Mechanism for invocation of user-defined routines in a multi-threaded database environment
View Patent ↗A database management system provides for the execution of invokable user-defined routines. Applications specify user-defined routines as being threadsafe or not threadsafe and specify the language of user-defined routines. Execution of routines will be carried out dependent on the threadsafe characteristic of the routines and on the language of the routines. Routines are assigned to processes based on their language to have any given process execute routines of the same language. Routines that are specified to be threadsafe are executed in threads in a potentially multi-threaded process. Each routine that is specified to be not threadsafe is executed in a fenced-mode processes in which no other routine is being executed.
1. A computer implemented method for the execution of a set of invokable user-defined routines in a database management system, the method comprising:
(a) receiving a request from an application to invoke a user-defined routine in the set of user-defined routines,
(b) determining whether the user-defined routine is threadsafe,
(c) in the case that the user-defined routine is determined not to be threadsafe, spawning a fenced-mode process to execute the user-defined routine,
(d) in the case that the user-defined routine is determined to be threadsafe, where an existing process is available to the database system for execution of threadsafe routines, executing the user-defined routine in a thread in the existing process, and where there is no such existing process, spawning a new, multi-threaded, fenced-mode process and executing the user-defined routine in a thread in the said new process.
2. A computer implemented database management system comprising means for the execution of a set of invokable user-defined routines, comprising:
means for receiving a request from an application to invoke a user-defined routine in the set of user-defined routines,
means for determining whether the user-defined routine is threadsafe,
means for spawning a fenced-mode process to execute the user-defined routine, in the case that the user-defined routine is determined not to be threadsafe,
means for executing the user-defined routine in a thread in an existing process, where the user-defined routine is determined to be threadsafe, and the existing process is available to the database system, and
means for spawning a new, multi-threaded, fenced-mode process for threadsafe and means for executing the user-defined routine in a thread in the said new process where there is no such existing process and where the user-defined routine is determined to be threadsafe.
3. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for the execution of a set of invokable user-defined routines in a database management system, the method comprising:
(a) receiving a request from an application to invoke a user-defined routine in the set of user-defined routines,
(b) determining whether the user-defined routine is threadsafe,
(c) in the case that the user-defined routine is determined not to be threadsafe, spawning a fenced-mode process to execute the user-defined routine,
(d) in the case that the user-defined routine is determined to be threadsafe, where an existing process is available to the database system for execution of threadsafe routines, executing the user-defined routine in a thread in the existing process, and where there is no such existing process, spawning a new, multi-threaded, fenced-mode process and executing the user-defined routine in a thread in the said new process.