Oracle Corporation
Scalable multistage processing of queries with percentile functions

Abstract:

A method and system for processing database queries containing aggregate functions. The query may specify fewer groups than there are processes available to process the queries. Further, the queries may target a set of rows and specify a sort-by key and a group-by key. The method and system further includes determining that the queries specify application of the aggregate function to each of a plurality of groups that may correspond to a plurality of distinct values of the group-by key and determining that plurality of processes are available to process the queries. The method and system also includes determining the plurality of ranges of a composite key that may be formed by combining the group-by key and the sort-by key and assigning each range of the plurality ranges to a corresponding process to calculate the aggregate function.