Query Accelerator – for SQL Server

Posted on by Gogula G. Aryalingam

I have designed an interesting tool to be used with database systems. Currently, it is designed to work with SQL Server, and shall soon support other major database systems.

Named Query Accelerator, it does just that: accelerate the execution of slow running queries. It has the capability to accelerate queries in varying degrees of speeds. But, the most interesting aspect of it is that it is a piece of hardware, powered by USB. Measuring just 2 inches in height, it is a very convenient tool that DBAs can carry around, plug it into the offending server and run it according to how the DBA sees fit.

Features

  • USB 2.0 (does not work with USB 1.1)
  • Works with any version of SQL Server
  • Removable crank to cater to left and right handed individuals
  • Multi-processor and multi-core support

How it works

  • Enable USB device support on your server (if disabled)
  • Plug in the Query Accelerator to an available USB 2.0 slot. The in-built driver will install the device.
  • Open Query Analyzer or Management Studio and execute your slow running query.
  • Turn the crank on the device clock-wise. The faster you turn the faster the query executes. You will notice that a typical query which takes about 30 minutes to execute, can be made to execute within 10 minutes. It all depends on how fast the crank is turned.
    Note: Be aware that faster cycles on the device will take up more processor usage, but not quite so much as to affect other processes.
  • To slow down the query, turn the crank anti-clockwise.
    Note: the query will only accelerate when the crank is being turned.

I have gotten involved with Singaporean hardware manufacturer Loof Lirpa Ltd. to build the Query Accelerator devices. I shall post videos of the device in action as soon as I get my first shipment of the evaluation devices.

22 thoughts on “Query Accelerator – for SQL Server”

  3. Wow what a device 😛 But there is a little flaw. The crank arm is little too long to turn the crank a full round. So I guess you would fix it by April 1st, 2012 🙂

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    1. I designed this focussed on servers, since the USB slot has some clearance. But I agree with you, especially if you are to use it on a laptop.
      Plans are already in the works for dropping the crank completely and adding a little remote controlled motor. The remote control will now have the crank.

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    1. Pricing will be usage based. 2 cents per revolution, also taking speed into account. The complex calculation will be done within the device and the price displayed with the query result in a separate tab in Management Studio.

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      1. The device is made such that it requires a human being to do the revolving, since (if you had read my reply to හර්ෂණ above) a lot of things have to be taken into consideration, because pricing is usage-based and speed of revolving is also a factor. So it is only a human being who can judge how long a query should run to be acceptably fast, and also at the same time matching the company’s budget.

        However, I am also planning on building an AI component which will do this task without human intervention, the only issue right now is that the AI component is of human height – 5′ 10″

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  9. Great Device , Looking forward for it.

    I have few questions
    1) Does it accelareate any query (what about queries that are not well optimized )
    2)Does the accelartion ratio depen on the available CPU and Memory at the time execution.
    3)Recently i had a scenario where i had a clean up script running against a huge DB with transaction enabled , the transaction log went crazy and query was running forever (more that 45 minutes) and i had to cancel it. Will this accelerator help in scenarios like this ?
    4)Can you optimize more than one query that are running parallel

    Like to see the device that operate without human intervention

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    1. Answers to your questions:

      1) Yes, the key phrase here is “any query”, but it also depends on the operator’s stamina. To make the queries run super-fast, the crank needs to be executed super-fast as well. So you need to provision DBAs with stamina for these tasks. So it does not really matter if the query is not optimized.

      2) Yes, acceleration depends on available processor and memory. However, the device itself has it’s own processor which takes up most of the query processing. It also has built-in flash memory and comes in 16GB and 32GB models, much like the iPhone

      3) The device cannot help with the transaction log, since that is situated on the hard disk. It will disassociate itself completely from the transaction log and complete the query much faster, and then let the transaction log do its thing. I’m planning on another device for transaction logs.

      4) No. each query requires a separate device. But, I am in the process of designing a dual-query accelerator, with two USB outlets, and two cranks. This device will fix into two USB slots, but will need a DBA with extra stamina to turn both the cranks…

      As for the human intervention-less device please see reply to DinniD’s comment above…

      Thanks for all your questions!

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