Apparatus and method for locally caching query explain data

An apparatus for locally caching query explain data received across.a network from a database system, the apparatus comprising:

• a query explain program configured to operate on a workstation communicating over a network with a server hosting the database system, the query explain program further configured to receive query explain data from the database system over the network;
• and
• a data cache residing on the first computer station and communicating with the query explain program, the data cache executable as an integral component of the query explain program and configured to receive and temporarily store exclusively the query explain data received from the database system over the network;
• a graphical user interface (GUI) window accessible through the query explain program, the GUI window configured to be displayed on an output device connected to the first computer station and comprising user controls for configuring the data cache, the GUI window further comprising a cache size display configured to display the current amount of data stored in the data cache and a manual cache clearing control configured to allow a user to manually clear the data from the data cache;
• a cache clearing module configured to automatically clear a user-selectable portion of data from the data cache when the data cache reaches a selected size;
• and
• a cache threshold size designation control configured to receive a user designation of the threshold size of the data cache, such that the data is automatically cleared from the data cache when the threshold size is reached.

A method of locally caching query execution data received across a network from a database system, the method comprising:

• requesting by a query explain program operating on a first computer station, query explain data from the database system hosted at a second computer station;
• receiving the query execution data from the database system over the network;
• presenting the query explain data to a user;
• temporarily storing the query execution data received from the database system over the network in a data cache local to the query explain program;
• and
• providing a plurality of user controls to a user that provide operational control of the data cache.

An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a processor and embodying one or more instructions executable by the processor to perform a method of locally caching query explain data received across a network from a database system, the method comprising:

• requesting by a query explain program operating on a first computer station, query explain data to be sent from the database system hosted at a second computer station;
• receiving the query explain data from the database system over the network;
• presenting the query explain data to a user;
• temporarily storing the query explain data received from the database system over the network local to the query explain program;
• and
• providing a plurality of user controls to a user that provide operational control of the data cache.