Index suspension prior to database update

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720924-B2
Application number	US-201615042501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 5, 2014
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, a computer program product, and a computer system for suspending and activating a database index. A computer determines a quantity of changes for a number of rows of a database that are to be made by an update of the database. The computer determines whether to suspend an index of the database based, at least in part, on a comparison between the quantity of changes and a pre-determined threshold value. The computer suspends the index of the database based on a result of the comparison that indicates the quantity of changes at least meet the pre-determined threshold value. A suspension of the index of the database initiates a rebuilding of the index.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for suspending and activating a database index, the method comprising:
(I) Prior to processing an update to a database:
determining, by a computer, a quantity of changes for a number of rows of the database that are included in the update by:
receiving, by the computer, a request that includes (i) a plurality of updates to be performed to the database that includes the update, (ii) a suspension threshold value that is configured to control, at least in part, suspension of an index of the database, and (iii) a selection to perform an analysis of the plurality of updates, wherein results of the analysis indicate whether to suspend the index of the database based at least on a comparison of both the suspension threshold value and a count of updates for the database that is generated based on the plurality of updates to be performed to the database, wherein the count of updates is determined by:
determining, by the computer, an initial number of rows of data in the database;
determining, by the computer, a percentage of updates for the database by dividing the count of updates for the database by the initial number of rows of data in the database; and
determining, by the computer, the quantity of changes based, at least in part, on i) the received plurality of updates, ii) the count of updates for the database, and iii) the percentage of updates for the database, wherein the count of updates for the database is a numerical value based, at least in part, on a number of rows of data from an input file;

receiving, by the computer, a temporal limit, wherein the temporal limit dictates when the computer performs the analysis of the plurality of updates; and
performing, by the computer, the analysis of the plurality of updates prior to performing the plurality of updates to the database in response to meeting the temporal limit;

determining, by the computer, whether to suspend an index of the database based, at least in part, on a comparison between the quantity of changes and the suspension threshold value;
suspending, by the computer, the index of the database based, at least in part, on a result of the comparison that indicates the quantity of changes at least meet the suspension threshold value, wherein a suspension of the index of the database initiates a rebuilding of the index;
retaining, by the computer, a definition for the index of the database, wherein the definition includes a command for rebuilding the index of the database; and
deleting, by the computer, the index of the database;

(II) updating the database by applying the plurality of updates to the database;
generating an updated index by rebuilding, by the computer, the index of the database using the definition, in response to a completion of the plurality of updates to the database; and
activating the updated index of the database for use in query processing.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bender Michael
• Delia Wayne M

Classifications

• G06F17/30374

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30094 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30129

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F16/17

  Details of further file system functions · CPC title

• G06F16/134 Primary

  Distributed indices · CPC title