Automatic Problem-Oriented Transformation of Database Performance Data

Abstract

Methods and systems, including computer program products, for monitoring and analyzing a database performance problem stored in a separate performance database with cube-based analysis program tools. The methods and systems include means for detecting one or more performance problems, mapping performance problems to cubes, filling the cubes with performance data collected before, and outputting the filled cubes to an output interface usable to deploy said cubes for cube-based database performance analysis.

Description

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example and is not limited by the shape of the figures of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the system structure of a prior art database performance monitoring tool;

FIG. 2 is a depiction according to FIG. 1, enriched by components in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration representing a cube that shows the overall CPU time consumption for all statements, applications and users;

FIG. 3B is a schematic illustration of the cube after a drilldown that shows the CPU time consumption of individual SQL statements for all applications and users;

FIG. 3C is a schematic illustration outlining the implementation of the cube in a database performance cube database, wherein a rectangular represents a table with table name in bold, primary key attributes are underlined, and an arrow represents a foreign key relationship;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the entity relationship (ER) model of a cube meta model;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary problem hierarchy;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of the entity relationship (ER) model of the performance problem model;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the entity relationship (ER) model of the cube model;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the entity relationship (ER) model of the problem-cube model;

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the entity relationship (ER) model of the cube usage history;

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of the system structure of a cube advisor notification component used in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the entity relationship (ER) model of information used by the Cube Advisor Notification Component;

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of the control flow of the method, reduced to the control flow between a cube advisor notification component and a cube advisor component, and

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of the control flow of the method in an overview form;

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and analyzing database performance problems under usage of an interface to a database performance database storing performance data collected during runtime of said database in a redundancy-free form, wherein said performance data is extracted from said performance database and transformed into a problem-specific form specific for a query formulated by a database administrator for detecting a respective individual database performance problem, wherein said query uses multi-dimensional cubes and is based on a logic coupling between said redundancy-free and said problem-specific form, the method comprising: storing a problem-cube model implementing said logic coupling and comprising information on the mapping relationships between a database performance problem and a respective cube or one or more cube sets appropriate for a problem analysis of a respective performance problem;in response to detecting a specific performance problem automatically filling said cubes with respective performance data from said performance database by exploiting said implemented logic coupling; andoutputting the filled cubes to an output interface usable to deploy said filled cubes for cube-based database performance analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically detecting a performance problem by detecting from an exception processing whether a predefined performance metrics threshold is exceeded.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing an initial interactive training mode, wherein performance problems can be identified, said mappings can be created and said cubes can be filled, in order to enable a notification component to trigger and invoke a cube advisor engine component to perform the filling and outputting steps of claim 1.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: providing a subsequently applicable autonomous mode wherein cubes can be automatically created and filled with actual performance data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: processing feedback information from a user as to whether a mapping between a given cube and a given problem was assessed successful by the user; andincreasing a rank information associated with said mapping in case of a successful mapping.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing knowledge about performance problems in a hierarchic structure; andstoring said hierarchic structure in a knowledge base.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: enabling a user to store a new cube; andenabling a user to associate said new cube with an existing performance problem in said hierarchic structure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a set of cubes can be associated with a performance problem, and a first cube of said set is usable for determining the category of a performance problem, and a second cube is usable for determining the cause of said problem with said problem category.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an existing exception processing is used to trigger said step of detecting a performance problem.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: performing a performance problem hierarchy validation.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: enabling a user to select one or more cubes or one or more cube sets for analysis of a detected performance problem.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said output interface is arranged to comply with a problem determination algorithm implemented by a computer program.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: validating the current state of said database and generating a list of database performance problems based on existing symptoms.

14. A computer system operatively connected to a database system, the computer system comprising: a database performance monitor;a performance cube advisor component operatively connected and programmed for creating and populating cubes in a database performance cube database from database exception information responsive to runtime behavior of said database; anda cube advisor notification component determining and collecting said exception information and having an operative interface to said performance cube advisor component for forwarding said information.

15. The computer system of claim 14 wherein said performance cube advisor component comprises: a knowledge base storing knowledge about performance problems that can be detected;a knowledge base administration module; andan engine component for detecting existing performance problems and creating and populating said cubes in said database performance cube database.

16. A computer program product for monitoring and analyzing database performance problems under usage of an interface to a database performance database storing performance data collected during runtime of said database in a redundancy-free form, wherein said performance data is extracted from said performance database and transformed into a problem-specific form specific for a query formulated by a database administrator for detecting a respective individual database performance problem, wherein said query uses multi-dimensional cubes and is based on a logic coupling between said redundancy-free and said problem-specific form, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to: store a problem-cube model implementing said logic coupling and comprising information on the mapping relationships between a database performance problem and a respective cube or one or more cube sets appropriate for a problem analysis of a respective performance problem;in response to detecting a specific performance problem automatically fill said cubes with respective performance data from said performance database by exploiting said implemented logic coupling; andoutput the filled cubes to an output interface usable to deploy said filled cubes for cube-based database performance analysis.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to: automatically detect a performance problem by detecting from an exception processing whether a predefined performance metrics threshold is exceeded.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to: provide an initial interactive training mode, wherein performance problems can be identified, said mappings can be created and said cubes can be filled, in order to enable a notification component to trigger and invoke a cube advisor engine component to perform the fill and output of claim 16.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further causing the computer to: provide a subsequently applicable autonomous mode wherein cubes can be automatically created and filled with actual performance data.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to: process feedback information from a user as to whether a mapping between a given cube and a given problem was assessed successful by the user; andincrease a rank information associated with said mapping in case of a successful mapping.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to: store knowledge about performance problems in a hierarchic structure; andstore said hierarchic structure in a knowledge base.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to: enable a user to store a new cube; andenable a user to associate said new cube with an existing performance problem in said hierarchic structure.

23. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein a set of cubes can be associated with a performance problem, and a first cube of said set can be used to determine the category of a performance problem, and a second cube can be used to determine the cause of said problem with said problem category.

24. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein an existing exception processing is used to trigger said step of detecting a performance problem.

25. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to: perform a performance problem hierarchy validation.

26. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to: enable a user to select one or more cubes or one or more cube sets for analysis of a detected performance problem.

27. The computer program product of claim 16, further causing the computer to: validate the current state of said database and generating a list of database performance problems based on existing symptoms.