Patent ID: 7464070

Claim:
A system for enabling queries to a database to be processed comprising: a database system; an application system for providing SQL database queries to the database system, the database system coupled to the application system via a first connection over a network; a storage system having a shared volume to store results from SQL database queries made to the database system; a first data path to provide a data connection between the storage system and the application system, wherein the application system can directly access query results on the storage system without communicating via the first connection; a second data path to provide a data connection between the storage system and the database system, wherein the database system directly stores query results to the storage system via the second data path without communicating via the first connection; and a return path selector coupled to the database system for selecting a return path over which to return the results from queries made to the database system, the return path selector selecting from among at least the first connection over the network or the first data path between the storage system and the application system, wherein the return path selector determines a data path based upon one or more attributes of the query results; wherein, when the return path is chosen to be the storage system, the results are sent to the storage system as a file and an address in the storage system for the file is provided to the application system using the first connection; and wherein the file has associated therewith a key and the key is used to control access to the results, and also has associated therewith a flag to indicate status of the file, and wherein the flag indicates at least one of whether the file is being written, is ready to be read, is being read, and is available to be deleted.