1995Date of Patent: December 15, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Jay L. Verkler, Mark L. Lambert, Kenneth L. Harrenstien, Muhammad Shafiq, Larry E. Neumann, Daniel van der Rijn
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Patent number: 5850547Abstract: The present invention performs parallel processing of aggregate functions in a computing system. Partitioned into multiple subsets of data and each of the multiple subsets of data is allocated to one of a plurality of processes. Intermediate aggregations are performed in parallel by the plurality of processes on each of the multiple subsets of data. Each intermediate aggregation yields at least one intermediate value, wherein the at least one intermediate value is represented in an internal type format. The intermediate values from each of the intermediate aggregations are merged into a final aggregation value.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 1997Date of Patent: December 15, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: William H. Waddington, Jeffrey I. Cohen
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Patent number: 5850507Abstract: A method and system for recovering after a crash of an instance in a database is disclosed. According to the method, transaction information corresponding to all the transactions that existed in the failed instance is inspected. These transactions that were active at the time the instance crashed are marked as "dead." The database is made available to users after updating the transaction information and before undoing all of the changes or updates performed by dead transactions. The changes made by the dead transactions may be undone by new transactions on a on-demand basis after the database is made available. Specifically, when a new transaction is waiting to obtain a lock on a resource held by another transaction, the new transaction determines whether the owner of the lock is one of the dead transactions. If so, the new transaction rolls back some or all of the changes made by the dead transaction.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 1996Date of Patent: December 15, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Gary C. Ngai, Hasan Rizvi, Leng Leng Tan
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Patent number: 5848408Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing star queries is provided. According to the method, a star query is transformed by adding to the star query subqueries that are not in the query. The subqueries are generated based on join predicates and constraints on dimension tables that are contained in the original query. The subqueries are executed, and the values returned by the subqueries are used to access one or more bitmap indexes built on columns of the fact table. The bitmaps retrieved for the values returned by each subquery are merged to create one subquery bitmap per subquery. An AND operation is performed on the subquery bitmaps, and the resulting bitmap is used to determine which data to retrieve from the fact table.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1997Date of Patent: December 8, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Hakan Jakobsson, Cetin Ozbutun, William H. Waddington
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Patent number: 5848405Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying new data stored in data warehouses by storing the new data records at contiguous storage locations, and storing range data that specifies the range of the contiguous storage locations. New data is identified in the database by storing the start location and the end location of the contiguous range of data location, enabling server processes to access the new data records based on the stored range data, without needing to identify the new data records on a row-by-row basis. The arrangement for identifying new data is effective for updating existing summary information of existing data in view of the new data, for example, by generating a delta summary. The delta summary, representing summary information corresponding to the new data, can then be merged with the existing summary data to complete updating the summary data in view of the new data.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1997Date of Patent: December 8, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventor: William D. Norcott
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Patent number: 5848270Abstract: A system and method for modeling the size of a computer system. In one embodiment, the present invention receives selected workload information which indicates the expected performance requirements for a desired computer system. The present invention calculates the busy time and a utilization percentage for a central processing unit which is subjected to the selected workload. The present invention also calculates the minimum amount of memory and the mass storage requirements for a modeled computer system subjected to the selected workload and wherein the modeled computer system is equipped with the aforementioned central processing unit. In so doing, the present invention indicates the processor, memory, and mass storage requirements for a computer system without requiring that the computer system actually be constructed and tested.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1996Date of Patent: December 8, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Steven A. DeLuca, Andrew Rist
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Patent number: 5845296Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing segmented arrays in a database system. According to one embodiment of the invention, rather than allocating a contiguous block of memory for each array, the memory for storing at least selected arrays is broken into smaller pieces of memory referred to herein as memory segments. When the memory for an array is broken into memory segments, the array is referred to herein as a "segmented array." Each memory segment associated with a segmented array is divided into one or more memory areas, each of which represent an element of that array. The memory segments associated with a segmented array need not be contiguous. According to another aspect of the invention, the number of segments allocated for a segmented array can be increased or decreased during execution. According to yet another aspect of the invention, only some of the memory segments required to store a segmented array are initially allocated.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 1996Date of Patent: December 1, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Amit Jasuja, Roger Taranto, Juan Loaiza, Gianfranco Putzolu
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Patent number: 5845128Abstract: A software release system includes a customization copier and a ship list file. The ship list file enumerates a set of files contained in the new software release and includes a revision indicator, a file size and a checksum for each file in the new software release. The customization copier detects customizations to an old release by analyzing the revision indicators, the file sizes and the checksums.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1996Date of Patent: December 1, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Kenton E. Noble, Richard J. Lotero
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Patent number: 5842220Abstract: A class signature interface exposes members of an object class in an object oriented software system by exposing access information to the member. The class signature interface has application for use with object models that require client objects to utilize the functionality of server objects through interfaces, such as required by the Component Object Model (COM). Class signature interfaces expose interfaces supported by the object class to provide time constant access to the interfaces of the object class. The class signature interfaces also expose attributes and methods, defined directly on the class level. The class signature interface has further application for use in an object oriented software system to add additional class members to an object class without adding the class members to a separate interface.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1997Date of Patent: November 24, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Michael De Groot, Christopher Brumme
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Patent number: 5842201Abstract: A method and apparatus for retrieving and displaying detail data is provided which allows a user to dictate the timing of detail data retrieval. Upon selection of a master record, if a user indicates that he wishes to immediately view the detail data associated with the master record, and if the window that actually displays that data is currently visible to the user, then the detail data is automatically retrieved and displayed. Conversely, if the user indicates that he does not need to view the detail data, and if the window that would actually display such data is currently visible to the user, then no detail data is retrieved or displayed until the user affirmatively requests it (that is, "activates" the master record). In all cases, if the window that will actually display such detail data is not visible to the user, the data in that window is not retrieved. Thus, detail data is retrieved and displayed only when necessary (i.e.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1996Date of Patent: November 24, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventor: Peter Wallack
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Patent number: 5842197Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for creating an index is disclosed. All data repositories containing the data necessary to create the index are identified, and one of these data repositories is then selected based on a predetermined criteria. The predetermined criteria includes the size of the possible data repositories, or a determination of which data repository will require the least amount of sorting. The selected data repository is then used to create an index.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 1996Date of Patent: November 24, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventor: Alexander Channing Ho
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Patent number: 5835762Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for processing electronic mail in parallel. The present invention provides the ability to process mail objects in an electronic mail system in parallel. A message can be assigned to a queue. One or more processes can manage a plurality of messages in the queue. Each process can identify the next entry to be processed. Entries previously processed can be marked such that subsequent access is locked out. Mail objects and process information can be stored in a relational database system that provides the ability to perform locking at the record level. A process can be configured to perform a plurality of activities in a plurality of time periods. A guardian process can initiate or terminate other processes based on process information. Further, a guardian process examines system information periodically and identifies any need to initiate, restart, or stop one or more processes.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1997Date of Patent: November 10, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Steven S. Gans, Farzad Nazem
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Patent number: 5832521Abstract: A method and apparatus for supplying a particular version of a data item to a transaction executing in a first database server is provided. The data item is in a database accessible by the first database server and one or more other database servers. The method involves determining whether a current version of the data item resides in a cache that is remote relative to the first database server. If the current version of the data item does not reside in a cache that is remote relative to the first database server, then a first derivation mechanism that is local to the first database server to derives the particular version of the data item from the current version of the data item. If the current version of the data item resides in a cache that is remote relative to the first database server, then a second derivation mechanism that is local to the cache derives the particular version of the data item from the current version of the data item.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1997Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Boris Klots, Roger J. Bamford
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Patent number: 5832485Abstract: A method and apparatus for selectively allowing data presented in a join view to be modified is disclosed. Data presented in a join view is allowed to be modified if provided to the join view by a key-preserved table. A table is a key-preserved table with respect to a join view if each of the keys of the table is a key of the join view. Key-preserved tables may be identified by inspecting the definition of a join view to identify the base tables of the join view and to generate a graph. In the graph, each node corresponds to one of the base tables. Directed edges between nodes of the graph correspond to relationships, specified in the definition of the join view, between the base tables. The graph is reduced to strong components, each of which corresponds to a set of the base tables in which each base table in the set is routed to each other base table in the set by one or more directed edges.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 1996Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventor: Atif Chaudhry
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Patent number: 5832516Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering an object that includes logged data and a set of non-logged data is provided. According to the method, a copy of the object resides in volatile memory. A change is made to the copy of the object. If the change does not change any data within the object other than the non-logged data, then the change is made to the copy of the object without generating redo information. If the change changes any data within the object other than the non-logged data, then redo information is generated in response to the change. The redo information is stored on non-volatile storage. After a failure, the redo information is used to restore all data within the object other than the non-logged data. The non-logged data may be restored by retrieving the non-logged data from a different object for which redo information was generated for the non-logged data. A description of how this technique may be used to efficiently perform selective non-deferred block cleanout is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 1997Date of Patent: November 3, 1998Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Roger J. Bamford, Leng Leng Tan