Apparatus and method for processing distributed relational algebra operators in a distributed database

A database system, comprising:

• a query planner with instructions executed by a processor to generate a logical plan tree, wherein each node of the logical plan tree is a distributed relational algebra operator, wherein at least one distributed relational algebra operator is a distributed extended relational algebra operator that represents at least one of an aggregation operator, a sorting operator and an extended projection and wherein each child node of the logical plan tree produces results processed by a parent node, wherein the logical plan tree includes a distributed relational operator that repartitions tuples of results that are at least 1 GB on a dimension and regroups the tuples on the dimension to avoid broadcasting the tuples between machines and thereby avoid consumption of network bandwidth associated with broadcasting the tuples,
• wherein the logical plan tree is mapped to distributed query execution primitives, and wherein the distributed query execution primitives are processed on a plurality of machines storing partitions of a distributed database table,
• wherein the aggregation operator is used by a grouping operator and applies one of sum, count, min, max and average functions, the sorting operator turns a relation into a list of tuples sorted according to one or more attributes and the extended projection performs computations involving columns of an argument relation to produce new columns;
• and
• wherein the query planner has instructions executed by the processor to generate logical plan tree instances, including a first logical plan tree instance with the aggregation operator, a second logical plan tree instance with the sorting operator and a third logical plan tree instance with the extended projection.