Generating differences for tuple attributes

A system for processing tuples, each tuple having one or more attributes, comprising:

• a plurality of processing elements operating on one or more computer processors, each processing element to receive and process a sequence of two or more tuples and having one or more stream operators, the plurality of processing elements including first and second processing elements;
• and
• a stream manager, operating on the one or more computer processors, configured to:
• identify that a second stream operator transmits tuples having a first attribute to a first stream operator,
• identify that the first stream operator only processes an instance of the first attribute in a currently received tuple when a difference between an instance of the first attribute in a previously received tuple and the instance of the first attribute in the currently received tuple is outside of a difference threshold, and
• cause the second stream operator to:
• generate a difference attribute from a first instance of the first attribute in a first one of the received tuples and a second instance of the first attribute in a second one of the received tuples,
• determine whether the difference attribute is outside of the difference threshold, and
• transmit the difference attribute from the second stream operator to the first stream operator when the difference attribute is outside of the difference threshold.

A system for processing tuples, each tuple having one or more attributes, comprising:

• a plurality of processing elements operating on one or more computer processors, each processing element to receive and process a sequence of two or more tuples and having one or more stream operators, the plurality of processing elements including first and second processing elements;
• and
• a stream manager, operating on the one or more computer processors, configured to:
• identify that a second stream operator transmits tuples having a first attribute to a first stream operator,
• identify that the first stream operator only processes an instance of the first attribute in a currently received tuple when a difference between an instance of the first attribute in a previously received tuple and the instance of the first attribute in the currently received tuple is outside of a difference threshold,
• determine an estimate of resource usage at the second stream operator required to generate a difference attribute from a first instance of the first attribute in a first one of the received tuples and a second instance of the first attribute in a second one of the received tuples, and to transmit the difference attribute from the second stream operator to the first stream operator,
• determine whether the estimate of resource usage is outside of a resource usage threshold, and
• cause the second stream operator to transmit one of the first instance of the first attribute of the first tuple or the second instance of the first attribute of the second tuple from the second stream operator to the first stream operator when the estimate of resource usage is outside the resource usage threshold.