Patent ID: 6691109
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: G06F,G16B,Y10S

Abstract:
A computer-implemented method of searching a plurality of query sequences against at least one sequence database containing a plurality of sequence records, comprising the steps of:a. partitioning the plurality of query sequences into a set of smaller subsets of query sequences; b. partitioning the at least one sequence database into a set of smaller subdatabases; c. designating searching tasks to be performed by associating each of said subsets of query sequences with one or more of said subdatabases, assigning each searching task to one of a group of computers operating in parallel, wherein each member of the group of computers operating in parallel has at least one searching task assigned thereto, and executing at least some of the assigned searching tasks using the group of computers operating in parallel; and d. collecting search results from the executed searching tasks and generating a unified sequence search result in accordance with the collected search results; wherein the partitioning of the query sequences and the partitioning of the sequence database are done by one or more members of the group of computers operating in parallel; and wherein step c. further comprises dividing at least one of the searching tasks into two or more smaller searching tasks, and designating the two or more smaller tasks as related tasks on a virtual shared memory bulletin board.