Patent · US Expired

Techniques for reducing the number of snapshots of a database

US5956713A · kind A · utility

27Cited by
3References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 23, 1997
Grant dateSep 21, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 23, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99953
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reducing the number of snapshots in use within a database is provided. A transaction that accesses one or more data items in a database is assigned to a snapshot of the database when the transaction completes execution. At that time, it is determined whether a first snapshot includes any transactions that updated the one or more data items. If the first snapshot includes any transactions that updated the one or more data items, then the transaction is assigned to a different snapshot that includes the first snapshot. If the first snapshot does not include any transactions that updated the one or more data items, then the transaction is assigned to the first snapshot. This technique allows multiple transactions to the same snapshot, consequently reducing the actual number of snapshots of the database.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.