International Business Machines Corporation

Randy William Ruhlow

John Matthew Santosuosso

Eric L Barsness

Mahdad Majd

Peter John Johnson

Richard Alan Diedrich

Michael P Koranda

Bruce Joseph Ryba

Mark Matthew Even

Daniel Beuch

Douglas David Jans

Erici L Barsness

Methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamically adjusting computer resources, as appropriate, in response to predictions of query runtimes as well as for rendering costs of the computer resources actually utilized, which costs are consistent with consumer demands.

Dynamic query optimization

Methods, articles of manufacture, and systems for providing access to a grid computing environment. In one environment, requests include resource specific criteria used to identify a particular grid resource to perform the request. In another embodiment, a request includes a queue criterion used to identify one of a plurality of queues on which the request is placed.

Request type grid computing

A computer-implemented method, system and computer product including a scheduling manager residing in memory; whereby the scheduling manager dynamically manages access of additional computer resources to be applied to work items of a program based on their valuations relative to the processing costs thereof.

Dynamically managing computer resources based on valuations of work items being processed

A query access plan for executing a database query is dynamically selected from among multiple alternative query access plans based on the availability of computer resources allocated for running the query. Preferably, a first query access plan is generated based on resources then available, and if it is possible to provide additional resources, one or more alternative plans are generated based on the additional resources. If an alternative plan is significantly better than the original plan based on a comparison of query related parameters, the alternative is chosen for executing the query. Additional resources for running the query may be provided from logically partitioned and/or grid environments.

Dynamically selecting alternative query access plans

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment track a history of statements that query data from a database. When a new statement is received, the history is searched for a correlation between the new statement and previous statements. The correlation is based on host variables in the history and the new statement. When a correlation is found, a prediction is made for the next statement to be received based on the previous statement in the history for which the correlation was found. The prediction is then used to retrieve pages from the database into a cache, which may be used by a subsequent statement.

Caching pages via host variable correlation

An apparatus and method use ontological relationships in a query language and a computer database to improve database performance and utility. A set of ontological relationships are stored in the database and new query clauses are used to query the data in advantageous ways. Ontological relationships are preferably stored in a tree structure. This tree structure then can be used to reflect the ontological relationships of data stored in the columns of a database.

Using ontological relationships in a computer database

A system, method and article of manufacture for identifying mergeable data in a data processing system and, more particularly, for identifying correlated columns from one or more database tables. One embodiment comprises determining correlation attributes for a first column and a second column from one or more database tables. The correlation attributes describe for each column at least one of the column and content of the column. The correlation attributes from the first and second column are compared and similarities between the first and second column are identified on the basis of the comparison. Then, on the basis of the identified similarities, it is determined whether the first and second columns are correlated. Only if the columns are determined to be correlated, the first and second columns are merged.

Techniques for identifying mergeable data

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment replace an element in a query with a backup if the element is not available, but the backup is available. An element may also be removed from the query if the element is not required. In various embodiments, the element may be a table or a user-defined function. In this way, the query may still execute even if the element is not available.

Replacing an unavailable element in a query

A method, system and article of manufacture for query execution management in a data processing system and, more particularly, for managing execution of queries having one or more related query conditions. One embodiment provides a method for managing execution of a query against data of a database. The method comprises receiving a current query against the data of the database, the current query including a plurality of query conditions, for each query condition of the plurality of query conditions, determining whether a previously generated dynamic bitmap index can be re-used for the query condition of the current query, the dynamic bitmap index having been previously generated for a previous query condition associated with a previous query executed against the data of the database; and if the dynamic bitmap index has been generated for the previous query condition, retrieving the dynamic bitmap index, and determining a query result for the current query using all retrieved dynamic bitmap indexes.

Dynamic bitmap processing, identification and reusability

Methods, articles of manufacture, and systems for determining a fee to be charged for requests processed in a grid computing environment based. In one embodiment the fee may be determined based on the time it takes to process a request and/or pricing schedules that may vary depending on a variety of pricing criteria. In another embodiment, a completion time criterion that defines a maximum acceptable time to complete a request may be specified. If the amount of time needed to perform the request is less than the maximum acceptable time specified, returning the results may be delayed to avoid providing services valued in excess of what the customer has paid for.

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

Randy William Ruhlow