Method and system for collecting and retrieving time-series, real-time and non-real-time data

A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing, in an environment with a real-time data source and with a non-real-time data source, a method for storing, in a time-coordinated fashion, data received from the real-time and non-real-time data sources, the method comprising:

• receiving real-time data from the real-time data source;
• storing the real-time data as entries in a real-time, streaming data file, the entries time-stamped with times associated with when the real-time data were produced;
• receiving non-real-time data from the non-real-time data source;
• storing the non-real-time data as entries in a non-real-time data file, the entries time-stamped with times of relevance of the non-real-time data;
• and
• writing a header file that associates the time interval with those entries in the real-time and non-real-time data files whose time stamps fall within the time interval.

A method for retrieving, in a time-coordinated fashion, data entries from a real-time, streaming data file and from a non-real-time data file, the method comprising:

• selecting a time interval of interest;
• accessing a header file that associates the time interval of interest with time-stamped data entries in the real-time and non-real-time data files whose time stamps fall within the time interval of interest;
• retrieving from the real-time data file data entries associated by the header file with the time interval of interest;
• retrieving from the non-real-time data file data entries associated by the header file with the time interval of interest;
• and
• coordinating the retrieval of data entries from the real-time and non-real-time data files based on the time stamps of the data entries.

A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for retrieving, in a time-coordinated fashion, data entries from a real-time, streaming data file and from a non-real-time data file, the method comprising:

• selecting a time interval of interest;
• accessing a header file that associates the time interval of interest with time-stamped data entries in the real-time and non-real-time data files whose time stamps fall within the time interval of interest;
• retrieving from the real-time data file data entries associated by the header file with the time interval of interest;
• retrieving from the non-real-time data file data entries associated by the header file with the time interval of interest;
• and
• coordinating the retrieval of data entries from the real-time and non-real-time data files based on the time stamps of the data entries.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure comprising:

• a first data field containing data representing a time interval;
• a second data field containing data representing a time-stamped entry in a real-time data file whose time stamp falls within the time interval;
• and
• a third data field containing data representing a time-stamped entry in a non-real-time data file whose time stamp falls within the time interval.

In an environment with a real-time data source and with a non-real-time data source, a system for storing, in a time-coordinated fashion, data received from the real-time and non-real-time data sources, the system comprising:

• a time interval;
• a real-time, streaming data file;
• a non-real-time data file;
• a header file;
• and
• a data storage coordinator for receiving data from the real-time data source, for storing the real-time data in the real-time data file as entries time-stamped with times associated with when the real-time data were produced, for receiving data from the non-real-time data source, for storing the non-real-time data in the non-real-time data file as entries time-stamped with times of relevance of the non-real-time data, and for associating the header file with those entries in the real-time and non-real-time data files whose time stamps fall within the time interval.