PROGRAMMABLE STREAMING DATA PROCESSOR FOR DATABASE APPLIANCE HAVING MULTIPLE PROCESSING UNIT GROUPS

摘要

A data processing system having two or more groups of data processors that have attributes that are optimized for their assigned functions. The first group consists of one or more host computers (12) responsible for interfacing with applications and/or end users to obtain queries and for planning query execution. A second processor group consists of many streaming record-oriented processors called Job Processing Units (JPUs) (22), preferably arranged as an MPP structure. The JPUs typically carry out the bulk of the data processing required to implement the logic of a query. Each of the JPUs (22) typically include a general purpose microcomputer (26), local memory (27), one or more mass storage devices (23), and one or more network connections. Each JPU (22) also has a special purpose programmable processor, referred to herein as a Programmable Streaming Data Processor (PSDP) (28). The PSDP (28) serves as an interface between the CPU and a JPU and the mass storage device, to offload functions from the CPU of the JPU (22).