IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,689,623
Granted Patent B1
US 7,689,623 · App. 10/118,662 · Granted Mar 30, 2010

Method for performing an external (disk-based) sort of a large data file which takes advantage of “presorted” data already present in the input

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,689,623
App. No.
10/118,662
Granted
Mar 30, 2010
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method of externally sorting large files in a computer system is presented. The contents of the input file to be sorted are investigated in order to identify presorted portions thereof. The presorted portions of the input file as thus identified are incorporated as sorted strings into an external sortwork file, by rearranging directory information rather than physically transferring data. If merging is necessary, the data may then be merged by a procedure wherein blocks of sorted data to be merged are incorporated into an output (sortout) file, by rearranging directory information rather than physically transferring sorted blocks to the sortout file. As a result of the process, portions of sorted data incorporated into the sortout file may physically remain in external storage space allocated to the input file, and/or in external space allocated to sortwork, thereby eliminating or reducing reading and writing from disk during sort-merge processing.

Claims (6)

1. A method of processing for sorting data in a computer system, said data being provided in an input file external to the central processing unit of said computer system, comprising

investigating the contents of said input file in order to identify presorted portions thereof; and

incorporating presorted portions of said input file as thus identified into a second file external to said central processing unit, by rearranging directory information so as to incorporate in said second file said presorted portions of said input file without physically transferring said presorted portions from said input file.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second file is regarded as a sortwork file in a sort merge process.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising merging the data in said sortwork file to a post-merge output file containing the fully sorted data resulting from said sort merge process, wherein blocks of sorted data to be merged are incorporated into said post-merge output file by rearranging directory information and without physically transferring said sorted blocks to said post-merge output file.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein portions of said sorted data incorporated into said post-merge output file physically remain in external storage space allocated to said input file.

Assignments (26)
FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 17, 2025
From: PRECISELY SOFTWARE INCORPORATED; VISIONS SOLUTIONS, INC.; PITNEY BOWES SOFTWARE INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072019/0370 →
SECOND LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 17, 2025
From: PRECISELY SOFTWARE INCORPORATED; VISIONS SOLUTIONS, INC.; PITNEY BOWES SOFTWARE INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072019/0382 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: PRECISELY SOFTWARE INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 059362/0381 →
FIRST LIEN RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 26, 2021
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: VISION SOLUTIONS, INC.; PRECISELY SOFTWARE INCORPORATED (F/K/A SYNCSORT INCORPORATED); PITNEY BOWES SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 056038/0001 →
SECOND LIEN RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 26, 2021
From: GOLUB CAPITAL MARKETS LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: VISION SOLUTIONS, INC.; PRECISELY SOFTWARE INCORPORATED (F/K/A SYNCSORT INCORPORATED); PITNEY BOWES SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 056107/0233 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PROPERTY NUMBERS SECTION. PATENT NUMBERS 10003946 AND 10119825 WERE INCORRECTLY DESIGNATED AS APPLICATION NUMBERS. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 052323 FRAME 0254. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Apr 14, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS EXISTING AGENT
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 056304/0891 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PROPERTY NUMBERS SECTION. PATENT NUMBERS 10003946 AND 10119825 WERE INCORRECTLY DESIGNATED AS APPLICATION NUMBERS. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 052323 FRAME 0304. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Apr 14, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS EXISTING AGENT
To: GOLUB CAPITAL MARKETS LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 056305/0117 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 6, 2020
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS EXISTING AGENT
To: GOLUB CAPITAL MARKETS LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 052323/0304 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 6, 2020
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS EXISTING AGENT
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 052323/0254 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2017
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 043333/0557 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2017
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043334/0678 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2017
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043334/0659 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2017
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 043604/0779 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AT REEL/FRAME NO. 37146/0655 Recorded Dec 23, 2016
From: NB PRIVATE DEBT FUND LP
To: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 041187/0491 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 23, 2016
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041187/0177 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 23, 2016
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041187/0186 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AT REEL/FRAME NO. 24678/0539 Recorded Dec 23, 2016
From: GOLUB CAPITAL MARKETS LLC, FORMERLY KNOWN AS GCI CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
To: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 041187/0473 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AT REEL/FRAME NO. 37055/0702 Recorded Dec 23, 2016
From: GOLUB CAPITAL MARKETS LLC, FORMERLY KNOWN AS GCI CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
To: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 041187/0479 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 19, 2015
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: NB PRIVATE DEBT FUND LP, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 037146/0655 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2015
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: GCI CAPITAL MARKETS LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 037055/0702 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 14, 2010
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: GCI CAPITAL MARKETS LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 024678/0539 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2010
From: CRYSTAL CAPITAL FUND MANAGEMENT, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 024672/0355 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2010
From: ABLECO FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 024672/0314 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2008
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: ABLECO FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 020762/0312 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2008
From: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
To: CRYSTAL CAPITAL FUND MANAGEMENT, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 020762/0318 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2007
From: LIU, PETER
To: SYNCSORT INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 019666/0306 →