StorHouse metanoia - new applications for database, storage & data warehousing

Abstract

This paper describes the StorHouse/Relational Manager (RM) database system that uses and exploits an active storage hierarchy . By active storage hierarchy, we mean that StorHouse/RM executes SQL queries directly against data stored on all hierarchical storage (i.e. disk, optical, and tape) without post processing a file or a DBA having to manage a data set. We describe and analyze StorHouse/RM features and internals. We also describe how StorHouse/RM differs from traditional HSM (Hierarchical Storage Management) systems. For commercial applications we describe an evolution to the Data Warehouse concept, called Atomic Data Store , whereby atomic data is stored in the database system. Atomic data is defined as storing all the historic data values and executing queries against them. We also describe a Hub-and-Spoke Data Warehouse architecture , which is used to feed or fuel data into Data Marts. Furthermore, we provide analysis how StorHouse/RM can be federated with DB2, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server 7 (SS7) and thus provide these databases an active storage hierarchy (i.e. tape). We then show two federated data modeling techniques (a) logical horizontal partitioning (LHP) of tuples and (b) logical vertical partitioning (LVP) of columns to demonstrate our database extension capabilities. We conclude with a TPC-like performance analysis of data stored on tape and disk.