Parallel merge/sort processing device, method, and program for sorting data strings

Abstract

In the basic form of merge processing, that is sort processing, two sorted partial data string pairs are input, and one series of sorted data string is output as a whole. Conventionally, high parallelism of this processing has been considered difficult. A method for dividing a sorted partial data string pair into a plurality of segment pairs, if invented, would allow an advanced parallel merge processing to be performed even in a homogeneous configuration parallel computer system, such as a tightly coupled multi-processor sharing a main storage. The basis of merge processing is processing to input a pair of two sorted partial data strings and to output one sorted data string. A method for sub-dividing this input data string pair into arbitrary data string pairs from the first part of both data strings of the input data string pair, while considering the magnitude of the key value, has been invented. This method, if implemented, enables a merge operation at a parallelism k if the data string is divided into any number of data string pairs, for example, k sets of data string pairs, and if merging in descending order (merging the data string pair from the first part to the last part thereof, and outputting it from the first part to the last part in the output area) and merging in ascending order (merging the data string pair from the last part to the first part thereof and outputting it from the last part to the first part in the output area) are used, a merge operation with a parallelism 2k can also be possible.