Apparatus and Method for On-Demand In-Memory Database Management Platform
A method and apparatus for constructing a memory-based database service platform, in which database can be on-loaded and off-loaded or unloaded as needed, and can reserve schedule and size of memory and other resources, including CPUs, network, backup, mirroring and recovery recourses. With the service platform, multiple different types of databases can be chosen by specifying data storage type and data operation interfaces, such as Relational Database (RDB), Biometric Database (BDB), Time Series Database (TDB), Data Driven Database (DDDB) and File-based Database (FDB) etc. Database types can be chosen either by user directly or by platform automatically or semi-automatically based on data types and data operation characteristics.
1 - 11 . (canceled)
12 . A method for implementing a block neighborhood scheme in a memory or non-memory based block storage system storing data, and said block storage system having a plurality of blocks, comprising steps of:
defining a neighborhood relationship criteria among blocks;
remembering neighbor blocks of a first block, and said neighbor blocks satisfying said neighborhood relationship criteria with said first block;
wherein blocks that are used for data access may be stored in a memory or non-memory based backup or secondary system in said block storage system.
13 . A method according to claim 12 wherein said neighborhood relationship criteria can be defined when a second block contains a reference to a location in a first block in said block storage system.
14 . A method according to claim 12 wherein said neighborhood relationship criteria can be a user-defined rule.
15 . A method according to claim 12 wherein said neighborhood relationship criteria can be a logic relationship between blocks.
16 . A method according to claim 12 wherein said block neighborhood scheme further comprises steps of pre-fetching a said neighbor block of a said first block when the said first block is or will be accessed to make said neighbor block ready for data access, if said neighbor block is not located to be ready for data access yet.
17 . A method according to claim 12 wherein said neighborhood relationship can be unidirectional from a first block to a second block.
18 . A method according to claim 12 wherein said neighborhood relationship can be bidirectional if two blocks are neighbors to each other.
19 . A method according to claim 12 wherein given a data access query, only relevant blocks, based on said neighborhood relationship information, are loaded into memory for data access.
20 - 28 . (canceled)