Patents by Inventor James L. Finnie

James L. Finnie has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11249980
    Abstract: In updating a synopsis table of a database system, a database management unit performs a transaction to insert row(s) in a section of the base table and determines whether a synopsis entry for the section is stored in the memory. If stored in the memory, the in-memory synopsis entry is retrieved and metadata values in the in-memory synopsis entry are updated with data from the row(s) to be inserted. If not stored in the memory, the in-memory synopsis entry is generated and the metadata values in the in-memory synopsis entry are updated with data from the row(s). The insert transaction is then committed. Synopsis entry on-disk updates are thus avoided, significantly reducing the cost of updating the synopsis entries from the insert transaction. This yields enhanced performance especially for inserts of a small number of rows, while the benefits of synopsis entries are still available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: James L Finnie, Sam S Lightstone, Richard S Sidle, Adam J. Storm
  • Patent number: 11182370
    Abstract: Reorganizing a data table to improve analytical database performance. Attribute value information for data blocks of the data table is determined. One or more queries having respective query predicates involving the attribute may be received and processed. Data blocks having attribute value information matching a query predicate are selected. The selected data blocks are evaluated for the query predicate of the query. For each part of a set of the parts a false positive rate may be determined. The false positive rate may indicate the fraction of data blocks of the selected data blocks of the part, that each contains less than a determined maximum number of rows that satisfy the query predicate. In response to determining the false positive rate, determining a subset of parts including the sorted part that fit into a level of granularity higher than the selected level of granularity and sorting the subset of parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas F. Boehme, Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Knut Stolze
  • Patent number: 11132388
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for processing data blocks of a data table. The data blocks comprise an attribute representing multidimensional spatial data objects, where the attribute has multiple values representing respective dimensions of the multidimensional spatial data object. The method comprises creating for each data block of the data blocks, a respective attribute metadata. The attribute metadata comprises attribute value information defining a multidimensional minimum bounding rectangle that covers attribute values of the attribute comprised in the data block. A query is processed on the multidimensional spatial data objects associated with a query area using the multidimensional minimum bounding rectangle to check whether a data block of the data blocks contains attribute values of the attribute in the query area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Knut Stolze, Mathias Trumpp
  • Patent number: 10922288
    Abstract: In an approach to storing data elements in a database, a database management unit provides a table-mapping file for enabling access to a table of a plurality of tables in a storage medium, the table-mapping file comprising a plurality of map records of a single table, a map record comprising information indicative of the table, a column of the table, a data section of the table, and a range of values of data elements included in the data section of the column. The unit receives a data element at the database via a communication interface, determines the table, column, and data section the data element is to be stored in, and stores the data element in the section file corresponding to the determined table, column and data section. The unit then updates the table-mapping file corresponding to the table, columns and data section the data element has been stored in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gordon A. Booman, James L. Finnie, Oliver Koeth, Sunil K. Sarin
  • Patent number: 10585872
    Abstract: Reorganizing a data table to improve analytical database performance is presented. Attribute value information for data blocks of the data table is determined. One or more queries having respective query predicates involving the attribute may be received and processed. Data blocks having attribute value information matching a query predicate are selected. The selected data blocks are evaluated for the query predicate of the query. For each part of a set of the parts a false positive rate may be determined. The false positive rate may indicate the fraction of data blocks of the selected data blocks of the part, that each contains less than a determined maximum number of rows that satisfy the query predicate. In response to determining for each part of the set of the parts that the determined false positive rates of the part meet a predefined condition sorting the part by the attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas F. Boehme, Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Knut Stolze
  • Patent number: 10565176
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for processing a data table. The data table is divided into a plurality of data blocks, and a multidimensional data structure for representing the plurality of data blocks is generated. For each data block of at least part of the plurality of data blocks, a respective data element is added into the multidimensional data structure. The data element has multiple values indicative of a first attribute of the data block. The multidimensional data structure is stored for selectively processing a portion of the data blocks using the multidimensional data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Oliver Schiller, Marc Schwind, Knut Stolze, Mathias Trumpp
  • Publication number: 20190243814
    Abstract: Reorganizing a data table to improve analytical database performance. Attribute value information for data blocks of the data table is determined. One or more queries having respective query predicates involving the attribute may be received and processed. Data blocks having attribute value information matching a query predicate are selected. The selected data blocks are evaluated for the query predicate of the query. For each part of a set of the parts a false positive rate may be determined. The false positive rate may indicate the fraction of data blocks of the selected data blocks of the part, that each contains less than a determined maximum number of rows that satisfy the query predicate. In response to determining the false positive rate, determining a subset of parts including the sorted part that fit into a level of granularity higher than the selected level of granularity and sorting the subset of parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas F. Boehme, Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Knut Stolze
  • Publication number: 20190228024
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for processing data blocks of a data table. The data blocks comprise an attribute representing multidimensional spatial data objects, where the attribute has multiple values representing respective dimensions of the multidimensional spatial data object. The method comprises creating for each data block of the data blocks, a respective attribute metadata. The attribute metadata comprises attribute value information defining a multidimensional minimum bounding rectangle that covers attribute values of the attribute comprised in the data block. A query is processed on the multidimensional spatial data objects associated with a query area using the multidimensional minimum bounding rectangle to check whether a data block of the data blocks contains attribute values of the attribute in the query area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Knut Stolze, Mathias Trumpp
  • Publication number: 20190220448
    Abstract: In an approach to storing data elements in a database, a database management unit provides a table-mapping file for enabling access to a table of a plurality of tables in a storage medium, the table-mapping file comprising a plurality of map records of a single table, a map record comprising information indicative of the table, a column of the table, a data section of the table, and a range of values of data elements included in the data section of the column. The unit receives a data element at the database via a communication interface, determines the table, column, and data section the data element is to be stored in, and stores the data element in the section file corresponding to the determined table, column and data section. The unit then updates the table-mapping file corresponding to the table, columns and data section the data element has been stored in.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: Gordon A. Booman, James L. Finnie, Oliver Koeth, Sunil K. Sarin
  • Patent number: 10346403
    Abstract: The method may include providing, in accordance with a column-oriented storage technique, the data table as columns corresponding to the plurality of attributes, whereby each column includes a plurality of separate data blocks. The method may also include determining the plurality of records of the provided data table for which a plurality of attribute values of at least one selected column is contained in a plurality of predetermined data blocks. The method may further include determining, for each column of at least a part of the plurality of columns within the determined plurality of records, a plurality of attribute value information descriptive of an associated attribute within the column and providing an indication of the one or more data blocks for which the plurality of attribute value information is determined. The method may also include storing the determined plurality of attribute value information for enabling query processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas F. Boehme, Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Oliver Schiller
  • Publication number: 20190197031
    Abstract: In updating a synopsis table of a database system, a database management unit performs a transaction to insert row(s) in a section of the base table and determines whether a synopsis entry for the section is stored in the memory. If stored in the memory, the in-memory synopsis entry is retrieved and metadata values in the in-memory synopsis entry are updated with data from the row(s) to be inserted. If not stored in the memory, the in-memory synopsis entry is generated and the metadata values in the in-memory synopsis entry are updated with data from the row(s). The insert transaction is then committed. Synopsis entry on-disk updates are thus avoided, significantly reducing the cost of updating the synopsis entries from the insert transaction. This yields enhanced performance especially for inserts of a small number of rows, while the benefits of synopsis entries are still available.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: James L FINNIE, Sam S LIGHTSTONE, Richard S SIDLE, Adam J. STORM
  • Patent number: 10331712
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for processing data blocks of a data table. The data blocks comprise an attribute representing multidimensional spatial data objects, where the attribute has multiple values representing respective dimensions of the multidimensional spatial data object. The method comprises creating for each data block of the data blocks, a respective attribute metadata. The attribute metadata comprises attribute value information defining a multidimensional minimum bounding rectangle that covers attribute values of the attribute comprised in the data block. A query is processed on the multidimensional spatial data objects associated with a query area using the multidimensional minimum bounding rectangle to check whether a data block of the data blocks contains attribute values of the attribute in the query area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Knut Stolze, Mathias Trumpp
  • Patent number: 10331670
    Abstract: The method may include providing, in accordance with a column-oriented storage technique, the data table as columns corresponding to the plurality of attributes, whereby each column includes a plurality of separate data blocks. The method may also include determining the plurality of records of the provided data table for which a plurality of attribute values of at least one selected column is contained in a plurality of predetermined data blocks. The method may further include determining, for each column of at least a part of the plurality of columns within the determined plurality of records, a plurality of attribute value information descriptive of an associated attribute within the column and providing an indication of the one or more data blocks for which the plurality of attribute value information is determined. The method may also include storing the determined plurality of attribute value information for enabling query processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas F. Boehme, Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Oliver Schiller
  • Patent number: 10318514
    Abstract: Reorganizing a data table to improve analytical database performance is presented. Attribute value information for data blocks of the data table is determined. One or more queries having respective query predicates involving the attribute may be received and processed. Data blocks having attribute value information matching a query predicate are selected. The selected data blocks are evaluated for the query predicate of the query. For each part of a set of the parts a false positive rate may be determined. The false positive rate may indicate the fraction of data blocks of the selected data blocks of the part, that each contains less than a determined maximum number of rows that satisfy the query predicate. In response to determining for each part of the set of the parts that the determined false positive rates of the part meet a predefined condition sorting the part by the attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas F. Boehme, Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Knut Stolze
  • Patent number: 10282349
    Abstract: In an approach to storing data elements in a database, a database management unit provides a table-mapping file for enabling access to a table of a plurality of tables in a storage medium, the table-mapping file comprising a plurality of map records of a single table, a map record comprising information indicative of the table, a column of the table, a data section of the table, and a range of values of data elements included in the data section of the column. The unit receives a data element at the database via a communication interface, determines the table, column, and data section the data element is to be stored in, and stores the data element in the section file corresponding to the determined table, column and data section. The unit then updates the table-mapping file corresponding to the table, columns and data section the data element has been stored in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gordon A. Booman, James L. Finnie, Oliver Koeth, Sunil K. Sarin
  • Patent number: 10275481
    Abstract: In updating a synopsis table of a database system, a database management unit performs a transaction to insert row(s) in a section of the base table and determines whether a synopsis entry for the section is stored in the memory. If stored in the memory, the in-memory synopsis entry is retrieved and metadata values in the in-memory synopsis entry are updated with data from the row(s) to be inserted. If not stored in the memory, the in-memory synopsis entry is generated and the metadata values in the in-memory synopsis entry are updated with data from the row(s). The insert transaction is then committed. Synopsis entry on-disk updates are thus avoided, significantly reducing the cost of updating the synopsis entries from the insert transaction. This yields enhanced performance especially for inserts of a small number of rows, while the benefits of synopsis entries are still available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James L. Finnie, Sam S Lightstone, Richard S Sidle, Adam J. Storm
  • Patent number: 10255234
    Abstract: In an approach to storing data elements in a database, a database management unit provides a table-mapping file for enabling access to a table of a plurality of tables in a storage medium, the table-mapping file comprising a plurality of map records of a single table, a map record comprising information indicative of the table, a column of the table, a data section of the table, and a range of values of data elements included in the data section of the column. The unit receives a data element at the database via a communication interface, determines the table, column, and data section the data element is to be stored in, and stores the data element in the section file corresponding to the determined table, column and data section. The unit then updates the table-mapping file corresponding to the table, columns and data section the data element has been stored in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machine Corporation
    Inventors: Gordon A. Booman, James L. Finnie, Oliver Koeth, Sunil K. Sarin
  • Patent number: 10120719
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to managing resource consumption in a computing system. An aspect includes providing a resource policy by defining a plurality of threshold values relating to the resource consumption, wherein the resources are consumed by a plurality of user-defined functions performing tasks for a database management system, wherein the user-defined functions are executed by a plurality of processes external to the database management system. Another aspect includes performing an action, as defined by the resource policy, on at least one of the user-defined functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: James L. Finnie, Torsten Steinbach, Michael Wurst
  • Publication number: 20180101555
    Abstract: Reorganizing a data table to improve analytical database performance is presented. Attribute value information for data blocks of the data table is determined. One or more queries having respective query predicates involving the attribute may be received and processed. Data blocks having attribute value information matching a query predicate are selected. The selected data blocks are evaluated for the query predicate of the query. For each part of a set of the parts a false positive rate may be determined. The false positive rate may indicate the fraction of data blocks of the selected data blocks of the part, that each contains less than a determined maximum number of rows that satisfy the query predicate. In response to determining for each part of the set of the parts that the determined false positive rates of the part meet a predefined condition sorting the part by the attribute.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas F. Boehme, Andreas Brodt, James L. Finnie, Knut Stolze
  • Patent number: 9940346
    Abstract: In a shared data system comprising one or more primary nodes and a plurality of secondary nodes, global lock manager on a primary node manages locks for shared resources by exchanging an abstract lock state with local lock managers on the secondary nodes. The abstract lock state includes a particular representation of all of the applications on the nodes that are requesting or are granted locks. The exchange of these particular lock states instead of individual requests improves performance by increasing concurrency and reducing off-machine communication. A global deadlock detector on a node detects and resolves global deadlocks, in conjunction with local deadlock detectors on the secondary nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gopi K. Attaluri, James L. Finnie, Stewart L. Palmer, Piotr M. Plachta, Garret F. Swart, Xun Xue, Roger L. Q. Zheng