Abstract:
A system, method, apparatus, means and computer program code for utilizing multiple log queues in a database management system are provided. In some embodiments, processing includes receiving a first log record at a first log queue and a second log record at a second log queue, associating a log queue identifier with each of the first and second log records, and writing the first and second log records to a data log. Pursuant to some embodiments, at least a third log queue is provided.

Description:
FIELD  
       [0001]     Embodiments of the present invention relate to database systems. More specifically, some embodiments relate to systems and methods for implementing multiple log queues in a database management system.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Database systems are widely used for a number of applications. Generally, the applications demand data integrity and consistency. That is, the database systems are relied upon by applications to accurately and efficiently store and retrieve data.  
         [0003]     Many database systems use a transaction log or log file to store log records associated with operations or changes associated with a database. Every transaction (where “transaction” refers to a set of operations) associated with the database must cause a log record to be written into the log that describes the transaction and its affect on the data in the database. For example, each log record may contain information identifying the database change that occurred as a result of the transaction. In this manner, a record of information is preserved that can be used to recover from errors or to restore the database to a prior state. In general, transactions are written to the transaction log sequentially using a log queue. The log queue is used as a cache to write log records into log pages. A log writer task or subroutine operates to write pages from the log queue to a storage medium or log disc.  
         [0004]     One technique that has improved the overall performance of database systems is the use of multiprocessing techniques, where computer systems having multiple processors are used to process database transactions in parallel. Unfortunately, these parallel processing techniques lead to transaction collisions and delays in writing transaction data to the log queue. For example, transactions being processed in parallel may need to wait to be written to the log while another transaction has its commit log record successfully written.  
         [0005]     It would be desirable to provide improved systems and methods for implementing multiple log queues in a database management system.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     Pursuant to some embodiments, a system, method, apparatus, means and computer program code are provided and include receiving a first log record at a first log queue and a second log record at a second log queue, associating a log queue identifier with each of the first and second log records, and writing the first and second log records to a data log (also referred to as a “redo log” or “log volume”). Pursuant to some embodiments, at least a third log queue is provided.  
         [0007]     Pursuant to some embodiments, separate writers are associated with each log queue. In some embodiments, a log writer supports one or more log queues. Pursuant to some embodiments, log records are written such that they are associated with information identifying a writer sequence identifier and information identifying the log queue through which it was written. In some embodiments, log pages are read from a data log by sorting the log pages from the different log queues before reading the records.  
         [0008]     With these and other advantages and features that will become hereafter apparent, a more complete understanding of the nature of the invention can be obtained by referring to the following detailed description and to the drawings appended hereto. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a system according to some embodiments.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of a portion of a system according to some embodiments.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating components of a log writer according to some embodiments.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a second diagram illustrating components of a log writer according to some embodiments.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a third diagram illustrating components of a log writer according to some embodiments.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating data elements included in a log page written pursuant to some embodiments. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]     To alleviate problems inherent in the art, embodiments of the present invention introduce systems, methods, computer program code and means for implementing multiple log queues in a database management system. For convenience, clarity and ease of exposition, a number of terms are used herein. For example, the term “server” is used to refer to software configured to perform tasks in response to requests from a “client”. One or more servers may be implemented on a given computing device. As used herein, the terms “log record” or “log entry” are used to refer to data records created by a database system for storage in a log file or log page for use in error recovery or other operations.  
         [0016]     Features of embodiments of the present invention may be used in any of a number of different types of systems, including, for example, database systems. For example, applicants have discovered that features of embodiments provide desirable results when used in conjunction with a database system such as a structured query language (SQL) database system, although those skilled in the art will appreciate that features of embodiments may be implemented in other types of systems with desirable results. Further, applicants have discovered that features of embodiments provide desirable results when used in conjunction with a database server that is implemented in a multi-processor architecture.  
         [0017]     To illustrate features of some embodiments of the present invention, reference is first made to  FIG. 1  where an illustrative database system  100  is shown. For simplicity, only several components of database system  100  are shown in  FIG. 1 ; those skilled in the art will appreciate that a database system typically may include a number of other components including, for example, I/O devices, drivers, APIs, and the like. Database system  100  may be, for example, a SQL database system. For the purpose of illustration, but not limitation, database server  104  may be the MaxDB® system offered by mySQL AB and SAP AG of Walldorf Germany.  
         [0018]     Database system  100  includes one or more client devices  102  interacting with a database server  104 . For example, each client device  102  includes software configured to allow one or more users or applications to interact with database server  104  to submit queries and receive database responses. As a simple example, client  102  may be a computing device (such as a personal computer) operating Internet browser software (such as Microsoft&#39;s Internet Explorer®) to interact with database server  104  over a network connection by submitting SQL queries to database server  104  and by receiving responses from the database server  104 .  
         [0019]     While the system  100  of  FIG. 1  only shows two client devices  102  and a single database server  104 , those skilled in the art will recognize that database system  100  may include any number of clients interacting with one or more database servers. Further, for the purpose of illustration but not limitation, some or all of the client devices  102  and database server  104  may be implemented on computing devices such as, for example, computing devices implemented with Intel® x86 processors running a version of Microsoft Windows® or LINUX.  
         [0020]     Database server  104  may consist of a number of elements (some of which are shown) interacting to create databases, store data, and respond to queries, including, for example, a command analyzer  106 , a SQL component  108 , a data store  112 , a log manager  110  and a data log  114 . In general, database server  104  receives a database request from client  102  and responds to the request. Command analyzer  106  operates to analyze requests to identify the specific database interactions to be taken and passes SQL commands to SQL system  108  for application to one or more databases  1   12 .  
         [0021]     Database systems generally include some ability to be restored to a consistent state after an error has occurred. One mechanism for performing such a restore is the use of a log manager  110  controlling a data log  114  (otherwise referred to as the log area of the database system). In general, data log  114  includes all log volumes of a database instance, and contains the information needed to restore the database instance to a consistent state after an error has occurred. In some systems, the log area is overwritten in a cyclical fashion and is backed up on a regular basis. The management of the storage, retrieval, and use of the log data is controlled by log manager  110 . Log manager  110  may include one or more specialized managers such as, for example, log managers controlling offline logging (e.g., to control the reading of operations of transactions for a restart) and log managers controlling online logging (e.g., to control the writing of log information into an archive log, and to control the reading and writing of undo transactions).  
         [0022]     Pursuant to some embodiments, multiple log queues are provided, allowing data from multiple transaction threads to be written to data log  114  in an improved fashion over prior systems. For example, pursuant to some embodiments, the use of multiple log queues allows log records from different transaction threads to be assigned to different log queues and written to the queues substantially at the same time. This can provide desirable results in, for example, multi-processor systems in which separate transaction threads are associated with separate processors. In some embodiments, the number of transaction threads depends on a database system&#39;s hardware configuration, the number of CPU&#39;s used, and the way the database parameters are set.  
         [0023]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a database instance may use several operating system threads. The primary type of thread is generally referred to as a “user kernel thread” (UKT). UKTs are used to process client requests. These threads are the primary users of processing time in a database system. A database instance generally has several UKTs (particularly in multi-processor database systems). In a SQL database system, SQL statements are processed in UKTs in the form of tasks, with several tasks sharing a UKT. Upon completion of an operation of a transaction, each UKT writes a log record to a log queue. Pursuant to embodiments disclosed herein, a separate log queue is provided for each UKT (or other thread). In some embodiments, several threads may share a separate log queue, so long as the ratio of threads to log queues is selected to reduce collisions or bottlenecks as log records are written from the threads to the log queues.  
         [0024]     The multiple log queues of some embodiments are shown in  FIG. 2 . In particular,  FIG. 2  depicts a portion  200  of a database system including a number of log queues  130 ,  132 , and  134 . Each log queue  130 ,  132 , 134  is associated with a respective operating system thread (referred to as UKT 1 -UKTn) and is designated as receiving log records from each of the respective threads. Each log queue  130 , 132 , and  134  may queue a number of log records for writing to data log  114 . Although three log queues are shown in  FIG. 2 , those skilled in the art, upon reading this disclosure, will appreciate that other numbers of log queues may be used.  
         [0025]     Each of the log records in the log queues  130 , 132 , and  134  are written to data log  114  using one or more log writer(s)  136 . For example, in some embodiments, a single log writer may support two or more log queues. In such embodiments, each log record may be tagged or associated with an identifier identifying which log queue it was associated with. Each log record may also be tagged or associated with a log sequence identifier (e.g., such as a counter used to assign a unique identifier to each log record written to the shared writer). In some embodiments, each log queue may be associated with a single log writer. Again, each log record may be tagged (or associated) with a unique log sequence identifier. In such embodiments, each log record may also be tagged (or associated) with information identifying the log queue and/or the log writer that performed the log writing.  
         [0026]     In general, log writer(s)  136  are tasks in (or associated with) the UKTs that are initialized when the database system  100  is started (e.g., using stored internal configuration data) to write the log records or log entries from each log queue to the log area. In some embodiments, log writer(s)  136  are configured to write data to the log area at certain times. For example, log writer(s)  136  may be configured to write data to the log area upon a transaction “commit”. The “commit” of a transaction is successful if all of its log entries and the commit log entry was written to the disk.  
         [0027]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 3  where a block diagram  300  is shown depicting selected components of database server  104  including two transaction threads  122 , 124 , log manager  110 , and data log  114 . As shown, each transaction thread  122 , 124  writes log data to a particular log queue  130 , 132  of log manager  110  after obtaining a queue identifier from log queue scheduler  126 . Log queue scheduler  126  may be configured, if desired, to enforce mechanisms that ensure that only one transaction of a set of transactions can run. For example, log queue scheduler  126  may ensure that such a set of transactions be assigned to one log queue (such as log queue  122  or  124 ). In this manner, only one transaction can collide with the log writer on the log queue.  
         [0028]     In some database systems, such as, for example, the MaxDB database system, transactions are executed by co-routines running in a single transaction thread. That is, only one transaction is running in the thread. In such a system, embodiments may utilize features of log queue scheduler  126  to assign transactions of one thread to a specific log queue (e.g., log queue scheduler  126  may ensure that transactions from UKT 1   124  are assigned to log queue UKT 1   130 ). At substantially the same time, transactions of another thread (e.g., such as UKT 2   124 ) can write their own log queue independently from the transactions of other threads, thereby improving system performance and reducing collisions and bottlenecks. Those skilled in the art, upon reading this disclosure, will appreciate that such scheduling could also be enforced using other techniques.  
         [0029]     Log queue scheduler  126  passes log records or log entries from each transaction thread  122 ,  123  to the appropriate log queue  130 ,  132 , which then passes the log records or log entries to the log writer  136  for writing to data log  114 .  
         [0030]     Each log queue  130 ,  132 , in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , includes a log queue sequence generator that assigns a unique sequence number to each log record of each log queue. These log sequence generators may be a simple counter or other sequence generator known to those skilled in the art. The log sequence generators, and the log sequence number associated with each log record, are used to ensure that data can be accurately recovered during, for example, a restart. Further, pursuant to some embodiments, because log records can be larger than one log page in size, each log page is saved with the log queue number that created the log page so that a log reader (not shown) can accurately determine how to sort the pages. A log I/O sequence generator associated with log writer  136  may also be provided to identify each log page written by the writer.  
         [0031]     In this manner, embodiments ensure that information is properly written to the data volumes and that a restart may be performed accurately. During a restart, the log records from the point of the last savepoint must be read from the data log  114  and redone so that at the end of the restart all committed changes are persistent in the database. Pursuant to some embodiments, during a restart, the log reader sorts the log pages from the different log queues before reading the log records. An example of a log page pursuant to some embodiments will be described further below in conjunction with  FIG. 5 .  
         [0032]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 4  where a block diagram  400  is shown depicting selected components of database server  104  including two transaction threads  122 , 124 , log manager  110 , and data logs  114 , 115 . As shown, each transaction thread  122 , 124  passes data to log queues  130 , 132  upon receipt of a response to a GetQueue command from log queue scheduler  126 . Log queue scheduler  126  may be configured, if desired, to enforce mechanisms that ensure that only one transaction of a set of transactions can run. As discussed above, for example, log queue scheduler  126  may ensure that such a set of transactions be assigned to one log queue (such as log queue  122  or  124 ).  
         [0033]     Log queue scheduler  126  passes log records or log entries from each transaction thread  122 , 123  to the appropriate log queue  130 , 132 , which then passes the log records or log entries to their respective log writers  136 ,  137  for writing to data logs  114 ,  115 . In some embodiments, each log queue has an associated log writer. In some embodiments, several log queues may share access to a log writer.  
         [0034]     Pursuant to some embodiments, each log queue  130 , 132  assigns unique identifying information to log records or log entries that pass through the queue (including, for example, a log sequence number and a log queue identifier). In some embodiments, these identifiers are appended or associated with each log record or log entry that is written to data logs  114 ,  115 . In some embodiments, these identifiers are generated by log writer  136 ,  137  prior to writing.  
         [0035]     As discussed above, these identifiers are used to ensure that data can be accurately recovered during, for example, a restart. Further, pursuant to some embodiments, because log records can be larger than one log page in size, each log page is saved with the log queue number that created the log page so that a log reader (not shown) can accurately determine how to sort the pages.  
         [0036]     In this manner, embodiments ensure that a restart may be performed accurately. During a restart, the log records from the point of the last save point must be read from the data logs  114 ,  115  and redone so that at the end of the restart all committed changes are persistent in the database. Pursuant to some embodiments, during a restart, the log reader sorts the log pages from the different log queues before reading the log records. An example of a log page pursuant to some embodiments will be described further below in conjunction with  FIG. 6 .  
         [0037]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 5  where a further embodiment is depicted including a number of transactions threads in communication with a number of log queues  130 - 134 , and where each log writer  136 ,  137  supports several log queues. Each log writer  136 ,  137  is configured to write data to separate data logs  114 ,  115 . As discussed above, transaction sequence numbers, log queue sequence numbers and log I/O sequence numbers may be used to track and identify the data in each data log  114 ,  115 .  
         [0038]     Reference is now made to  FIG. 6  where an example log page  600  from, for example, data log  114  is shown. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many configurations of log pages may be used, so long as the data is readily retrievable during a restart or other operation. As such, log page  600  is illustrative but not limiting. As depicted, log page  600  includes a header and a trailer. The header includes a first portion containing a writer I/O sequence number including the sequence identifier of the page. This sequence number is, for example, the sequence number identified by log sequence generators of the embodiments described in  FIGS. 3, 4 , or  5 .). The header also includes data to identify the page type, as well as a parity algorithm and parity data as known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0039]     Log page  600  also includes data identifying the queue from which the page was written, including a queue I/O sequence number (defining the I/O sequence number of the specific queue by which the page was built and written) and an identifier of the log queue. The header also includes offset data to identify the number of page offsets included in the page trailer and a flag indicating whether the page must be (or has been) flushed again on the same log device position.  
         [0040]     The trailer of log page  600  includes offset information (e.g., including information identifying the byte offset on the page denoting the position where the next log entry will be written, etc.). Those skilled in the art will recognize that other or additional data may also be included to allow the efficient and accurate recovery of data from data log  114 .  
         [0041]     Although the present invention has been described above with respect to some embodiments thereof, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments may be altered to create completely or partially different embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.