Patent ID: 6035296
Filing Date: 2000-03-07
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A sorting method comprising:separating a first data block including a first plurality of records into a plurality of smaller data blocks, each smaller data block including a respective portion of the first plurality of records;in a first sequential sorting step, in a first stage of a multiple stage sort processing unit, beginning sorting of the portion of the first plurality of records included in a first smaller data block of the plurality of smaller data blocks;in a second sequential sorting step, in the first stage of the sort processing unit, beginning sorting of a second plurality of records included in a second data block, different from the first data block, while simultaneously sorting to completion in a later stage of the sort processing unit the portion of the first plurality of records included in the first smaller data block of the plurality of smaller data blocks;in a third sequential sorting step, in the first stage of the sort processing unit, beginning sorting of the portion of the first plurality of records included in a second smaller data block of the plurality of smaller data blocks while simultaneously sorting to completion in the later stage of the sort processing unit the second plurality of records included in the second data block;in a fourth sequential sorting step, in the later stage of the sort processing unit, sorting to completion the portion of the first plurality of records included in the second smaller data block of the plurality of smaller data blocks; andmerging the portions of the first plurality of records included in the first and second smaller data blocks to generate a first sorted data block.