XML Document Partitioning to Minimize Inter-Partition Links
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Managing and partitioning large collections of interlinked XML documents across multiple machines becomes inefficient due to excessive link traversal across partition boundaries, leading to performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
A partitioning mechanism that assigns documents to partitions based on whether moving them reduces the number of inter-partition links by converting inter-partition links to intra-partition links, using weight factors to prioritize certain link types and traversals, and dynamically adjusting partition configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If XML documents are partitioned across multiple machines to enable parallel processing, then processing scalability is improved, but link traversal cost increases due to excessive inter-partition links
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-computing and storing link statistics (in-degree, out-degree, hop counts) for each document before partitioning occurs. This advance preparation enables the partitioning algorithm to make informed decisions about optimal document distribution without requiring extensive real-time analysis during the actual partitioning process, thus reducing overall computational overhead while achieving effective partitioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the partitioning approach by using weighted link counts as parameters to guide document distribution. Instead of uniform partitioning, the system adjusts partitioning decisions based on link weight parameters (in-degree, out-degree, hop count) to minimize inter-partition links. This parameter-driven approach optimizes the balance between processing scalability and link traversal cost by strategically distributing documents based on their linkage characteristics.
2Device complexity
If documents are randomly assigned to partitions, then partitioning simplicity is improved, but inter-partition link count increases leading to performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by customizing partitioning decisions for each document based on its specific link characteristics (in-degree, out-degree, hop count). Instead of uniform treatment, each document is evaluated individually and assigned to partitions that optimize its link traversal patterns. This localized optimization reduces inter-partition links for documents with high connectivity while maintaining simple partitioning for documents with fewer links, balancing complexity and performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The partitioning mechanism incorporates feedback by using computed link statistics (in-degree, out-degree, hop count) to guide subsequent partitioning decisions. The system feeds back the link characteristics of documents to the partitioning algorithm, which then adjusts document distribution to minimize inter-partition links. This feedback loop ensures that partitioning decisions are data-driven and optimized for actual link patterns rather than being arbitrary or purely random.
3Productivity
If link traversal across partition boundaries is minimized, then query performance is improved, but partitioning complexity increases due to need for optimal document distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary computation of link statistics (in-degree, out-degree, hop counts) for all documents before the actual partitioning occurs. This advance preparation simplifies the partitioning process by providing pre-computed metrics that can be directly used in partitioning decisions, rather than requiring complex real-time analysis during partitioning. The preliminary action reduces the computational burden during partitioning while achieving optimal document distribution to minimize inter-partition links.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention simplifies partitioning complexity by changing the approach to use weighted link count parameters (in-degree, out-degree, hop count) as guiding metrics. These parameters provide a straightforward framework for making partitioning decisions without requiring complex optimization algorithms. By transforming the partitioning problem into a parameter-based decision process, the system achieves effective document distribution to minimize inter-partition links while maintaining relatively simple partitioning logic that is easier to implement and manage.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach is provided to partition inter-linked documents into partitions of a database system. In some embodiments, a plurality of documents may be assigned to two or more partitions in the database system, thereby forming a number of inter-partition links between a first partition and a second partition. Here both the first partition and the second partition are in the two or more partitions. First documents may be assigned to the first partition while second documents are assigned to the second partition. Both the first documents and the second documents are in the plurality of documents. It is then determined whether moving one or more of the first documents in the first partition to the second partition reduces the number of inter-partition links between the first partition and the second partition. If that is the case, the one or more of the first documents are moved to the second partition.