U.S. patent application number 15/344868 was filed with the patent office on 2018-01-11 for management of streaming data.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAS Institute Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is SAS Institute Inc.. Invention is credited to KATHERINE FULLINGTON TAYLOR.
Application Number | 20180011882 15/344868 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60189702 |
Filed Date | 2018-01-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180011882 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TAYLOR; KATHERINE
FULLINGTON |
January 11, 2018 |
MANAGEMENT OF STREAMING DATA
Abstract
Streaming data, such as streaming records transmitted from
entities, can be managed. For example, a new record associated with
an entity can be received. There can be an existing record for the
entity within a group of records. The group of records can form a
block. A new block for the new record can be generated. A datastore
can be updated to indicate that the new block has the most current
record for the entity. Entries in the datastore can be filtered to
identify a subgroup of blocks that has the most current record for
each entity of multiple entities. A combined group of blocks can be
generated by joining the new block with the subgroup of blocks. The
combined group of blocks can be processed as a batch of data by a
processing engine.
Inventors: |
TAYLOR; KATHERINE FULLINGTON;
(Raleigh, NC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SAS Institute Inc. |
Cary |
NC |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SAS Institute Inc.
Cary
NC
|
Family ID: |
60189702 |
Appl. No.: |
15/344868 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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62359415 |
Jul 7, 2016 |
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62371824 |
Aug 7, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/90 20190101;
G06F 16/2477 20190101; G06F 16/2308 20190101; G06F 16/219 20190101;
G06F 16/22 20190101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/30 20060101
G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program
code for a batch processing engine usable for real-time data
analysis, the program code being executable by a processor for
causing the processor to: receive, at a current time, a new record
associated with an entity for which there is an existing record
within a group of records that form a block; generate a new block
that is separate from the block and comprises the new record
associated with the entity; update a datastore to indicate that the
new block comprises a most current record for the entity based on
the current time being more recent than a previous time associated
with the existing record for the entity; filter entries in the
datastore to identify a subgroup of blocks that comprises the most
current record for each entity of a plurality of entities; generate
a combined group of blocks by joining the new block with the
subgroup of blocks; and process the combined group of blocks as a
batch of data by concurrently analyzing all of the blocks in the
combined group of blocks to determine a relationship indicated by
the combined group of blocks, wherein concurrently analyzing all of
the blocks in the combined group of blocks to determine the
relationship includes: filtering the combined group of blocks to
identify the most current record for each entity of the plurality
of entities; and analyzing the most current record associated with
each entity.
2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein
the block comprises multiple records associated with different
entities of the plurality of entities, and further comprising
program code that is executable by the processor for causing the
processor to determine a number of records to include in the block
based on a predetermined value or a predetermined time
interval.
3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further
comprising program code that is executable by the processor for
causing the processor to update the datastore by: updating a first
datastore to indicate that the new block comprises the most current
record for the entity; and updating a second datastore to include a
new entry for the new record, the new entry comprising indicators
of the entity, the new block, the current time, and an event
associated with the new record.
4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein
the new record indicates an amount of energy used or produced by
the entity.
5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further
comprising program code that is executable by the processor for
causing the processor to generate the combined group of blocks by:
loading at least a portion of the subgroup of blocks into memory;
and joining, in memory, the new block to at least the portion of
the subgroup of blocks.
6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein
the new block comprises: the new record; and at least one other new
record associated with another entity of the plurality of
entities.
7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further
comprising program code that is executable by the processor for
causing the processor to: filter entries in the datastore to
determine another subgroup of blocks comprising the most current
record for each entity as of a previous date; and cause the batch
processing engine to process the other subgroup of blocks for
determining an output associated with the previous date.
8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further
comprising program code that is executable by the processor for
causing the processor to filter the combined group of blocks to
identify the most current record for each entity of the plurality
of entities by: for each entity: obtaining, from the datastore,
respective timestamps for records that are in the combined group of
blocks and associated with the entity; comparing the respective
timestamps to one another to determine which particular record has
a most current timestamp; and using the particular record as the
most current record for the entity.
9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein
the batch processing engine is executable in a computing
environment that does not allow for updating of existing files in a
file system.
10. (canceled)
11. A method for performing real-time data analysis using a batch
processing engine, the method comprising: receiving, by a
processing device and at a current time, a new record associated
with an entity for which there is an existing record within a group
of records that form a block; generating, by the processing device,
a new block that is separate from the block and comprises the new
record associated with the entity; updating, by the processing
device, a datastore to indicate that the new block comprises a most
current record for the entity based on the current time being more
recent than a previous time associated with the existing record for
the entity; filtering, by the processing device, entries in the
datastore to identify a subgroup of blocks that comprises the most
current record for each entity of a plurality of entities;
generating, by the processing device, a combined group of blocks by
joining the new block with the subgroup of blocks; and processing,
by the processing device, the combined group of blocks as a batch
of data by concurrently analyzing all of the blocks in the combined
group of blocks to determine a relationship indicated by the
combined group of blocks, wherein concurrently analyzing all of the
blocks in the combined group of blocks to determine the
relationship includes: filtering the combined group of blocks to
identify the most current record for each entity of the plurality
of entities; and analyzing the most current record associated with
each entity.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the block comprises multiple
records associated with different entities of the plurality of
entities, and further comprising determining a number of records to
include in the block based on a predetermined value or a
predetermined time interval.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the
datastore by: updating a first datastore to indicate that the new
block comprises the most current record for the entity; and
updating a second datastore to include a new entry for the new
record, the new entry comprising indicators of the entity, the new
block, the current time, and an event associated with the new
record.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the new record indicates an
amount of energy used or produced by the entity.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating the
combined group of blocks by: loading at least a portion of the
subgroup of blocks into memory; and joining, in memory, the new
block to at least the portion of the subgroup of blocks.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the new block comprises: the
new record; and at least one other new record associated with
another entity of the plurality of entities.
17. The method claim 11, further comprising: filtering entries in
the datastore to determine another subgroup of blocks comprising
the most current record for each entity as of a previous date; and
causing the batch processing engine to process the other subgroup
of blocks for determining an output associated with the previous
date.
18. The method of claim 11, further comprising filtering the
combined group of blocks to identify the most current record for
each entity of the plurality of entities by: for each entity:
obtaining, from the datastore, respective timestamps for records
that are in the combined group of blocks and associated with the
entity; comparing the respective timestamps to one another to
determine which particular record has a most current timestamp; and
using the particular record as the most current record for the
entity.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the batch processing engine is
executable in a computing environment that does not allow for
updating of existing files in a file system.
20. (canceled)
21. A system for performing real-time data analysis using a batch
processing engine, the system comprising: a processing device; and
a memory device in which instructions executable by the processing
device are stored for causing the processing device to: receive, at
a current time, a new record associated with an entity for which
there is an existing record within a group of records that form a
block; generate a new block that is separate from the block and
comprises the new record associated with the entity; update a
datastore to indicate that the new block comprises a most current
record for the entity based on the current time being more recent
than a previous time associated with the existing record for the
entity; filter entries in the datastore to identify a subgroup of
blocks that comprises the most current record for each entity of a
plurality of entities; generate a combined group of blocks by
joining the new block with the subgroup of blocks; and process the
combined group of blocks as a batch of data by concurrently
analyzing all of the blocks in the combined group of blocks to
determine a relationship indicated by the combined group of blocks,
wherein concurrently analyzing all of the blocks in the combined
group of blocks to determine the relationship includes: filtering
the combined group of blocks to identify the most current record
for each entity of the plurality of entities; and analyzing the
most current record associated with each entity.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the block comprises multiple
records associated with different entities of the plurality of
entities, and the memory device further comprises instructions that
are executable by the processing device for causing the processing
device to determine a number of records to include in the block
based on a predetermined value or a predetermined time
interval.
23. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory device further
comprises instructions that are executable by the processing device
for causing the processing device to update the datastore by:
updating a first datastore to indicate that the new block comprises
the most current record for the entity; and updating a second
datastore to include a new entry for the new record, the new entry
comprising indicators of the entity, the new block, the current
time, and an event associated with the new record.
24. The system of claim 21, wherein the new record indicates an
amount of energy used or produced by the entity.
25. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory device further
comprises instructions that are executable by the processing device
for causing the processing device to generate the combined group of
blocks by: loading at least a portion of the subgroup of blocks
into memory; and joining, in memory, the new block to at least the
portion of the subgroup of blocks.
26. The system of claim 21, wherein the new block comprises: the
new record; and at least one other new record associated with
another entity of the plurality of entities.
27. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory device further
comprises instructions that are executable by the processing device
for causing the processing device to: filter entries in the
datastore to determine another subgroup of blocks comprising the
most current record for each entity as of a previous date; and
cause the batch processing engine to process the other subgroup of
blocks for determining an output associated with the previous
date.
28. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory device further
includes instructions that are executable by the processing device
for causing the processing device to filter the combined group of
blocks to identify the most current record for each entity of the
plurality of entities by: for each entity: obtaining, from the
datastore, respective timestamps for records that are in the
combined group of blocks and associated with the entity; comparing
the respective timestamps to one another to determine which
particular record has a most current timestamp; and using the
particular record as the most current record for the entity.
29. The system claim 28, wherein the batch processing engine is
executable in a computing environment that does not allow for
updating of existing files in a file system.
30. (canceled)
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/359,415,
titled "Management of Real-Time Streaming Data" and filed Jul. 7,
2016, and the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) to
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/371,824, titled
"Management of Real-Time Streaming Data" and filed Aug. 7, 2016,
the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference
herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to
computer-to-computer data streaming. More specifically, but not by
way of limitation, this disclosure relates to management of
streaming data.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Data can be streamed from one electronic device to another.
Streaming can include transmitting or communicating data in a
substantially continuous flow between the electronic devices. Some
electronic devices can receive streaming data and analyze the
streaming data in substantially real time (e.g., within a very
short time-period after receiving the streaming data, such as 50
milliseconds or less).
SUMMARY
[0004] In one example, a non-transitory computer readable medium
comprising program code for a batch processing engine usable for
real-time data analysis is provided. The program code can be
executable by a processor. The program code can cause the processor
to receive, at a current time, a new record associated with an
entity for which there is an existing record within a group of
records that form a block. The program code can cause the processor
to generate a new block that is separate from the block and
comprises the new record associated with the entity. The program
code can cause the processor to update a datastore to indicate that
the new block comprises a most current record for the entity based
on the current time being more recent than a previous time
associated with the existing record for the entity. The program
code can cause the processor to filter entries in the datastore to
identify a subgroup of blocks that comprises the most current
record for each entity of a plurality of entities. The program code
can cause the processor to generate a combined group of blocks by
joining the new block with the subgroup of blocks. The program code
can cause the processor to process the combined group of blocks as
a batch of data. The combined group of blocks can be processed as
the batch of data by filtering the combined group of blocks to
identify the most current record for each entity of the plurality
of entities, and analyzing the most current record associated with
each entity.
[0005] In another example, a method for performing real-time data
analysis using a batch processing engine is provided. The method
can include receiving, by a processing device and at a current
time, a new record associated with an entity for which there is an
existing record within a group of records that form a block. The
method can include generating, by the processing device, a new
block that is separate from the block and comprises the new record
associated with the entity. The method can include updating, by the
processing device, a datastore to indicate that the new block
comprises a most current record for the entity based on the current
time being more recent than a previous time associated with the
existing record for the entity. The method can include filtering,
by the processing device, entries in the datastore to identify a
subgroup of blocks that comprises the most current record for each
entity of a plurality of entities. The method can include
generating, by the processing device, a combined group of blocks by
joining the new block with the subgroup of blocks. The method can
include processing, by the processing device, the combined group of
blocks as a batch of data. The combined group of blocks can be
processed as the batch of data by filtering the combined group of
blocks to identify the most current record for each entity of the
plurality of entities, and analyzing the most current record
associated with each entity.
[0006] In another example, a system for performing real-time data
analysis using a batch processing engine is provided. The system
can include a processing device and a memory device that includes
instructions executable by the processing device. The instructions
can cause the processing device to receive, at a current time, a
new record associated with an entity for which there is an existing
record within a group of records that form a block. The
instructions can cause the processing device to generate a new
block that is separate from the block and comprises the new record
associated with the entity. The instructions can cause the
processing device to update a datastore to indicate that the new
block comprises a most current record for the entity based on the
current time being more recent than a previous time associated with
the existing record for the entity. The instructions can cause the
processing device to filter entries in the datastore to identify a
subgroup of blocks that comprises the most current record for each
entity of a plurality of entities. The instructions can cause the
processing device to generate a combined group of blocks by joining
the new block with the subgroup of blocks. The instructions can
cause the processing device to process the combined group of blocks
as a batch of data. The combined group of blocks can be processed
as the batch of data by: filtering the combined group of blocks to
identify the most current record for each entity of the plurality
of entities, and analyzing the most current record associated with
each entity.
[0007] This summary is not intended to identify key or essential
features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be
used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject
matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to
appropriate portions of the entire specification, any or all
drawings, and each claim.
[0008] The foregoing, together with other features and examples,
will become more apparent upon referring to the following
specification, claims, and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the
appended figures:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of the hardware
components of a computing system according to some aspects.
[0011] FIG. 2 is an example of devices that can communicate with
each other over an exchange system and via a network according to
some aspects.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a model of an example of a
communications protocol system according to some aspects.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a hierarchical diagram of an example of a
communications grid computing system including a variety of control
and worker nodes according to some aspects.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
adjusting a communications grid or a work project in a
communications grid after a failure of a node according to some
aspects.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a portion of a communications
grid computing system including a control node and a worker node
according to some aspects.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
executing a data analysis or processing project according to some
aspects.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a block diagram including components of an Event
Stream Processing Engine (ESPE) according to some aspects.
[0018] FIG. 9 is a flow chart of an example of a process including
operations performed by an event stream processing engine according
to some aspects.
[0019] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an ESP system interfacing
between a publishing device and multiple event subscribing devices
according to some aspects.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
managing data according to some aspects.
[0021] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an example of entities
transmitting data on a first day according to some aspects.
[0022] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an example of entities
transmitting data on a second day according to some aspects.
[0023] FIG. 14 is a table of an example of entities mapped to
groups according to some aspects.
[0024] FIG. 15 is a table of an example of entities mapped to a
flag according to some aspects.
[0025] FIG. 16 is a table of an example of entities mapped to a
group and an event according to some aspects.
[0026] FIG. 17 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
analyzing older records according to some aspects.
[0027] FIG. 18 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
managing data according to a historical mode or a real-time mode
according to some aspects.
[0028] In the appended figures, similar components or features can
have the same reference label. Further, various components of the
same type can be distinguished by following the reference label by
a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar
components. If only the first reference label is used in the
specification, the description is applicable to any one of the
similar components having the same first reference label
irrespective of the second reference label.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] In the following description, for the purposes of
explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a
thorough understanding of examples of the technology. But various
examples can be practiced without these specific details. The
figures and description are not intended to be restrictive.
[0030] The ensuing description provides examples only, and is not
intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the
disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the examples
provides those skilled in the art with an enabling description for
implementing an example. Various changes may be made in the
function and arrangement of elements without departing from the
spirit and scope of the technology as set forth in the appended
claims.
[0031] Specific details are given in the following description to
provide a thorough understanding of the examples. But the examples
may be practiced without these specific details. For example,
circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components can be
shown as components in block diagram form to prevent obscuring the
examples in unnecessary detail. In other examples, well-known
circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be
shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the
examples.
[0032] Also, individual examples can be described as a process that
is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a
structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart can
describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the
operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In
addition, the order of the operations can be re-arranged. A process
is terminated when its operations are completed, but can have
additional operations not included in a figure. A process can
correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a
subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its
termination can correspond to a return of the function to the
calling function or the main function.
[0033] Systems depicted in some of the figures can be provided in
various configurations. In some examples, the systems can be
configured as a distributed system where one or more components of
the system are distributed across one or more networks in a cloud
computing system.
[0034] Certain aspects and features of the present disclosure
relate to a batch-processing engine that can receive updates to
existing records and, in substantially real time (e.g., within a
very short time-period after receiving the updates, such as 50
milliseconds), process the most current version of each record. A
batch-processing engine can be a software application that
aggregates and analyzes data in groups, which can be referred to as
a batch or a batch of data. A record can include information that
is associated with an entity (e.g., a person, a house, a business,
a building, an electrical device, etc.). An example of a record can
include an amount of water used by a house on a particular day. In
some examples, the batch-processing engine can also preserve all
prior versions of the records (along with information about each
record), so that the batch-processing engine can analyze the most
current version of each record as of a previous date.
[0035] Batch-processing engines can store and access data in
groups. For example, a batch-processing engine can store multiple
records (e.g., five records) in a single file. The batch-processing
engine may store multiple records in a single file, rather than
storing each record individually in a separate file, because
storing each record individually may be unfeasible when there are a
high number (e.g., millions) of records. And the batch-processing
engine may access all the records in the file together as a group
to perform an analysis. But storing and accessing data in groups
can make updating a single record challenging. For example, the
batch-processing engine may receive an update for a record. To
update the record, the batch-processing engine can access a file
that contains the record. But while the batch-processing engine
accesses the file and attempts to update the record, the
batch-processing engine may also undergo a locking period. During
the locking period, the batch-processing engine may be blocked from
accessing the other data in the file while the batch-processing
engine updates the record. If records are frequently (and randomly)
updated, multiple files may have to be updated simultaneously, and
the resulting locking periods can inhibit real-time analysis of
records. As another example, to update the record without
introducing a locking period, the batch-processing engine may
create a copy of the file that contains the record. The
batch-processing engine can then update the copy of the file with
the new information for the record. But this process can be slow,
result in multiple copies of the same data (e.g., some or all of
the data stored in the original file that contained the original
version of the record), and use a large amount of computing
resources.
[0036] Also, it may be desirable to have a batch-processing engine
analyze only the most current versions of the records to provide
real-time analytics and insight. This may require old or
out-of-date records to be excluded from the analysis. But because
batch-processing engines store and access data in groups, it can be
challenging to exclude out-of-date records from the analysis. For
example, a batch-processing engine may access multiple files for
performing an analysis. And each file may contain both current and
out-of-date records. Because the batch-processing engine may
indiscriminately use all of the data in all of the files for the
analysis, the batch-processing engine may incorporate the
out-of-date records into the analysis. It can be challenging to
ensure that the batch-processing engine only uses the most current
versions of the records in an analysis.
[0037] Some examples of the present disclosure overcome one or more
of the above issues by storing the updated records in new files,
rather than updating existing files. The existing files can remain
unchanged. This may prevent existing data from being overwritten,
and may reduce or eliminate the locking period, enabling the
batch-processing engine to perform real-time analysis of streaming
data. Storing the updated records in new files may also reduce or
eliminate duplication of record data. Also, by storing the updated
records in new files, rather than updating existing files, the
batch-processing engine can maintain a full history of the records.
The batch-processing engine can then be pointed back to a prior
point in time and analyze the records as they were at that point in
time. Further, by storing the updated records in new files, rather
than updating existing files, the batch-processing engine can be
executed within computing environments (e.g., a Hadoop environment)
that do not allow existing files to be updated.
[0038] Further, some examples of the present disclosure overcome
one or more of the above issues by maintaining a table or database
that indicates which versions of the records are most current,
which files have the most current versions of the records, or both
of these. This can enable the batch-processing engine to analyze
only the most current versions of the records.
[0039] FIGS. 1-10 depict examples of systems and methods usable for
managing streaming data according to some aspects. For example,
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of the hardware components
of a computing system according to some aspects. Data transmission
network 100 is a specialized computer system that may be used for
processing large amounts of data where a large number of computer
processing cycles are required.
[0040] Data transmission network 100 may also include computing
environment 114. Computing environment 114 may be a specialized
computer or other machine that processes the data received within
the data transmission network 100. The computing environment 114
may include one or more other systems. For example, computing
environment 114 may include a database system 118 or a
communications grid 120. The data transmission network 100 can
include one or more processors (e.g., distributed over one or more
networks or otherwise in communication with one another) that, in
some examples, can collectively be referred to as a processor.
[0041] Data transmission network 100 also includes one or more
network devices 102. Network devices 102 may include client devices
that can communicate with computing environment 114. For example,
network devices 102 may send data to the computing environment 114
to be processed, may send communications to the computing
environment 114 to control different aspects of the computing
environment or the data it is processing, among other reasons.
Network devices 102 may interact with the computing environment 114
through a number of ways, such as, for example, over one or more
networks 108.
[0042] In some examples, network devices 102 may provide a large
amount of data, either all at once or streaming over a period of
time (e.g., using event stream processing (ESP)), to the computing
environment 114 via networks 108. For example, the network devices
102 can transmit electronic messages, all at once or streaming over
a period of time, to the computing environment 114 via networks
108.
[0043] The network devices 102 may include network computers,
sensors, databases, or other devices that may transmit or otherwise
provide data to computing environment 114. For example, network
devices 102 may include local area network devices, such as
routers, hubs, switches, or other computer networking devices.
These devices may provide a variety of stored or generated data,
such as network data or data specific to the network devices 102
themselves. Network devices 102 may also include sensors that
monitor their environment or other devices to collect data
regarding that environment or those devices, and such network
devices 102 may provide data they collect over time. Network
devices 102 may also include devices within the internet of things,
such as devices within a home automation network. Some of these
devices may be referred to as edge devices, and may involve
edge-computing circuitry. Data may be transmitted by network
devices 102 directly to computing environment 114 or to
network-attached data stores, such as network-attached data stores
110 for storage so that the data may be retrieved later by the
computing environment 114 or other portions of data transmission
network 100. For example, the network devices 102 can transmit data
usable for managing streaming data to a network-attached data store
110 for storage. The computing environment 114 may later retrieve
the data from the network-attached data store 110 and use the data
to manage streaming data.
[0044] Network-attached data stores 110 can store data to be
processed by the computing environment 114 as well as any
intermediate or final data generated by the computing system in
non-volatile memory. But in certain examples, the configuration of
the computing environment 114 allows its operations to be performed
such that intermediate and final data results can be stored solely
in volatile memory (e.g., RAM), without a requirement that
intermediate or final data results be stored to non-volatile types
of memory (e.g., disk). This can be useful in certain situations,
such as when the computing environment 114 receives ad hoc queries
from a user and when responses, which are generated by processing
large amounts of data, need to be generated dynamically (e.g., on
the fly). In this situation, the computing environment 114 may be
configured to retain the processed information within memory so
that responses can be generated for the user at different levels of
detail as well as allow a user to interactively query against this
information.
[0045] Network-attached data stores 110 may store a variety of
different types of data organized in a variety of different ways
and from a variety of different sources. For example,
network-attached data stores may include storage other than primary
storage located within computing environment 114 that is directly
accessible by processors located therein. Network-attached data
stores may include secondary, tertiary or auxiliary storage, such
as large hard drives, servers, virtual memory, among other types.
Storage devices may include portable or non-portable storage
devices, optical storage devices, and various other mediums capable
of storing, containing data. A machine-readable storage medium or
computer-readable storage medium may include a non-transitory
medium in which data can be stored and that does not include
carrier waves or transitory electronic communications. Examples of
a non-transitory medium may include, for example, a magnetic disk
or tape, optical storage media such as compact disk or digital
versatile disk, flash memory, memory or memory devices. A
computer-program product may include code or machine-executable
instructions that may represent a procedure, a function, a
subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a
software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data
structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to
another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing or receiving
information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.
Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed,
forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory
sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission,
among others. Furthermore, the data stores may hold a variety of
different types of data. For example, network-attached data stores
110 may hold unstructured (e.g., raw) data.
[0046] The unstructured data may be presented to the computing
environment 114 in different forms such as a flat file or a
conglomerate of data records, and may have data values and
accompanying time stamps. The computing environment 114 may be used
to analyze the unstructured data in a variety of ways to determine
the best way to structure (e.g., hierarchically) that data, such
that the structured data is tailored to a type of further analysis
that a user wishes to perform on the data. For example, after being
processed, the unstructured time-stamped data may be aggregated by
time (e.g., into daily time period units) to generate time series
data or structured hierarchically according to one or more
dimensions (e.g., parameters, attributes, or variables). For
example, data may be stored in a hierarchical data structure, such
as a relational online analytical processing (ROLAP) or
multidimensional online analytical processing (MOLAP) database, or
may be stored in another tabular form, such as in a flat-hierarchy
form.
[0047] Data transmission network 100 may also include one or more
server farms 106. Computing environment 114 may route select
communications or data to the sever farms 106 or one or more
servers within the server farms 106. Server farms 106 can be
configured to provide information in a predetermined manner. For
example, server farms 106 may access data to transmit in response
to a communication. Server farms 106 may be separately housed from
each other device within data transmission network 100, such as
computing environment 114, or may be part of a device or
system.
[0048] Server farms 106 may host a variety of different types of
data processing as part of data transmission network 100. Server
farms 106 may receive a variety of different data from network
devices, from computing environment 114, from cloud network 116, or
from other sources. The data may have been obtained or collected
from one or more websites, sensors, as inputs from a control
database, or may have been received as inputs from an external
system or device. Server farms 106 may assist in processing the
data by turning raw data into processed data based on one or more
rules implemented by the server farms. For example, sensor data may
be analyzed to determine changes in an environment over time or in
real-time.
[0049] Data transmission network 100 may also include one or more
cloud networks 116. Cloud network 116 may include a cloud
infrastructure system that provides cloud services. In certain
examples, services provided by the cloud network 116 may include a
host of services that are made available to users of the cloud
infrastructure system on demand. Cloud network 116 is shown in FIG.
1 as being connected to computing environment 114 (and therefore
having computing environment 114 as its client or user), but cloud
network 116 may be connected to or utilized by any of the devices
in FIG. 1. Services provided by the cloud network 116 can
dynamically scale to meet the needs of its users. The cloud network
116 may include one or more computers, servers, or systems. In some
examples, the computers, servers, or systems that make up the cloud
network 116 are different from the user's own on-premises
computers, servers, or systems. For example, the cloud network 116
may host an application, and a user may, via a communication
network such as the Internet, order and use the application on
demand. In some examples, the cloud network 116 may host an
application for managing streaming data.
[0050] While each device, server, and system in FIG. 1 is shown as
a single device, multiple devices may instead be used. For example,
a set of network devices can be used to transmit various
communications from a single user, or remote server 140 may include
a server stack. As another example, data may be processed as part
of computing environment 114.
[0051] Each communication within data transmission network 100
(e.g., between client devices, between a device and connection
management system 150, between server farms 106 and computing
environment 114, or between a server and a device) may occur over
one or more networks 108. Networks 108 may include one or more of a
variety of different types of networks, including a wireless
network, a wired network, or a combination of a wired and wireless
network. Examples of suitable networks include the Internet, a
personal area network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area
network (WAN), or a wireless local area network (WLAN). A wireless
network may include a wireless interface or combination of wireless
interfaces. As an example, a network in the one or more networks
108 may include a short-range communication channel, such as a
Bluetooth or a Bluetooth Low Energy channel. A wired network may
include a wired interface. The wired or wireless networks may be
implemented using routers, access points, bridges, gateways, or the
like, to connect devices in the network 108. The networks 108 can
be incorporated entirely within or can include an intranet, an
extranet, or a combination thereof. In one example, communications
between two or more systems or devices can be achieved by a secure
communications protocol, such as secure sockets layer (SSL) or
transport layer security (TLS). In addition, data or transactional
details may be encrypted.
[0052] Some aspects may utilize the Internet of Things (IoT), where
things (e.g., machines, devices, phones, sensors) can be connected
to networks and the data from these things can be collected and
processed within the things or external to the things. For example,
the IoT can include sensors in many different devices, and high
value analytics can be applied to identify hidden relationships and
drive increased efficiencies. This can apply to both big data
analytics and real-time (e.g., ESP) analytics.
[0053] As noted, computing environment 114 may include a
communications grid 120 and a transmission network database system
118. Communications grid 120 may be a grid-based computing system
for processing large amounts of data. The transmission network
database system 118 may be for managing, storing, and retrieving
large amounts of data that are distributed to and stored in the one
or more network-attached data stores 110 or other data stores that
reside at different locations within the transmission network
database system 118. The computing nodes in the communications grid
120 and the transmission network database system 118 may share the
same processor hardware, such as processors that are located within
computing environment 114.
[0054] In some examples, the computing environment 114, a network
device 102, or both can implement one or more processes for
managing streaming data. For example, the computing environment
114, a network device 102, or both can implement one or more
versions of the processes discussed with respect to FIGS. 11, 17,
and 18.
[0055] FIG. 2 is an example of devices that can communicate with
each other over an exchange system and via a network according to
some aspects. As noted, each communication within data transmission
network 100 may occur over one or more networks. System 200
includes a network device 204 configured to communicate with a
variety of types of client devices, for example client devices 230,
over a variety of types of communication channels.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, network device 204 can transmit a
communication over a network (e.g., a cellular network via a base
station 210). In some examples, the communication can include times
series data. The communication can be routed to another network
device, such as network devices 205-209, via base station 210. The
communication can also be routed to computing environment 214 via
base station 210. In some examples, the network device 204 may
collect data either from its surrounding environment or from other
network devices (such as network devices 205-209) and transmit that
data to computing environment 214.
[0057] Although network devices 204-209 are shown in FIG. 2 as a
mobile phone, laptop computer, tablet computer, temperature sensor,
motion sensor, and audio sensor respectively, the network devices
may be or include sensors that are sensitive to detecting aspects
of their environment. For example, the network devices may include
sensors such as water sensors, power sensors, electrical current
sensors, chemical sensors, optical sensors, pressure sensors,
geographic or position sensors (e.g., GPS), velocity sensors,
acceleration sensors, flow rate sensors, among others. Examples of
characteristics that may be sensed include force, torque, load,
strain, position, temperature, air pressure, fluid flow, chemical
properties, resistance, electromagnetic fields, radiation,
irradiance, proximity, acoustics, moisture, distance, speed,
vibrations, acceleration, electrical potential, and electrical
current, among others. The sensors may be mounted to various
components used as part of a variety of different types of systems.
The network devices may detect and record data related to the
environment that it monitors, and transmit that data to computing
environment 214.
[0058] The network devices 204-209 may also perform processing on
data it collects before transmitting the data to the computing
environment 214, or before deciding whether to transmit data to the
computing environment 214. For example, network devices 204-209 may
determine whether data collected meets certain rules, for example
by comparing data or values calculated from the data and comparing
that data to one or more thresholds. The network devices 204-209
may use this data or comparisons to determine if the data is to be
transmitted to the computing environment 214 for further use or
processing. In some examples, the network devices 204-209 can
pre-process the data prior to transmitting the data to the
computing environment 214. For example, the network devices 204-209
can reformat the data before transmitting the data to the computing
environment 214 for further processing.
[0059] Computing environment 214 may include machines 220, 240.
Although computing environment 214 is shown in FIG. 2 as having two
machines 220, 240, computing environment 214 may have only one
machine or may have more than two machines. The machines 220, 240
that make up computing environment 214 may include specialized
computers, servers, or other machines that are configured to
individually or collectively process large amounts of data. The
computing environment 214 may also include storage devices that
include one or more databases of structured data, such as data
organized in one or more hierarchies, or unstructured data. The
databases may communicate with the processing devices within
computing environment 214 to distribute data to them. Since network
devices may transmit data to computing environment 214, that data
may be received by the computing environment 214 and subsequently
stored within those storage devices. Data used by computing
environment 214 may also be stored in data stores 235, which may
also be a part of or connected to computing environment 214.
[0060] Computing environment 214 can communicate with various
devices via one or more routers 225 or other inter-network or
intra-network connection components. For example, computing
environment 214 may communicate with client devices 230 via one or
more routers 225. Computing environment 214 may collect, analyze or
store data from or pertaining to communications, client device
operations, client rules, or user-associated actions stored at one
or more data stores 235. Such data may influence communication
routing to the devices within computing environment 214, how data
is stored or processed within computing environment 214, among
other actions.
[0061] Notably, various other devices can further be used to
influence communication routing or processing between devices
within computing environment 214 and with devices outside of
computing environment 214. For example, as shown in FIG. 2,
computing environment 214 may include a machine 240 that is a web
server. Computing environment 214 can retrieve data of interest,
such as client information (e.g., product information, client
rules, etc.), technical product details, news, blog posts, e-mails,
forum posts, electronic documents, social media posts (e.g.,
Twitter.TM. posts or Facebook.TM. posts), time series data, and so
on.
[0062] In addition to computing environment 214 collecting data
(e.g., as received from network devices, such as sensors, and
client devices or other sources) to be processed as part of a big
data analytics project, it may also receive data in real time as
part of a streaming analytics environment. As noted, data may be
collected using a variety of sources as communicated via different
kinds of networks or locally. Such data may be received on a
real-time streaming basis. For example, network devices 204-209 may
receive data periodically and in real time from a web server or
other source. Devices within computing environment 214 may also
perform pre-analysis on data it receives to determine if the data
received should be processed as part of an ongoing project. For
example, as part of a project, the computing environment 214 can
perform a pre-analysis of the data. The pre-analysis can include
determining whether the data is in a correct format for and, if
not, reformatting the data into the correct format.
[0063] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a model of an example of a
communications protocol system according to some aspects. More
specifically, FIG. 3 identifies operation of a computing
environment in an Open Systems Interaction model that corresponds
to various connection components. The model 300 shows, for example,
how a computing environment, such as computing environment (or
computing environment 214 in FIG. 2) may communicate with other
devices in its network, and control how communications between the
computing environment and other devices are executed and under what
conditions.
[0064] The model 300 can include layers 302-314. The layers 302-314
are arranged in a stack. Each layer in the stack serves the layer
one level higher than it (except for the application layer, which
is the highest layer), and is served by the layer one level below
it (except for the physical layer 302, which is the lowest layer).
The physical layer 302 is the lowest layer because it receives and
transmits raw bites of data, and is the farthest layer from the
user in a communications system. On the other hand, the application
layer is the highest layer because it interacts directly with a
software application.
[0065] As noted, the model 300 includes a physical layer 302.
Physical layer 302 represents physical communication, and can
define parameters of that physical communication. For example, such
physical communication may come in the form of electrical, optical,
or electromagnetic communications. Physical layer 302 also defines
protocols that may control communications within a data
transmission network.
[0066] Link layer 304 defines links and mechanisms used to transmit
(e.g., move) data across a network. The link layer manages
node-to-node communications, such as within a grid-computing
environment. Link layer 304 can detect and correct errors (e.g.,
transmission errors in the physical layer 302). Link layer 304 can
also include a media access control (MAC) layer and logical link
control (LLC) layer.
[0067] Network layer 306 can define the protocol for routing within
a network. In other words, the network layer coordinates
transferring data across nodes in a same network (e.g., such as a
grid-computing environment). Network layer 306 can also define the
processes used to structure local addressing within the
network.
[0068] Transport layer 308 can manage the transmission of data and
the quality of the transmission or receipt of that data. Transport
layer 308 can provide a protocol for transferring data, such as,
for example, a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Transport layer
308 can assemble and disassemble data frames for transmission. The
transport layer can also detect transmission errors occurring in
the layers below it.
[0069] Session layer 310 can establish, maintain, and manage
communication connections between devices on a network. In other
words, the session layer controls the dialogues or nature of
communications between network devices on the network. The session
layer may also establish checkpointing, adjournment, termination,
and restart procedures.
[0070] Presentation layer 312 can provide translation for
communications between the application and network layers. In other
words, this layer may encrypt, decrypt or format data based on data
types known to be accepted by an application or network layer.
[0071] Application layer 314 interacts directly with software
applications and end users, and manages communications between
them. Application layer 314 can identify destinations, local
resource states or availability or communication content or
formatting using the applications.
[0072] For example, a communication link can be established between
two devices on a network. One device can transmit an analog or
digital representation of an electronic message that includes a
data set to the other device. The other device can receive the
analog or digital representation at the physical layer 302. The
other device can transmit the data associated with the electronic
message through the remaining layers 304-314. The application layer
314 can receive data associated with the electronic message. The
application layer 314 can identify one or more applications, such
as an application for managing streaming data, to which to transmit
data associated with the electronic message. The application layer
314 can transmit the data to the identified application.
[0073] Intra-network connection components 322, 324 can operate in
lower levels, such as physical layer 302 and link layer 304,
respectively. For example, a hub can operate in the physical layer,
a switch can operate in the physical layer, and a router can
operate in the network layer. Inter-network connection components
326, 328 are shown to operate on higher levels, such as layers
306-314. For example, routers can operate in the network layer and
network devices can operate in the transport, session,
presentation, and application layers.
[0074] A computing environment 330 can interact with or operate on,
in various examples, one, more, all or any of the various layers.
For example, computing environment 330 can interact with a hub
(e.g., via the link layer) to adjust which devices the hub
communicates with. The physical layer 302 may be served by the link
layer 304, so it may implement such data from the link layer 304.
For example, the computing environment 330 may control which
devices from which it can receive data. For example, if the
computing environment 330 knows that a certain network device has
turned off, broken, or otherwise become unavailable or unreliable,
the computing environment 330 may instruct the hub to prevent any
data from being transmitted to the computing environment 330 from
that network device. Such a process may be beneficial to avoid
receiving data that is inaccurate or that has been influenced by an
uncontrolled environment. As another example, computing environment
330 can communicate with a bridge, switch, router or gateway and
influence which device within the system (e.g., system 200) the
component selects as a destination. In some examples, computing
environment 330 can interact with various layers by exchanging
communications with equipment operating on a particular layer by
routing or modifying existing communications. In another example,
such as in a grid-computing environment, a node may determine how
data within the environment should be routed (e.g., which node
should receive certain data) based on certain parameters or
information provided by other layers within the model.
[0075] The computing environment 330 may be a part of a
communications grid environment, the communications of which may be
implemented as shown in the protocol of FIG. 3. For example,
referring back to FIG. 2, one or more of machines 220 and 240 may
be part of a communications grid-computing environment. A gridded
computing environment may be employed in a distributed system with
non-interactive workloads where data resides in memory on the
machines, or compute nodes. In such an environment, analytic code,
instead of a database management system, can control the processing
performed by the nodes. Data is co-located by pre-distributing it
to the grid nodes, and the analytic code on each node loads the
local data into memory. Each node may be assigned a particular
task, such as a portion of a processing project, or to organize or
control other nodes within the grid. For example, each node may be
assigned a portion of a processing task for managing streaming
data.
[0076] FIG. 4 is a hierarchical diagram of an example of a
communications grid computing system 400 including a variety of
control and worker nodes according to some aspects. Communications
grid computing system 400 includes three control nodes and one or
more worker nodes. Communications grid computing system 400
includes control nodes 402, 404, and 406. The control nodes are
communicatively connected via communication paths 451, 453, and
455. The control nodes 402-406 may transmit information (e.g.,
related to the communications grid or notifications) to and receive
information from each other. Although communications grid computing
system 400 is shown in FIG. 4 as including three control nodes, the
communications grid may include more or less than three control
nodes.
[0077] Communications grid computing system 400 (which can be
referred to as a "communications grid") also includes one or more
worker nodes. Shown in FIG. 4 are six worker nodes 410-420.
Although FIG. 4 shows six worker nodes, a communications grid can
include more or less than six worker nodes. The number of worker
nodes included in a communications grid may be dependent upon how
large the project or data set is being processed by the
communications grid, the capacity of each worker node, the time
designated for the communications grid to complete the project,
among others. Each worker node within the communications grid
computing system 400 may be connected (wired or wirelessly, and
directly or indirectly) to control nodes 402-406. Each worker node
may receive information from the control nodes (e.g., an
instruction to perform work on a project) and may transmit
information to the control nodes (e.g., a result from work
performed on a project). Furthermore, worker nodes may communicate
with each other directly or indirectly. For example, worker nodes
may transmit data between each other related to a job being
performed or an individual task within a job being performed by
that worker node. In some examples, worker nodes may not be
connected (communicatively or otherwise) to certain other worker
nodes. For example, a worker node 410 may only be able to
communicate with a particular control node 402. The worker node 410
may be unable to communicate with other worker nodes 412-420 in the
communications grid, even if the other worker nodes 412-420 are
controlled by the same control node 402.
[0078] A control node 402-406 may connect with an external device
with which the control node 402-406 may communicate (e.g., a
communications grid user, such as a server or computer, may connect
to a controller of the grid). For example, a server or computer may
connect to control nodes 402-406 and may transmit a project or job
to the node, such as a project or job related to managing streaming
data. Once the control node 402-406 receives such a project
including a data set, the control node may distribute the data set
or projects related to the data set to be performed by worker
nodes. Alternatively, for a project including a large data set, the
data set may be received or stored by a machine other than a
control node 402-406 (e.g., a Hadoop data node).
[0079] Control nodes 402-406 can maintain knowledge of the status
of the nodes in the grid (e.g., grid status information), accept
work requests from clients, subdivide the work across worker nodes,
and coordinate the worker nodes, among other responsibilities.
Worker nodes 412-420 may accept work requests from a control node
402-406 and provide the control node with results of the work
performed by the worker node. A grid may be started from a single
node (e.g., a machine, computer, server, etc.). This first node may
be assigned or may start as the primary control node 402 that will
control any additional nodes that enter the grid.
[0080] When a project is submitted for execution (e.g., by a client
or a controller of the grid) it may be assigned to a set of nodes.
After the nodes are assigned to a project, a data structure (e.g.,
a communicator) may be created. The communicator may be used by the
project for information to be shared between the project code
running on each node. A communication handle may be created on each
node. A handle, for example, is a reference to the communicator
that is valid within a single process on a single node, and the
handle may be used when requesting communications between
nodes.
[0081] A control node, such as control node 402, may be designated
as the primary control node. A server, computer or other external
device may connect to the primary control node. Once the control
node 402 receives a project, the primary control node may
distribute portions of the project to its worker nodes for
execution. For example, a project for predicting future interest in
an object can be initiated on communications grid computing system
400. A primary control node can control the work to be performed
for the project in order to complete the project as requested or
instructed. The primary control node may distribute work to the
worker nodes 412-420 based on various factors, such as which
subsets or portions of projects may be completed most efficiently
and in the correct amount of time. For example, a worker node 412
may use at least a portion of data that is already local (e.g.,
stored on) the worker node. The primary control node also
coordinates and processes the results of the work performed by each
worker node 412-420 after each worker node 412-420 executes and
completes its job. For example, the primary control node may
receive a result from one or more worker nodes 412-420, and the
primary control node may organize (e.g., collect and assemble) the
results received and compile them to produce a complete result for
the project received from the end user.
[0082] Any remaining control nodes, such as control nodes 404, 406,
may be assigned as backup control nodes for the project. In an
example, backup control nodes may not control any portion of the
project. Instead, backup control nodes may serve as a backup for
the primary control node and take over as primary control node if
the primary control node were to fail. If a communications grid
were to include only a single control node 402, and the control
node 402 were to fail (e.g., the control node is shut off or
breaks) then the communications grid as a whole may fail and any
project or job being run on the communications grid may fail and
may not complete. While the project may be run again, such a
failure may cause a delay (severe delay in some cases, such as
overnight delay) in completion of the project. Therefore, a grid
with multiple control nodes 402-406, including a backup control
node, may be beneficial.
[0083] In some examples, the primary control node may open a pair
of listening sockets to add another node or machine to the grid. A
socket may be used to accept work requests from clients, and the
second socket may be used to accept connections from other grid
nodes. The primary control node may be provided with a list of
other nodes (e.g., other machines, computers, servers, etc.) that
can participate in the grid, and the role that each node can fill
in the grid. Upon startup of the primary control node (e.g., the
first node on the grid), the primary control node may use a network
protocol to start the server process on every other node in the
grid. Command line parameters, for example, may inform each node of
one or more pieces of information, such as: the role that the node
will have in the grid, the host name of the primary control node,
the port number on which the primary control node is accepting
connections from peer nodes, among others. The information may also
be provided in a configuration file, transmitted over a secure
shell tunnel, recovered from a configuration server, among others.
While the other machines in the grid may not initially know about
the configuration of the grid, that information may also be sent to
each other node by the primary control node. Updates of the grid
information may also be subsequently sent to those nodes.
[0084] For any control node other than the primary control node
added to the grid, the control node may open three sockets. The
first socket may accept work requests from clients, the second
socket may accept connections from other grid members, and the
third socket may connect (e.g., permanently) to the primary control
node. When a control node (e.g., primary control node) receives a
connection from another control node, it first checks to see if the
peer node is in the list of configured nodes in the grid. If it is
not on the list, the control node may clear the connection. If it
is on the list, it may then attempt to authenticate the connection.
If authentication is successful, the authenticating node may
transmit information to its peer, such as the port number on which
a node is listening for connections, the host name of the node,
information about how to authenticate the node, among other
information. When a node, such as the new control node, receives
information about another active node, it can check to see if it
already has a connection to that other node. If it does not have a
connection to that node, it may then establish a connection to that
control node.
[0085] Any worker node added to the grid may establish a connection
to the primary control node and any other control nodes on the
grid. After establishing the connection, it may authenticate itself
to the grid (e.g., any control nodes, including both primary and
backup, or a server or user controlling the grid). After successful
authentication, the worker node may accept configuration
information from the control node.
[0086] When a node joins a communications grid (e.g., when the node
is powered on or connected to an existing node on the grid or
both), the node is assigned (e.g., by an operating system of the
grid) a universally unique identifier (UUID). This unique
identifier may help other nodes and external entities (devices,
users, etc.) to identify the node and distinguish it from other
nodes. When a node is connected to the grid, the node may share its
unique identifier with the other nodes in the grid. Since each node
may share its unique identifier, each node may know the unique
identifier of every other node on the grid. Unique identifiers may
also designate a hierarchy of each of the nodes (e.g., backup
control nodes) within the grid. For example, the unique identifiers
of each of the backup control nodes may be stored in a list of
backup control nodes to indicate an order in which the backup
control nodes will take over for a failed primary control node to
become a new primary control node. But, a hierarchy of nodes may
also be determined using methods other than using the unique
identifiers of the nodes. For example, the hierarchy may be
predetermined, or may be assigned based on other predetermined
factors.
[0087] The grid may add new machines at any time (e.g., initiated
from any control node). Upon adding a new node to the grid, the
control node may first add the new node to its table of grid nodes.
The control node may also then notify every other control node
about the new node. The nodes receiving the notification may
acknowledge that they have updated their configuration
information.
[0088] Primary control node 402 may, for example, transmit one or
more communications to backup control nodes 404, 406 (and, for
example, to other control or worker nodes 412-420 within the
communications grid). Such communications may be sent periodically,
at fixed time intervals, between known fixed stages of the
project's execution, among other protocols. The communications
transmitted by primary control node 402 may be of varied types and
may include a variety of types of information. For example, primary
control node 402 may transmit snapshots (e.g., status information)
of the communications grid so that backup control node 404 always
has a recent snapshot of the communications grid. The snapshot or
grid status may include, for example, the structure of the grid
(including, for example, the worker nodes 410-420 in the
communications grid, unique identifiers of the worker nodes
410-420, or their relationships with the primary control node 402)
and the status of a project (including, for example, the status of
each worker node's portion of the project). The snapshot may also
include analysis or results received from worker nodes 410-420 in
the communications grid. The backup control nodes 404, 406 may
receive and store the backup data received from the primary control
node 402. The backup control nodes 404, 406 may transmit a request
for such a snapshot (or other information) from the primary control
node 402, or the primary control node 402 may send such information
periodically to the backup control nodes 404, 406.
[0089] As noted, the backup data may allow a backup control node
404, 406 to take over as primary control node if the primary
control node 402 fails without requiring the communications grid to
start the project over from scratch. If the primary control node
402 fails, the backup control node 404, 406 that will take over as
primary control node may retrieve the most recent version of the
snapshot received from the primary control node 402 and use the
snapshot to continue the project from the stage of the project
indicated by the backup data. This may prevent failure of the
project as a whole.
[0090] A backup control node 404, 406 may use various methods to
determine that the primary control node 402 has failed. In one
example of such a method, the primary control node 402 may transmit
(e.g., periodically) a communication to the backup control node
404, 406 that indicates that the primary control node 402 is
working and has not failed, such as a heartbeat communication. The
backup control node 404, 406 may determine that the primary control
node 402 has failed if the backup control node has not received a
heartbeat communication for a certain predetermined period of time.
Alternatively, a backup control node 404, 406 may also receive a
communication from the primary control node 402 itself (before it
failed) or from a worker node 410-420 that the primary control node
402 has failed, for example because the primary control node 402
has failed to communicate with the worker node 410-420.
[0091] Different methods may be performed to determine which backup
control node of a set of backup control nodes (e.g., backup control
nodes 404, 406) can take over for failed primary control node 402
and become the new primary control node. For example, the new
primary control node may be chosen based on a ranking or
"hierarchy" of backup control nodes based on their unique
identifiers. In an alternative example, a backup control node may
be assigned to be the new primary control node by another device in
the communications grid or from an external device (e.g., a system
infrastructure or an end user, such as a server or computer,
controlling the communications grid). In another alternative
example, the backup control node that takes over as the new primary
control node may be designated based on bandwidth or other
statistics about the communications grid.
[0092] A worker node within the communications grid may also fail.
If a worker node fails, work being performed by the failed worker
node may be redistributed amongst the operational worker nodes. In
an alternative example, the primary control node may transmit a
communication to each of the operable worker nodes still on the
communications grid that each of the worker nodes should
purposefully fail also. After each of the worker nodes fail, they
may each retrieve their most recent saved checkpoint of their
status and re-start the project from that checkpoint to minimize
lost progress on the project being executed. In some examples, a
communications grid computing system 400 can be used to manage
streaming data.
[0093] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
adjusting a communications grid or a work project in a
communications grid after a failure of a node according to some
aspects. The process may include, for example, receiving grid
status information including a project status of a portion of a
project being executed by a node in the communications grid, as
described in operation 502. For example, a control node (e.g., a
backup control node connected to a primary control node and a
worker node on a communications grid) may receive grid status
information, where the grid status information includes a project
status of the primary control node or a project status of the
worker node. The project status of the primary control node and the
project status of the worker node may include a status of one or
more portions of a project being executed by the primary and worker
nodes in the communications grid. The process may also include
storing the grid status information, as described in operation 504.
For example, a control node (e.g., a backup control node) may store
the received grid status information locally within the control
node. Alternatively, the grid status information may be sent to
another device for storage where the control node may have access
to the information.
[0094] The process may also include receiving a failure
communication corresponding to a node in the communications grid in
operation 506. For example, a node may receive a failure
communication including an indication that the primary control node
has failed, prompting a backup control node to take over for the
primary control node. In an alternative embodiment, a node may
receive a failure that a worker node has failed, prompting a
control node to reassign the work being performed by the worker
node. The process may also include reassigning a node or a portion
of the project being executed by the failed node, as described in
operation 508. For example, a control node may designate the backup
control node as a new primary control node based on the failure
communication upon receiving the failure communication. If the
failed node is a worker node, a control node may identify a project
status of the failed worker node using the snapshot of the
communications grid, where the project status of the failed worker
node includes a status of a portion of the project being executed
by the failed worker node at the failure time.
[0095] The process may also include receiving updated grid status
information based on the reassignment, as described in operation
510, and transmitting a set of instructions based on the updated
grid status information to one or more nodes in the communications
grid, as described in operation 512. The updated grid status
information may include an updated project status of the primary
control node or an updated project status of the worker node. The
updated information may be transmitted to the other nodes in the
grid to update their stale stored information.
[0096] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a portion of a communications
grid computing system 600 including a control node and a worker
node according to some aspects. Communications grid 600 computing
system includes one control node (control node 602) and one worker
node (worker node 610) for purposes of illustration, but may
include more worker and/or control nodes. The control node 602 is
communicatively connected to worker node 610 via communication path
650. Therefore, control node 602 may transmit information (e.g.,
related to the communications grid or notifications), to and
receive information from worker node 610 via communication path
650.
[0097] Similar to in FIG. 4, communications grid computing system
(or just "communications grid") 600 includes data processing nodes
(control node 602 and worker node 610). Nodes 602 and 610 comprise
multi-core data processors. Each node 602 and 610 includes a
grid-enabled software component (GESC) 620 that executes on the
data processor associated with that node and interfaces with buffer
memory 622 also associated with that node. Each node 602 and 610
includes database management software (DBMS) 628 that executes on a
database server (not shown) at control node 602 and on a database
server (not shown) at worker node 610.
[0098] Each node also includes a data store 624. Data stores 624,
similar to network-attached data stores 110 in FIG. 1 and data
stores 235 in FIG. 2, are used to store data to be processed by the
nodes in the computing environment. Data stores 624 may also store
any intermediate or final data generated by the computing system
after being processed, for example in non-volatile memory. However
in certain examples, the configuration of the grid computing
environment allows its operations to be performed such that
intermediate and final data results can be stored solely in
volatile memory (e.g., RAM), without a requirement that
intermediate or final data results be stored to non-volatile types
of memory. Storing such data in volatile memory may be useful in
certain situations, such as when the grid receives queries (e.g.,
ad hoc) from a client and when responses, which are generated by
processing large amounts of data, need to be generated quickly or
on-the-fly. In such a situation, the grid may be configured to
retain the data within memory so that responses can be generated at
different levels of detail and so that a client may interactively
query against this information.
[0099] Each node also includes a user-defined function (UDF) 626.
The UDF provides a mechanism for the DMBS 628 to transfer data to
or receive data from the database stored in the data stores 624
that are managed by the DBMS. For example, UDF 626 can be invoked
by the DBMS to provide data to the GESC for processing. The UDF 626
may establish a socket connection (not shown) with the GESC to
transfer the data. Alternatively, the UDF 626 can transfer data to
the GESC by writing data to shared memory accessible by both the
UDF and the GESC.
[0100] The GESC 620 at the nodes 602 and 610 may be connected via a
network, such as network 108 shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, nodes 602
and 610 can communicate with each other via the network using a
predetermined communication protocol such as, for example, the
Message Passing Interface (MPI). Each GESC 620 can engage in
point-to-point communication with the GESC at another node or in
collective communication with multiple GESCs via the network. The
GESC 620 at each node may contain identical (or nearly identical)
software instructions. Each node may be capable of operating as
either a control node or a worker node. The GESC at the control
node 602 can communicate, over a communication path 652, with a
client device 630. More specifically, control node 602 may
communicate with client application 632 hosted by the client device
630 to receive queries and to respond to those queries after
processing large amounts of data.
[0101] DMBS 628 may control the creation, maintenance, and use of
database or data structure (not shown) within nodes 602 or 610. The
database may organize data stored in data stores 624. The DMBS 628
at control node 602 may accept requests for data and transfer the
appropriate data for the request. With such a process, collections
of data may be distributed across multiple physical locations. In
this example, each node 602 and 610 stores a portion of the total
data managed by the management system in its associated data store
624.
[0102] Furthermore, the DBMS may be responsible for protecting
against data loss using replication techniques. Replication
includes providing a backup copy of data stored on one node on one
or more other nodes. Therefore, if one node fails, the data from
the failed node can be recovered from a replicated copy residing at
another node. However, as described herein with respect to FIG. 4,
data or status information for each node in the communications grid
may also be shared with each node on the grid.
[0103] FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
executing a data analysis or a processing project according to some
aspects. As described with respect to FIG. 6, the GESC at the
control node may transmit data with a client device (e.g., client
device 630) to receive queries for executing a project and to
respond to those queries after large amounts of data have been
processed. The query may be transmitted to the control node, where
the query may include a request for executing a project, as
described in operation 702. The query can contain instructions on
the type of data analysis to be performed in the project and
whether the project should be executed using the grid-based
computing environment, as shown in operation 704.
[0104] To initiate the project, the control node may determine if
the query requests use of the grid-based computing environment to
execute the project. If the determination is no, then the control
node initiates execution of the project in a solo environment
(e.g., at the control node), as described in operation 710. If the
determination is yes, the control node may initiate execution of
the project in the grid-based computing environment, as described
in operation 706. In such a situation, the request may include a
requested configuration of the grid. For example, the request may
include a number of control nodes and a number of worker nodes to
be used in the grid when executing the project. After the project
has been completed, the control node may transmit results of the
analysis yielded by the grid, as described in operation 708.
Whether the project is executed in a solo or grid-based
environment, the control node provides the results of the
project.
[0105] As noted with respect to FIG. 2, the computing environments
described herein may collect data (e.g., as received from network
devices, such as sensors, such as network devices 204-209 in FIG.
2, and client devices or other sources) to be processed as part of
a data analytics project, and data may be received in real time as
part of a streaming analytics environment (e.g., ESP). Data may be
collected using a variety of sources as communicated via different
kinds of networks or locally, such as on a real-time streaming
basis. For example, network devices may receive data periodically
from network device sensors as the sensors continuously sense,
monitor and track changes in their environments. More specifically,
an increasing number of distributed applications develop or produce
continuously flowing data from distributed sources by applying
queries to the data before distributing the data to geographically
distributed recipients. An event stream processing engine (ESPE)
may continuously apply the queries to the data as it is received
and determines which entities should receive the data. Client or
other devices may also subscribe to the ESPE or other devices
processing ESP data so that they can receive data after processing,
based on for example the entities determined by the processing
engine. For example, client devices 230 in FIG. 2 may subscribe to
the ESPE in computing environment 214. In another example, event
subscription devices 1024a-c, described further with respect to
FIG. 10, may also subscribe to the ESPE. The ESPE may determine or
define how input data or event streams from network devices or
other publishers (e.g., network devices 204-209 in FIG. 2) are
transformed into meaningful output data to be consumed by
subscribers, such as for example client devices 230 in FIG. 2.
[0106] FIG. 8 is a block diagram including components of an Event
Stream Processing Engine (ESPE) according to some aspects. ESPE 800
may include one or more projects 802. A project may be described as
a second-level container in an engine model managed by ESPE 800
where a thread pool size for the project may be defined by a user.
Each project of the one or more projects 802 may include one or
more continuous queries 804 that contain data flows, which are data
transformations of incoming event streams. The one or more
continuous queries 804 may include one or more source windows 806
and one or more derived windows 808.
[0107] The ESPE may receive streaming data over a period of time
related to certain events, such as events or other data sensed by
one or more network devices. The ESPE may perform operations
associated with processing data created by the one or more devices.
For example, the ESPE may receive data from the one or more network
devices 204-209 shown in FIG. 2. As noted, the network devices may
include sensors that sense different aspects of their environments,
and may collect data over time based on those sensed observations.
For example, the ESPE may be implemented within one or more of
machines 220 and 240 shown in FIG. 2. The ESPE may be implemented
within such a machine by an ESP application. An ESP application may
embed an ESPE with its own dedicated thread pool or pools into its
application space where the main application thread can do
application-specific work and the ESPE processes event streams at
least by creating an instance of a model into processing
objects.
[0108] The engine container is the top-level container in a model
that manages the resources of the one or more projects 802. In an
illustrative example, there may be only one ESPE 800 for each
instance of the ESP application, and ESPE 800 may have a unique
engine name. Additionally, the one or more projects 802 may each
have unique project names, and each query may have a unique
continuous query name and begin with a uniquely named source window
of the one or more source windows 806. ESPE 800 may or may not be
persistent.
[0109] Continuous query modeling involves defining directed graphs
of windows for event stream manipulation and transformation. A
window in the context of event stream manipulation and
transformation is a processing node in an event stream processing
model. A window in a continuous query can perform aggregations,
computations, pattern-matching, and other operations on data
flowing through the window. A continuous query may be described as
a directed graph of source, relational, pattern matching, and
procedural windows. The one or more source windows 806 and the one
or more derived windows 808 represent continuously executing
queries that generate updates to a query result set as new event
blocks stream through ESPE 800. A directed graph, for example, is a
set of nodes connected by edges, where the edges have a direction
associated with them.
[0110] An event object may be described as a packet of data
accessible as a collection of fields, with at least one of the
fields defined as a key or unique identifier (ID). The event object
may be created using a variety of formats including binary,
alphanumeric, XML, etc. Each event object may include one or more
fields designated as a primary identifier (ID) for the event so
ESPE 800 can support operation codes (opcodes) for events including
insert, update, upsert, and delete. Upsert opcodes update the event
if the key field already exists; otherwise, the event is inserted.
For illustration, an event object may be a packed binary
representation of a set of field values and include both metadata
and field data associated with an event. The metadata may include
an opcode indicating if the event represents an insert, update,
delete, or upsert, a set of flags indicating if the event is a
normal, partial-update, or a retention generated event from
retention policy management, and a set of microsecond timestamps
that can be used for latency measurements.
[0111] An event block object may be described as a grouping or
package of event objects. An event stream may be described as a
flow of event block objects. A continuous query of the one or more
continuous queries 804 transforms a source event stream made up of
streaming event block objects published into ESPE 800 into one or
more output event streams using the one or more source windows 806
and the one or more derived windows 808. A continuous query can
also be thought of as data flow modeling.
[0112] The one or more source windows 806 are at the top of the
directed graph and have no windows feeding into them. Event streams
are published into the one or more source windows 806, and from
there, the event streams may be directed to the next set of
connected windows as defined by the directed graph. The one or more
derived windows 808 are all instantiated windows that are not
source windows and that have other windows streaming events into
them. The one or more derived windows 808 may perform computations
or transformations on the incoming event streams. The one or more
derived windows 808 transform event streams based on the window
type (that is operators such as join, filter, compute, aggregate,
copy, pattern match, procedural, union, etc.) and window settings.
As event streams are published into ESPE 800, they are continuously
queried, and the resulting sets of derived windows in these queries
are continuously updated.
[0113] FIG. 9 is a flow chart of an example of a process including
operations performed by an event stream processing engine according
to some aspects. As noted, the ESPE 800 (or an associated ESP
application) defines how input event streams are transformed into
meaningful output event streams. More specifically, the ESP
application may define how input event streams from publishers
(e.g., network devices providing sensed data) are transformed into
meaningful output event streams consumed by subscribers (e.g., a
data analytics project being executed by a machine or set of
machines).
[0114] Within the application, a user may interact with one or more
user interface windows presented to the user in a display under
control of the ESPE independently or through a browser application
in an order selectable by the user. For example, a user may execute
an ESP application, which causes presentation of a first user
interface window, which may include a plurality of menus and
selectors such as drop down menus, buttons, text boxes, hyperlinks,
etc. associated with the ESP application as understood by a person
of skill in the art. Various operations may be performed in
parallel, for example, using a plurality of threads.
[0115] At operation 900, an ESP application may define and start an
ESPE, thereby instantiating an ESPE at a device, such as machine
220 and/or 240. In an operation 902, the engine container is
created. For illustration, ESPE 800 may be instantiated using a
function call that specifies the engine container as a manager for
the model.
[0116] In an operation 904, the one or more continuous queries 804
are instantiated by ESPE 800 as a model. The one or more continuous
queries 804 may be instantiated with a dedicated thread pool or
pools that generate updates as new events stream through ESPE 800.
For illustration, the one or more continuous queries 804 may be
created to model business processing logic within ESPE 800, to
predict events within ESPE 800, to model a physical system within
ESPE 800, to predict the physical system state within ESPE 800,
etc. For example, as noted, ESPE 800 may be used to support sensor
data monitoring and management (e.g., sensing may include force,
torque, load, strain, position, temperature, air pressure, fluid
flow, chemical properties, resistance, electromagnetic fields,
radiation, irradiance, proximity, acoustics, moisture, distance,
speed, vibrations, acceleration, electrical potential, or
electrical current, etc.).
[0117] ESPE 800 may analyze and process events in motion or "event
streams." Instead of storing data and running queries against the
stored data, ESPE 800 may store queries and stream data through
them to allow continuous analysis of data as it is received. The
one or more source windows 806 and the one or more derived windows
808 may be created based on the relational, pattern matching, and
procedural algorithms that transform the input event streams into
the output event streams to model, simulate, score, test, predict,
etc. based on the continuous query model defined and application to
the streamed data.
[0118] In an operation 906, a publish/subscribe (pub/sub)
capability is initialized for ESPE 800. In an illustrative
embodiment, a pub/sub capability is initialized for each project of
the one or more projects 802. To initialize and enable pub/sub
capability for ESPE 800, a port number may be provided. Pub/sub
clients can use a host name of an ESP device running the ESPE and
the port number to establish pub/sub connections to ESPE 800.
[0119] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an ESP system 1000 interfacing
between publishing device 1022 and event subscribing devices
1024a-c according to some aspects. ESP system 1000 may include ESP
device or subsystem 1001, publishing device 1022, an event
subscribing device A 1024a, an event subscribing device B 1024b,
and an event subscribing device C 1024c. Input event streams are
output to ESP device 1001 by publishing device 1022. In alternative
embodiments, the input event streams may be created by a plurality
of publishing devices. The plurality of publishing devices further
may publish event streams to other ESP devices. The one or more
continuous queries instantiated by ESPE 800 may analyze and process
the input event streams to form output event streams output to
event subscribing device A 1024a, event subscribing device B 1024b,
and event subscribing device C 1024c. ESP system 1000 may include a
greater or a fewer number of event subscribing devices of event
subscribing devices.
[0120] Publish-subscribe is a message-oriented interaction paradigm
based on indirect addressing. Processed data recipients specify
their interest in receiving information from ESPE 800 by
subscribing to specific classes of events, while information
sources publish events to ESPE 800 without directly addressing the
receiving parties. ESPE 800 coordinates the interactions and
processes the data. In some cases, the data source receives
confirmation that the published information has been received by a
data recipient.
[0121] A publish/subscribe API may be described as a library that
enables an event publisher, such as publishing device 1022, to
publish event streams into ESPE 800 or an event subscriber, such as
event subscribing device A 1024a, event subscribing device B 1024b,
and event subscribing device C 1024c, to subscribe to event streams
from ESPE 800. For illustration, one or more publish/subscribe APIs
may be defined. Using the publish/subscribe API, an event
publishing application may publish event streams into a running
event stream processor project source window of ESPE 800, and the
event subscription application may subscribe to an event stream
processor project source window of ESPE 800.
[0122] The publish/subscribe API provides cross-platform
connectivity and endianness compatibility between ESP application
and other networked applications, such as event publishing
applications instantiated at publishing device 1022, and event
subscription applications instantiated at one or more of event
subscribing device A 1024a, event subscribing device B 1024b, and
event subscribing device C 1024c.
[0123] Referring back to FIG. 9, operation 906 initializes the
publish/subscribe capability of ESPE 800. In an operation 908, the
one or more projects 802 are started. The one or more started
projects may run in the background on an ESP device. In an
operation 910, an event block object is received from one or more
computing device of the publishing device 1022.
[0124] ESP subsystem 800 may include a publishing client 1002, ESPE
800, a subscribing client A 1004, a subscribing client B 1006, and
a subscribing client C 1008. Publishing client 1002 may be started
by an event publishing application executing at publishing device
1022 using the publish/subscribe API. Subscribing client A 1004 may
be started by an event subscription application A, executing at
event subscribing device A 1024a using the publish/subscribe API.
Subscribing client B 1006 may be started by an event subscription
application B executing at event subscribing device B 1024b using
the publish/subscribe API. Subscribing client C 1008 may be started
by an event subscription application C executing at event
subscribing device C 1024c using the publish/subscribe API.
[0125] An event block object containing one or more event objects
is injected into a source window of the one or more source windows
806 from an instance of an event publishing application on
publishing device 1022. The event block object may be generated,
for example, by the event publishing application and may be
received by publishing client 1002. A unique ID may be maintained
as the event block object is passed between the one or more source
windows 806 and/or the one or more derived windows 808 of ESPE 800,
and to subscribing client A 1004, subscribing client B 806, and
subscribing client C 808 and to event subscription device A 1024a,
event subscription device B 1024b, and event subscription device C
1024c. Publishing client 1002 may further generate and include a
unique embedded transaction ID in the event block object as the
event block object is processed by a continuous query, as well as
the unique ID that publishing device 1022 assigned to the event
block object.
[0126] In an operation 912, the event block object is processed
through the one or more continuous queries 804. In an operation
914, the processed event block object is output to one or more
computing devices of the event subscribing devices 1024a-c. For
example, subscribing client A 804, subscribing client B 806, and
subscribing client C 808 may send the received event block object
to event subscription device A 1024a, event subscription device B
1024b, and event subscription device C 1024c, respectively.
[0127] ESPE 800 maintains the event block containership aspect of
the received event blocks from when the event block is published
into a source window and works its way through the directed graph
defined by the one or more continuous queries 804 with the various
event translations before being output to subscribers. Subscribers
can correlate a group of subscribed events back to a group of
published events by comparing the unique ID of the event block
object that a publisher, such as publishing device 1022, attached
to the event block object with the event block ID received by the
subscriber.
[0128] In an operation 916, a determination is made concerning
whether or not processing is stopped. If processing is not stopped,
processing continues in operation 910 to continue receiving the one
or more event streams containing event block objects from the, for
example, one or more network devices. If processing is stopped,
processing continues in an operation 918. In operation 918, the
started projects are stopped. In operation 920, the ESPE is
shutdown.
[0129] As noted, in some examples, big data is processed for an
analytics project after the data is received and stored. In other
examples, distributed applications process continuously flowing
data in real-time from distributed sources by applying queries to
the data before distributing the data to geographically distributed
recipients. As noted, an event stream processing engine (ESPE) may
continuously apply the queries to the data as it is received and
determines which entities receive the processed data. This allows
for large amounts of data being received and/or collected in a
variety of environments to be processed and distributed in real
time. For example, as shown with respect to FIG. 2, data may be
collected from network devices that may include devices within the
internet of things, such as devices within a home automation
network. However, such data may be collected from a variety of
different resources in a variety of different environments. In any
such situation, embodiments of the present technology allow for
real-time processing of such data.
[0130] Aspects of the present disclosure provide technical
solutions to technical problems, such as computing problems that
arise when an ESP device fails which results in a complete service
interruption and potentially significant data loss. The data loss
can be catastrophic when the streamed data is supporting mission
critical operations, such as those in support of an ongoing
manufacturing or drilling operation. An example of an ESP system
achieves a rapid and seamless failover of ESPE running at the
plurality of ESP devices without service interruption or data loss,
thus significantly improving the reliability of an operational
system that relies on the live or real-time processing of the data
streams. The event publishing systems, the event subscribing
systems, and each ESPE not executing at a failed ESP device are not
aware of or effected by the failed ESP device. The ESP system may
include thousands of event publishing systems and event subscribing
systems. The ESP system keeps the failover logic and awareness
within the boundaries of out-messaging network connector and
out-messaging network device.
[0131] In one example embodiment, a system is provided to support a
failover when event stream processing (ESP) event blocks. The
system includes, but is not limited to, an out-messaging network
device and a computing device. The computing device includes, but
is not limited to, a processor and a computer-readable medium
operably coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to
execute an ESP engine (ESPE). The computer-readable medium has
instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor,
cause the computing device to support the failover. An event block
object is received from the ESPE that includes a unique identifier.
A first status of the computing device as active or standby is
determined. When the first status is active, a second status of the
computing device as newly active or not newly active is determined.
Newly active is determined when the computing device is switched
from a standby status to an active status. When the second status
is newly active, a last published event block object identifier
that uniquely identifies a last published event block object is
determined. A next event block object is selected from a
non-transitory computer-readable medium accessible by the computing
device. The next event block object has an event block object
identifier that is greater than the determined last published event
block object identifier. The selected next event block object is
published to an out-messaging network device. When the second
status of the computing device is not newly active, the received
event block object is published to the out-messaging network
device. When the first status of the computing device is standby,
the received event block object is stored in the non-transitory
computer-readable medium.
[0132] FIG. 11 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
managing data according to some aspects. Some examples can include
more, fewer, or different steps than the steps depicted in FIG. 11.
Also, some examples can implement the steps of the process in a
different order. Some examples can be implemented using any of the
systems and processes described with respect to FIGS. 1-10.
[0133] Although the steps below are described with reference to the
processing device performing certain steps and functions, in some
examples, a batch-processing engine (or another processing engine)
that is executed by the processing device can perform some or all
of the steps and functions.
[0134] In block 1102, a processing device receives a new record
associated with an entity. For example, a computing device
associated with the entity can stream (or otherwise communicate)
the new record to the processing device. In some examples, the
entity can include a person; a group of people; a house; a group of
houses; a business; a group of businesses; a building; a group of
buildings; an animal; a group of animals; an electrical device
(e.g., a power device, such as a solar power device; a computing
device, such as a mobile phone or server; or any combination of
these); a mechanical device; or any combination of these.
[0135] The processing device can receive the new record from the
entity or otherwise form the new record based on data from the
entity. For example, the top half of FIG. 12 can show a first group
of entities 1202 that includes House A, Business B, and Solar Unit
C. The bottom half of FIG. 12 can show a second group of entities
1204 that includes House D, House E, and Gas Unit F. The groups of
entities 1202, 1204 can transmit data at a particular time. For
example, the first group of entities 1202 can transmit their
respective power usage amounts (2.6 kilowatt hours (kWh), 125 kWh,
and 14.2 kWh, respectively) to the processing device at 8:01 am on
Day 1. The second group of entities 1204 can transmit their
respective power usage amounts (2.9 kWh, 1.3 kWh, and 230 megawatt
hours (mWh), respectively) to the processing device at 8:04 am on
Day 1. The processing device can use the data transmitted by each
entity as a new record.
[0136] For example, the processing device can receive a
communication from House A at 8:01 am on Day 1. The communication
can indicate that House A used 2.6 kWh on Day 1. The processing
device can form a new record for House A that includes the amount
of power used (e.g., 2.6 kWh) by House A, and the date and time
(e.g., Day 1 at 8:01 AM) at which the communication was transmitted
or received. As another example, the processing device can receive
a communication from Gas Unit F at 8:04 am on Day 1. The
communication can indicate that Gas Unit F used 230 mWh. The
processing device can form a new record for Gas Unit F that
includes the amount of power used (e.g., 230 mWh) by Gas Unit F,
and a timestamp indicating when (e.g., 8:04 AM) the communication
was transmitted or received. In some examples, the new record can
include an entity associated with the new record; a date, time, or
timestamp associated with the new record; and data streamed by the
entity for inclusion in the new record.
[0137] The processing device can group records together into blocks
1206, 1208. For example, block 1206 can include records for the
first group of entities 1202. Block 1208 can include records for
the second group of entities 1204. The processing device can store
the blocks as separate files on a file system. In some examples,
the file system may not allow files to be updated once they have
been created. For example, the file system can be part of a Hadoop
environment that does not allow existing files to be updated. In
some examples, the file system can have other files that include
other, previously stored records. For example, various entities can
communicate power usage information at daily intervals. Each day,
the processing device can receive the power usage information,
generate blocks that include the power usage information for the
entities, and store the blocks as a new files on the file
system.
[0138] In some examples, the processing device can group the
records together into blocks 1206, 1208 based on a time associated
with the records. For example, the processing device can group
together the records for House A, Solar Unit B, and Business C
because all three records are associated with the time 8:01 am. The
processing device can group together the records for House D, House
E, and Gas Unit F because all three records are associated with the
time 8:04 am. In some examples, the processing device can group
together a predetermined number of records into a block. For
example, the processing device can group together 15 records (e.g.,
that are received sequentially) into a block. In some examples, the
processing device can group together records that are transmitted
or received over a predetermined time interval (e.g., one minute,
10 minutes, one hour, or one day) into a block. In some examples,
the processing device can group together records that are
transmitted or received during a predetermined time window (e.g.,
between 8:01 am and 8:03 am) into a block. The processing device
can use any number and combination of techniques for grouping
records together into blocks. For example, the processing device
can use a hybrid approach in which it allocates records to a
particular block until (i) the block includes a threshold number of
records, or (ii) a predetermined time interval has passed,
whichever occurs first.
[0139] In some examples, a user can to customize how the records
are to be grouped together into blocks. For example, a user can
provide, as input, the number of records to be included in a block.
The user can select the optimal number of records to include in
each block to achieve a desired balance between the number of
blocks and the sizes of the blocks. For example, if fewer records
are included in each block, there will need to be more blocks to
account for all the records. For instance, if one record is
included in each block, and there are millions of records, there
will be millions of blocks to manage. Conversely, if more records
are included in each block, there will be fewer blocks of larger
sizes. For example, if all of the records are included in a single
block, the block may have a very large size and may be difficult to
update. The user can balance these issues and determine an optimal
number of records to include in each block. The user can provide
the optimal number as input to the processing device.
[0140] Referring back to FIG. 11, in block 1104, the processing
device generates a new block that includes the new record
associated with the entity. If there is already an existing block
that includes another record for the entity, the processing device
can generate the new block as a separate and independent block from
the existing block.
[0141] For example, the processing device can receive the power
usage data shown in FIG. 12 from entities A-F on Day 1. The
processing device can subsequently receive additional power-usage
data from some or all of entities A-F at 10:45 am on Day 2, as
shown in FIG. 13. The processing device can form a new block 1304
using the additional power-usage data (provided by the group of
entities 1302). The processing device can save the new block as a
new file on the file system.
[0142] In some examples, the processing device can add the new
block 1304 to a stack of existing blocks 1306 associated with prior
records. For example, the processing device may have loaded the
stack of existing blocks 1306 associated with prior records into
memory. The processing device can join, in memory, the new block
1304 to the stack of existing blocks 1306. For example, the
processing device can associate the new block 1304 with the stack
of existing blocks 1306 so that the processing device views the
combination of the blocks as a single unit to be processed
together.
[0143] In the example shown in FIG. 13, the processing device
received updated power-usage information for House D, House E, and
Gas Unit F on Day 2. Specifically, the processing device received
an updated power-usage level for House D and House E, and an
indication that Gas Unit F is experiencing a power outage. Because
the processing device received updated power-usage information for
all of the entities in block 1308, block 1308 no longer has the
most current information for these entities. And because the
processing device received updated power-usage information for
House C in block 1310, block 1310 no longer has the most current
information for House C. In some examples, once all of the records
in a block have been updated so that the block no longer contains
the most current version of any record, as is the case for block
1308 (and entities D, E, and F), it may be desirable to prevent the
outdated information in the block from being used in a subsequent
analysis. To prevent outdated information from being analyzed
(e.g., by the processing device in subsequent steps), it may be
desirable to indicate or otherwise identify which block has the
most current information for each entity.
[0144] Referring back to FIG. 11, in block 1106, the processing
device updates a datastore (e.g., a table, database, group of
tables, group of databases, or any combination of these) to
indicate that the new block includes the most current record
associated with the entity. For example, the processing device can
determine that the new record is the most current record for the
entity based on a timestamp associated with the new record being
more recent than another timestamp associated with another,
existing record for the entity. The processing device can then
update an existing entry in a datastore to indicate that the new
block includes the most current record for the entity. Additionally
or alternatively, the processing device can add a new entry to the
datastore that indicates that the new block includes the most
current record for the entity.
[0145] As a particular example, the processing device can receive
the data shown in FIG. 12 on Day 1 and update a table to indicate
that the most current records for entities A-C were received within
particular groups or blocks on Day 1. An example of such a table is
table 1400 shown in FIG. 14. The left column 1402 of table 1400
indicates an entity and the right column 1404 of table 1400
indicates a corresponding group (or block) that has the most
current record associated with the entity. As shown in table 1400,
as of the end of Day 1, the most current records for entities A-C
are in a first group of records received on Day 1 (e.g., at 8:01
am). The most current records for entities D-F are in a second
group of records received on Day 1 (e.g., at 8:04 am). Thereafter,
the processing device can receive the data shown in FIG. 13 on Day
2 and update the table to indicate that the most current records
for entities C, D, E, and F were received within particular groups
or blocks on Day 2. An example of such an updated table may be
table 1406. As shown in table 1406, the entries for entities C-E
have been updated to indicate that a first group of records
received on Day 2 (e.g., at 10:45 am) include the most current
records. Also, the entry for entity F has been deleted because
entity F is experiencing a power outage on Day 2.
[0146] As another example, the processing device can maintain the
table 1500 shown in FIG. 15. The left column 1502 of the table 1500
can include information (e.g., an entity associated with a record,
the day on which the record was received, and the time at which the
record was received) associated with a record. The right column
1504 can include a flag indicating if the record is to be used in
an analysis, if the record is the most current record, or both. In
some examples, the processing device can add a new entry to the
table 1500 for each new record that is received. For example, the
processing device can include an entry for the record received at
8:01 am for entity C on Day 1. The processing device can also
include an entry received at 10:45 am on Day 2. Because the record
received on Day 2 is more current than the record received on Day
1, the processing device can set the include flag for the Day 1
record to "N" and the include flag for the Day 2 record to "Y".
This can prevent outdated data from being used in a subsequent
analysis, without entirely removing the outdated data, which can be
advantageous (as discussed below). In other examples, the
processing device can overwrite or delete entries associated with
older records. For example, the processing device has deleted the
older records from Day 1 for entities D and E in table 1500.
[0147] As another example, the processing device can maintain the
table 1600 shown in FIG. 16. Column 1602 of table 1600 can indicate
an entity associated with a record. Column 1604 can indicate a
group (or block) associated with the record. Column 1606 can
indicate a date and time associated with the group (or block).
Column 1608 can indicate an event associated with the record.
Examples of the event can include creating a first record for an
entity, which can be labeled as "create" in column 1608; adding a
more current record for the entity, which can be labeled as
"update" in column 1608; or deleting a record for the entity, which
can be labeled as "cancel" in column 1608. In some examples, the
processing device can add a new entry to the table 1600 for each
new record that is received. This can enable the processing device
to keep a history of records for an entity over time. The history
of records can enable the processing device to analyze the records
as of any prior point in time. The processing device can maintain
any number and combination of datastores having any number and
combination of features discussed above.
[0148] Referring back to FIG. 11, in block 1108, the processing
device filters entries in the datastore to identify a subgroup of
blocks that includes the most current record for each entity. For
example, the processing device can filter the datastore by flag,
event, day, time, timestamp, group, block, or any combination of
these to determine which entries have the most current records for
the entities. The processing device can then determine a block
associated with each of those entries. The resulting subgroup of
blocks can include the most current record for each entity.
[0149] For example, the processing device can filter the table 1500
of FIG. 15 by flag to determine which entries have a flag of "Y".
The entries with a flag of "Y" can have the most current records
for the entities. The processor can then determine a block
associated with each of those entries. The blocks associated with
those entries can collectively form the subgroup of blocks. As a
particular example, the processor can determine that that fourth
entry in the table 1500 has the most current record for entity C by
filtering the table 1500 by the flag. The processing device can
then determine a specific block that has the record for entity C
that was received at 8:02 am on Day 2. The processor can repeat
this process to determine blocks that have the most current records
for entities A-B and D-G. The processor can use those blocks as the
subgroup of blocks.
[0150] As another example, the processing device can filter the
table 1600 of FIG. 16 to determine which entries have (i) an event
type of "Update"; (ii) the most current day and time; or both of
these. The entries with the event type of "Update", the most
current day and time, or both of these can have the most current
records for the entities. For example, the processor can filter the
table 1600 to determine that the block associated with Day1_Group1
has the most current records for entities A-B. The processor can
filter the table 1600 to determine that the block associated with
Day 2_Group1 has the most current records for entities C-E. The
processor can filter the table 1600 to determine that entity F is
canceled and is not to be used in an analysis. The processor can
filter the table 1600 to determine that the block associated with
Day1_Group3 has the most current records for entities G-H. Etc. The
processor can include these blocks in the subgroup of blocks.
[0151] In some examples, the processing device can determine (e.g.,
by accessing a datastore) timestamps associated with some or all of
the records for an entity. The processing device can compare the
respective timestamps to one another to determine which particular
record has the most current timestamp. The processing device can
use the particular record as the most current record for the
entity. The processing device can also determine which block the
most current record is stored in, and use that block as the most
current block for the entity. The processing device can repeat this
process to identify which block the most current record for each
entity is stored in.
[0152] Referring back to FIG. 11, in block 1110, the processing
device generates a combined group of blocks by joining the new
block with the subgroup of blocks. For example, the processing
device can load a first set of records that are associated with the
subgroup of blocks into memory. The processing device can also load
a second group of records that are associated with the new block
into memory. The processing device can then join together, in
memory, the first group of records and the second group of records.
That is, the processing device can associate the first group of
records with the second group of records so that the processing
device views the combination of the groups of records as a single
unit to be processed together. Joining together blocks or groups of
records in memory can be referred to as a virtual join.
[0153] In some examples, the processing device can create a new
file that includes the first set of records that are associated
with the subgroup of blocks and the second group of records that
are associated with the new block. The processing device can use
the new file as the combined group of blocks.
[0154] In some examples, the processing device can create a new
datastore (or update an existing datastore) to include the first
set of records that are associated with the subgroup of blocks and
the second group of records that are associated with the new block.
The processing device can use the new (or updated) datastore as the
combined group of blocks. The processing device can use any number
and combination of techniques to combine the new block (e.g., the
records stored within the new block) with the subgroup of blocks
(e.g., the records stored within the subgroup of blocks).
[0155] In block 1112, the processing device processes the combined
group of blocks. The processing device can process the combined
group of blocks to determine a trend, pattern, or other
relationship indicated by the combined group of blocks. For
example, the processing device can use the batch-processing engine
to process the combined group of blocks as a batch of data. The
batch-processing engine can process the combined group of blocks by
concurrently analyzing some or all of the blocks in the combined
group of blocks. More specifically, batch-processing engine can
access memory to obtain the records associated with the combined
group of blocks. The batch-processing engine can analyze the
records together as a batch of data.
[0156] In some examples, the processing device can filter the
combined group of blocks to identify which record (within the
combined group of blocks) is the most current record for an entity.
For example, the combined group of blocks can include a first block
that has a first record for an entity and a second block that has a
second record for the entity. The processing device can use a
datastore (e.g., a table) to obtain a first timestamp associated
with the first record and a second timestamp associated with the
second record. The processing device can compare the first
timestamp to the second timestamp to determine which record has the
most current timestamp. The processing device can then use the
record with the most current timestamp as the most current record
for the entity. In some examples, the processing device can repeat
this process for each entity to identify the most current record
for each entity within the combined group of blocks. The processing
device can then analyze the most current record associated with
each entity.
[0157] FIG. 17 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
analyzing older records according to some aspects. Some examples
can include more, fewer, or different steps than the steps depicted
in FIG. 17. Also, some examples can implement the steps of the
process in a different order. Some examples can be implemented
using any of the systems and processes described with respect to
FIGS. 1-10.
[0158] In block 1702, a processing device filters entries in a
datastore to determine a subgroup of blocks associated with a
previous date (e.g., a date that is at least one day prior to a
current date). For example, the processing device can filter the
table 1600 of FIG. 16 to determine the most current record for an
entity as of the previous date. The processing device can then
determine (e.g., by mapping the most current record to a
corresponding block) a block that includes the most current record.
The processing device can repeat this process to determine a
subgroup of blocks that are associated with the most current record
for each entity as of the previous date.
[0159] In block 1704, the processing device can cause a
batch-processing engine to process the subgroup of blocks to
determine an output that is associated with the previous date. The
processing device can process the subgroup of blocks using any
number and combination of the methods discussed above with respect
to block 1112 of FIG. 11. In some examples, the output can include
a trend indicated by the subgroup of blocks. For example, the
output can include a graph that shows the cumulative energy usage
by each entity as of the previous date.
[0160] FIG. 18 is a flow chart of an example of a process for
managing data according to a historical mode or a real-time mode
according to some aspects. Some examples can include more, fewer,
or different steps than the steps depicted in FIG. 18. Also, some
examples can implement the steps of the process in a different
order. Some examples can be implemented using any of the systems
and processes described with respect to FIGS. 1-10.
[0161] In block 1802, a processing device receives a request. In
some examples, the request can be for causing the processing engine
to operate in a real-time mode. In the real-time mode, the
processing engine can analyze new records substantially
simultaneously to receiving the new records. In other examples, the
request can be for causing a processing engine (e.g., a
batch-processing engine or another type of processing engine) to
operate in a historical mode. In the historical mode, the
processing engine can analyze data associated with a previous date.
The previous date can be any date (e.g., a day, time, or both)
prior to a current date. For example, the previous date can be at
least one day prior to the current date.
[0162] In some examples, the processing device can receive the
request as user input. For example, the processing device can
receive a signal that is associated with the request from a
touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, or other user input device. As
another example, the processing device can receive the request via
a user interaction with a graphical object, such as a virtual
button, in a graphical user interface.
[0163] In some examples, the processing device can receive the
request from a remote computing device. For example, the remote
computing device can transmit the request over a network, such as
the Internet. The processing device can receive the request.
[0164] In block 1804, the processing device determines if the
request is for the processing engine to enter the real-time mode or
the historical mode. If the request is for the processing engine is
to enter the real-time mode, the process can perform the steps of
blocks 1814-1824. In some examples, blocks 1814-1824 can be
implemented using any number and combination of the features
discussed above with respect to blocks 1102-1112 of FIG. 11. If the
request is for the processing engine is to enter the historical
mode, the process can continue to block 1806.
[0165] In block 1806, the processing device receives user input
indicating a previous date. For example, a user may wish to have
the processing engine analyze data that is a month old. The user
can use a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, or another user input
device to input the previous date. The processing device can
receive signals associated with the previous date via the user
input device.
[0166] In block 1808, the processing device accesses a datastore.
In some examples, the processing device can access the datastore
via a network. For example, the processing device can transmit a
query over the network to a remote server, which in turn can access
the datastore and return information from the datastore.
[0167] The datastore can include multiple entries. Each entry can
be associated with a particular record and include (i) the entity
associated with the record, (ii) an identifier of a block that
includes the record, (iii) a timestamp or other indicator of a date
and time associated with the record, or (iv) any combination of
these. For example, the datastore can include the table 1600 shown
in FIG. 16.
[0168] In block 1810, the processing device filters entries in the
datastore to determine blocks that include a most current record
for each entity as of the previous date. For example, the
processing device can filter the table 1600 of FIG. 16 to determine
which entry in the table is associated with the most current record
for an entity as of the previous date. The processing device can
then determine which block is included in that entry. The
processing device can repeat this process to determine the blocks
that are associated with the most current record for each entity as
of the previous date.
[0169] In some examples, the processing device can obtain (e.g.,
from the datastore) timestamps associated with some or all of the
records for an entity. The processing device can compare the
respective timestamps to one another to determine which particular
record has the most current timestamp as of the previous date. The
processing device can use the particular record as the most current
record for the entity as of the previous date. The processing
device can also determine which block the most current record is
stored in. The processing device can then use that block as the
most current block for the entity as of the previous date. In some
examples, the processing device can repeat this process for each
entity to identify the most current record for the entity as of the
previous date, the block that has the most current record for the
entity as of the previous date, or both of these.
[0170] In block 1812, the processing device processes the blocks.
The processing device can process the blocks to determine a trend,
pattern, or other relationship indicated by the blocks as of the
previous date. For example, the processing device can use a
processing engine to load into memory (or join together in memory)
records that are associated with some or all of the blocks. The
processing device can then use the processing engine to analyze the
records to determine an output.
[0171] In some examples, the processing device can filter the
blocks to identify which record (within the blocks) is the most
current record for an entity as of the previous date. For example,
the blocks can include multiple records for a single entity. One of
the records will be the most current record for the entity as of
the previous date, while the rest of the records will be outdated.
The processing device can compare the timestamps associated with
the records to determine which record is the most current record
for the entity as of the previous date. In some examples, the
processing device can repeat this process to identify the most
current record as of the previous date for each entity. The
processing device can then analyze the most current record (as of
the previous date) associated with each entity.
[0172] Although the above-described steps and figures are provided
with reference to power-usage data as an illustrative example,
other examples can be performed using other types of data, such as
energy data, financial data, health care data, customer
intelligence data, marketing data, scientific data, or any
combination of these.
[0173] The foregoing description of certain examples, including
illustrated examples, has been presented only for the purpose of
illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive
or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous
modifications, adaptations, and uses thereof will be apparent to
those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the
disclosure.
* * * * *