US 12,762,112 B2Granted

Schema snapshot isolation access in a relational database

AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC

InventorsNoah Amin Al-Shihabi, Panagiotis Antonopoulos, Hanumantha Rao Kodavalla, Nikolas Christopher Ogg, Divyesh Rameshchandra Tikmani, Wonseok Kim, Alexander Wai-Man Swanson, Rajat Jain

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Abstract

Relational database systems are disclosed that are enabled to operate with versioned metadata. The relational database system includes a lock manager, a transaction manager and a version aware metadata storage and cache configured to store to store and manage versions of metadata, to determine which of such versions should be visible at any given point in time, and to enable creation of the proper versions of metadata. In an aspect, the transaction manager manages transaction identifiers and their associated start times, abort times and/or commit times. Such data enables determination of transaction visibility, and consequently the metadata version visibility, for any point in time. In an aspect, such metadata versioning support enables snapshot isolation of metadata transactions.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A relational database system, comprising:

a processor;
and
a memory that stores program code structured to cause the processor to:
begin a first transaction for a first query directed to first data and referencing a metadata object that is metadata to the first data, a first version of the metadata object stored in storage, the beginning of the first transaction including
obtaining a metadata access lock on the metadata object, and
beginning execution of a first query plan for the first query;
perform a second transaction subsequent to the beginning of the first transaction at least by
obtaining a metadata change lock on the metadata object,
modifying the metadata object to create a second version of the metadata object using the metadata change lock and as allowed by the metadata access lock,
storing the second version of the metadata object in the storage, and
committing the second transaction;
and
complete the first transaction subsequent to the committing of the second transaction at least by
completing execution of the first query plan, and
committing the first transaction.

12 more elements

A method in a relational database system, comprising:

beginning a first transaction for a first query directed to first data and referencing a metadata object that is metadata to the first data, a first version of the metadata object stored in storage, said beginning including
obtaining a metadata access lock on the metadata object, and
beginning execution of a first query plan for the first query;
performing a second transaction subsequent to the beginning of the first transaction at least by
obtaining a metadata change lock on the metadata object,
modifying the metadata object to create a second version of the metadata object using the metadata change lock and as allowed by the metadata access lock,
storing the second version of the metadata object in the storage, and
committing the second transaction;
and
completing the first transaction subsequent to the committing of the second transaction at least by
completing execution of the first query plan, and
committing the first transaction.

9 more elements

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable memory having computer program logic recorded thereon that when executed by at least one processor of a computing device causes the at least one processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

beginning a first transaction for a first query directed to first data and referencing a metadata object that is metadata to the first data, a first version of the metadata object stored in storage, said beginning including
obtaining a metadata access lock on the metadata object, and
beginning execution of a first query plan for the first query;
performing a second transaction subsequent to the beginning of the first transaction at least by
obtaining a metadata change lock on the metadata object,
modifying the metadata object to create a second version of the metadata object using the metadata change lock and as allowed by the metadata access lock,
storing the second version of the metadata object in the storage, and
committing the second transaction;
and
completing the first transaction subsequent to the committing of the second transaction at least by
completing execution of the first query plan, and
committing the first transaction.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/194,515Filed 30 Apr 2025 · continuation
Priority: 14 Nov 2023
Published: US 2025/0156400 A114 Aug 2025
Granted: 13 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06F 16/2379
Updating: updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
G06F 16/2343
Pessimistic concurrency control approaches, e.g. locking or multiple versions without time stamps: locking methods, e.g. distributed locking or…
G06F 16/24542
Query rewriting; Transformation: plan optimisation
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application63/598,826Us provisional application · filed 14 Nov 2023
Application18/428,887Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Jan 2024
US 2025/0258811 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Aug 2025
US 12,541,503 B2Parent of this continuation
US 12,411,838 B2Related patent
US 2025/0156400 A1Published application
US 12,762,112 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.