Distributed Column Chunk Data Store Query Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Distributed storage systems fail to scale well for data mining and business intelligence applications due to inefficient data retrieval and processing of large volumes, particularly with terabytes of data, and lack semantic operations for data storage and retrieval.

Innovation Solution

A distributed column chunk data store system that partitions data tables into column chunks, distributes them across multiple storage servers, and uses a storage services manager for striping and compression, along with query processing servers that dynamically determine a hierarchy of servers for distributed query processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If distributed storage systems store large volumes of data across multiple servers, then data capacity increases, but data retrieval efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata capacityVSAvoiddata retrieval efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments data tables into column chunks that can be independently stored and retrieved across multiple servers. This allows the system to maintain large data capacity while improving retrieval efficiency by only fetching relevant column chunks rather than entire tables, directly resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and retrieval efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If distributed databases retrieve rows with many columns, then complete data is obtained, but retrieval efficiency deteriorates when only few columns are needed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata completenessVSAvoidretrieval efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary column chunks required to answer a query, rather than retrieving entire rows with all their columns. This extraction mechanism eliminates unnecessary data transfer while maintaining data completeness for the specific query, resolving the contradiction between information completeness and retrieval efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Quantity of substance

If traditional distributed databases are used for data mining applications, then data storage is achieved, but processing speed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata storage capacityVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments both data storage and processing operations into column chunk units that can be processed in parallel across multiple servers. This segmentation enables simultaneous processing of different column chunks, dramatically improving processing speed for data mining applications while maintaining large storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-computing and storing intermediate results of data mining operations in the distributed cache. This preliminary computation reduces the processing speed requirement for subsequent queries, as results can be quickly retrieved from cache rather than重新 computed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of manufacture

If distributed file systems provide low-level storage primitives, then storage functionality is achieved, but semantic operations for data retrieval are lacking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage functionalityVSAvoidsemantic operations capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a multi-functional system where the distributed storage infrastructure simultaneously provides low-level storage primitives and high-level semantic operations. The column chunk architecture enables both basic file operations and advanced data mining operations like aggregation, filtering, and joining across distributed data, achieving universality that resolves the contradiction between storage functionality and semantic operation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS7921132B2System for query processing of column chunks in a distributed column chunk data store
Publication Date: 2011.04.05 GOOGLE LLC
  • US7921132B2 patent drawing
  • US7921132B2 patent drawing
  • US7921132B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An improved system and method for query processing in a distributed column chunk data store is provided. A distributed column chunk data store may be provided by multiple storage servers operably coupled to a network. A storage server provided may include a database engine for partitioning a data table into the column chunks for distributing across multiple storage servers, a storage shared memory for storing the column chunks during processing of semantic operations performed on the column chunks, and a storage services manager for striping column chunks of a partitioned data table across multiple storage servers. Query processing may be performed by storage servers or query processing servers operably coupled by a network to storage servers in the column chunk data store. To do so, a hierarchy of servers may be dynamically determined to process execution steps of a query transformed for distributed processing.