Hybrid Database Table Stored as Both Row and Column Store

Abstract

A hybrid database table is stored as both a row and a column store. One or more techniques may be employed alone or in combination to enhance performance of the hybrid table by regulating access to, and/or the size of, the processing-intensive column store data. For example during an insert operation, the column store data may be searched for a uniqueness violation only after certain filtering and/or boundary conditions have been considered. In another technique, a hybrid table manager may control movement of data to the column store based upon considerations such as frequency of access, or underlying business logic. In still another technique, querying of the hybrid table may result in a search of the column store data only after an initial search of row store data fails to return a result.

We claim the following: 
     
         1 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 a computer storing a database on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the database comprising a row-oriented portion comprising data stored using a row-oriented storage model and a column-oriented portion comprising data stored using s column-oriented storage model;   the computer receiving a query on the database;   the computer making a first search on the row-oriented portion of the database using the received query; and   the computer selectively making a second search on the column-oriented portion of the database depending on an outcome of the first search, wherein the computer makes the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database in response to a first outcome of the first search, wherein the computer does not make the second search column-oriented portion of the database in response to a second outcome of the first search.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein in response to the computer making the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database, the computer merges results from the first search on the row-oriented portion of the database and results from the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database. 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the first outcome of the first search is that the first search produces no results and the second outcome of the first search is that the first search produces results. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the first outcome of the first search is that a result of the first search fall within a range of values associated with the column-oriented portion of the database and the second outcome of the first search is that the result of the first search falls outside the range of values. 
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising the computer moving data from the row-oriented portion of the database to the column-oriented portion of the database, the moving of data being performed in response to statistics relating to accesses on the row-oriented portion of the database. 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising the computer moving data from the row-oriented portion of the database to the column-oriented portion of the database, the moving of data being performed in response to data stored in the row-oriented portion of the database meeting criteria defined based on business conditions. 
     
     
         7 . A computer system comprising:
 a computer; and   a data storage system having stored therein a database comprising a row-oriented portion comprising data stored using a row-oriented storage model and a column-oriented portion comprising data stored using s column-oriented storage model,   the data storage system further having stored therein a software program, which, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to:
 receive a query on the database; 
 make a first search on the row-oriented portion of the database using the received query; and 
 selectively make a second search on the column-oriented portion of the database depending on an outcome of the first search, wherein the computer makes the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database in response to a first outcome of the first search, wherein the computer does not make the second search column-oriented portion of the database in response to a second outcome of the first search. 
   
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 7  wherein in response to making the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database, the software program, which, when executed by the computer, further causes the computer to merge results from the first search on the row-oriented portion of the database and results from the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database. 
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 7  wherein the first outcome of the first search is that the first search produces no results and the second outcome of the first search is that the first search produces results. 
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 7  wherein the first outcome of the first search is that a result of the first search fall within a range of values associated with the column-oriented portion of the database and the second outcome of the first search is that the result of the first search falls outside the range of values. 
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 7  wherein the software program, which, when executed by the computer, further causes the computer to move data from the row-oriented portion of the database to the column-oriented portion of the database, the moving of data being performed in response to statistics relating to accesses on the row-oriented portion of the database. 
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 7  wherein the software program, which, when executed by the computer, further causes the computer to move data from the row-oriented portion of the database to the column-oriented portion of the database, the moving of data being performed in response to data stored in the row-oriented portion of the database meeting criteria defined based on business conditions. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a computer program to cause a computer that executes the computer program to perform a method, the method comprising:
 storing a database on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the database comprising a row-oriented portion comprising data stored using a row-oriented storage model and a column-oriented portion comprising data stored using s column-oriented storage model;   receiving a query on the database;   performing a first search on the row-oriented portion of the database using the received query; and   selectively performing a second search on the column-oriented portion of the database depending on an outcome of the first search, wherein the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database is performed in response to a first outcome of the first search, wherein the second search column-oriented portion of the database is performed in response to a second outcome of the first search.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 13  wherein in response to performing the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database, the computer merges results from the first search on the row-oriented portion of the database and results from the second search on the column-oriented portion of the database. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 13  wherein the first outcome of the first search is that the first search produces no results and the second outcome of the first search is that the first search produces results. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 13  wherein the first outcome of the first search is that a result of the first search fall within a range of values associated with the column-oriented portion of the database and the second outcome of the first search is that the result of the first search falls outside the range of values. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises moving data from the row-oriented portion of the database to the column-oriented portion of the database, the moving of data being performed in response to statistics relating to accesses on the row-oriented portion of the database. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 13  wherein the method further comprises moving data from the row-oriented portion of the database to the column-oriented portion of the database, the moving of data being performed in response to data stored in the row-oriented portion of the database meeting criteria defined based on business conditions.