On Multisystem Coupling Through Function Request Shipping

In a multisystem database system with a function request shipping approach, the databases are partitioned among the multiple systems and a facility is provided to support the shipping of database requests among the systems. This is in contrast to a data sharing multisystem approach in which all systems have direct access to the shared database. The performance of the function request shipping approach is examined and compared to the data sharing approach. The emphasis is on generic issues that affect the function shipping approach. Trace data from large mainframe systems running IBM's IMS database management system are used to illustrate the issues of partitioning. A methodology is presented for partitioning the databases and routing transactions among the systems so as to minimize the fraction of remote function calls, while balancing the load among systems. Estimates of the resulting remote function calls, mirror transaction setups, and multisystem two-phase commits are obtained. A simulation model and approximate analysis are used to examine the overall system performance, to study the effect of various workload parameters and design alternatives, and to compare the function shipping and data sharing approaches. © 1986 IEEE