Patent ID: 7509336

Claim:
A computer data processing system implemented method of directing a data processing system to determine database workload periodicity, the computer data processing system implemented method comprising: converting database activity samples spanning a time period from the time domain to the frequency domain, said converting resulting in a frequency spectrum; identifying fundamental peaks of said frequency spectrum; and allocating database resources based on at least one of said fundamental peaks, wherein: said identifying fundamental peaks of said frequency spectrum comprises: generating an energy-density spectrum from said frequency spectrum; and identifying fundamental peaks of said energy-density spectrum, said identifying fundamental peaks of said energy-density spectrum comprises: selecting an energy component of said energy-density spectrum, said selected energy component having a highest amplitude of all energy components of said energy-density spectrum; setting a threshold based on said amplitude of said selected energy component; and including within a fundamental peak each adjacent energy component having an amplitude exceeding said threshold, and for each fundamental peak of said energy-density spectrum, the power of said fundamental peak and any associated harmonics is computed.