Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for optimizing a query by deriving uniqueness for indices on the summary tables. The query is analyzed to determine whether a summary table can be used to answer the query or a summary table is directly referenced in the query. A determination is made whether a non-unique index of the summary table is unique based on a query definition of the summary table. If the non-unique index of the summary table is unique, then query optimization techniques can be applied.

Abstract: A system, method, and article of manufacture for supporting summary tables in a distributed database environment is disclosed. The system generally comprises a central program and a plurality of remote database systems that may be heterogeneous. The central program is configured to communicate with the database systems and to support summary tables (also referred to as materialized views) within the central program or within one or more of the database systems. The summary tables may contain summary data from one or more of the database systems. The central program may initiate the generation of summary tables, which may be populated local to the central program or local to one or more of the database systems. The central program may also maintain or coordinate maintenance of the summary tables.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for optimizing a query being performed by a computer system to retrieve data from a database stored on the computer system. The query is analyzed to identify any joins therein that are lossless and to identify any tables of the identified joins that are eligible for removal. This analysis includes partitioning the joins into lossless and lossy joins, and partitioning the tables of the joins according to their associated quantifiers, wherein each of the quantifiers has a quantifier state indicating whether the table participates in a join that is lossless. The query is then rewritten to eliminate the identified tables that are eligible for removal.

Abstract: Provided is a method, system, and program for accessing rows of data from a base table satisfying a search criteria. An initial request to access rows in the base table is received, including the search criteria specifying predicates for one or more columns in the base table. A data structure is generated to include information on qualifying base table rows that satisfy the search criteria. Notification is provided that the qualifying base table rows are accessible before information on all the qualifying base table rows is included in the data structure. A request is then received for one qualifying base table row. A determination is made as to whether the data structure includes information on the requested qualifying base table row. If so, the information in the data structure is used to provide access to the requested qualifying base table row.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for optimizing database queries uses a derived summary table, wherein a definition of the summary table is based on a full select statement that is materialized in the table and describes how the summary table was derived. The summary table definition can be a complex query involving nested GROUP BY operations as well as complex HAVING clauses with subqueries or join operations. A query is analyzed using subsumption tests between the query and the definition of the summary table to determine whether expressions occurring anywhere in the query, but not in the summary table, can be subsumed in the summary table. In performing the query, an expression in the query is subsumed in the summary table when the expression can be re-derived from one or more of the columns of the summary table.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for optimizing database queries using subsumption tests between the query and at least one summary table that comprises a cube index to determine whether an expression in the query can be subsumed in the summary table. The summary table stores at least one materialized view involving at least one GROUP BY operation the computes at least one of the following: (1) a cube, (2) a rollup, (3) a grouping set, and (4) a concatenation of cubes, rollups, grouping sets, and one or more grouping items. When the expression in the query can be subsumed in the summary table, the query is rewritten to use the summary table.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for optimizing a query being performed by a computer system to retrieve data from a database stored on the computer system. The query is analyzed to identify any joins therein that are lossless and to identify any tables of the identified joins that are eligible for removal. This analysis includes partitioning the joins into lossless and lossy joins, and partitioning the tables of the joins according to their associated quantifiers, wherein each of the quantifiers has a quantifier state indicating whether the table participates in a join that is lossless. The query is then rewritten to eliminate the identified tables that are eligible for removal.

Abstract: An optimization technique for SQL queries. A query is analyzed to determine whether it includes one or more scalar subqueries and one or more existential subqueries. The scalar subqueries and the existential subqueries are transformed into join operations using subsumption, and the join operations are merged into a single join query block. The join query block can then be executed in the computer to efficiently retrieve data from the relational database.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for simplifying and optimizing queries involving GROUP BY operations, when GROUP BY items involve constants and when there are “false” predicates in SELECT-HAVING clauses.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for optimizing database queries using a materialized view for a table referenced in the query, wherein the materialized view has different properties than the referenced table. The materialized view may be replicated across multiple processors of the computer system, so that some or all of the query can be executed in a local fashion wherein there is no data movement required to perform the operations. The materialized view also may be partitioned across multiple processors of the computer system using a different partitioning key than the referenced table. The materialized view may be a vertical and/or horizontal subset of the table, so that only selected columns and/or tuples from the table are present therein. Columns may be added to the materialized view to contain pre-computed results of complex expressions, and indices may be created on the columns of the materialized view.

Abstract: A relational data base management system includes a query processor that permits consideration of alternative query plans by the query optimizer so one table can be sent to a selected network location for subquery evaluation in consideration of maximum processing efficiency. Subqueries are converted from "predicate push-down" form to scalar subqueries, enabling upper tables to be sent to nodes of lower tables and vice versa, thereby permitting selection of the node direction depending on the least cost alternative. The optimizer of the query processor is presented with rewritten query code that permits more than one alternative for sending tables for evaluation. The optimizer evaluates the alternatives permitted by the rewritten code, determines the optimal plan for each alternative, and selects the least-cost plan from among the plans evaluated.

Abstract: Method for specifying SQL "full outer joins" which enables the use of arbitrary join conditions in specifying the query. This is enabled by equating a full outer join with a left outer join unioned with a right outer join less the matched tuples from the right outer join. A number of embodiments further present improvements in execution speed. One such improvement utilizes as a second operand of the union query a novel operator, the "ANTI-JOIN". The anti-join is implemented as a right outer join coupled with an ISNULL predicate.

Abstract: A relational data base management system includes a query processor that permits consideration of alternative query plans by the query optimizer so one table can be sent to a selected network location for subquery evaluation in consideration of maximum processing efficiency. Subqueries are converted from "predicate push-down" form to scalar subqueries, enabling upper tables to be sent to nodes of lower tables and vice versa, thereby permitting selection of the node direction depending on the least cost alternative. The optimizer of the query processor is presented with rewritten query code that permits more than one alternative for sending tables for evaluation. The optimizer evaluates the alternatives permitted by the rewritten code, determines the optimal plan for each alternative, and selects the least-cost plan from among the plans evaluated.

Abstract: A relational database management system (RDBMS) efficiently evaluates correlated subqueries by decorrelating them and taking care of the so-called SQL count bug and yet avoid using the expensive outer join operation. When there is no tuple match from a correlated subquery, the RDBMS query processor returns a tuple of null(s) from a scalar derived table, and then uses COALESCE function to generate a proper count value of zero from the null. The correlation level remains one. The query processor also performs a pass-through optimization to eliminate a join operation for floating SELECT operation by removing a join operation involving the magic operation, so that the correlation bindings are received from the correlation source table rather than the magic operation.