17936339. RECORD-LEVEL LOCKS WITH CONSTANT SPACE COMPLEXITY simplified abstract (Amazon Technologies, Inc.)

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RECORD-LEVEL LOCKS WITH CONSTANT SPACE COMPLEXITY

Organization Name

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor(s)

Himanshu Jindal of Mountlake Terrace WA (US)

RECORD-LEVEL LOCKS WITH CONSTANT SPACE COMPLEXITY - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17936339 titled 'RECORD-LEVEL LOCKS WITH CONSTANT SPACE COMPLEXITY

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes systems and methods for implementing record locking for transactions using a probabilistic data structure. This data structure allows for the addition of data records without increasing the size of the structure.

  • The data structure includes multiple hash tables, each associated with a hash function, where entries store transaction times and locking states.
  • To lock a record, each hash function is applied to the record key to determine an index in the respective hash table, and the minimum of the values stored in the hash tables is retrieved.
  • If the retrieved value is less than the transaction time of the transaction attempting to lock the record, locking is allowed, and the transaction time is recorded in each hash table.
  • To commit the transaction, the probabilistic data structure is updated atomically as part of the commit operation.

Potential Applications

This technology can be applied in database management systems, distributed systems, and transaction processing systems.

Problems Solved

1. Efficient record locking for transactions without significant growth in data structure size. 2. Ensuring data integrity and preventing conflicts in concurrent transactions.

Benefits

1. Improved performance and scalability in transaction processing. 2. Reduced overhead in managing record locks. 3. Enhanced reliability and consistency in data management.

Potential Commercial Applications

Optimized database management systems, cloud computing platforms, and financial transaction systems can benefit from this technology.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be traditional record locking mechanisms in database systems, such as using locks at the database level or row-level locking strategies.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology handle high concurrency levels in transaction processing systems?

The patent application does not provide specific details on how the probabilistic data structure performs under high concurrency scenarios.

What are the potential limitations or drawbacks of using a probabilistic data structure for record locking?

The patent application does not discuss any potential limitations or drawbacks that may arise when implementing this technology in practical systems.


Original Abstract Submitted

Systems and methods for implementing record locking for transactions using a probabilistic data structure are described. This probabilistic structure enables adding of data records without growth of the data structure. The data structure includes a hash table for each of multiple hash functions, where entries in the respective hash tables store a transaction time and locking state. To lock a record, each hash function is applied to a record key to provide an index into a respective hash table and a minimum of the values stored in the hash tables is retrieved. If the retrieved value is less than a transaction time for a transaction attempting to lock the record, locking is permitted and the transaction time is recorded to each of the hash tables. To commit the transaction, the probabilistic data structure is atomically updated as part of the commit operation.