Application Example of Informix Time Series database for Massive Data Processing

Informix time series (InformixTimeSeries) is an important technology for the Informix database to solve massive data processing. This technology uses a special data storage method, which greatly improves the processing capability of time-related data, and halved its storage space relative to relational databases. In the smart electric meter application, you can set a fixed time in a time series column.

Informix time series (Informix TimeSeries) is an important technology for the Informix database to solve massive data processing. This technology uses a special data storage method, which greatly improves the processing capability of time-related data, and halved its storage space relative to relational databases. In the smart electric meter application, you can set a fixed time in a time series column.

The query speed of time series functions is much faster than that of relational functions. The application of these functions is the basic means to achieve smart grids. Informix time series has been widely used in stock trading systems, network management systems, smart meter systems, telecom billing systems, and other fields.

1. Overview

Informix time series (Informix TimeSeries) is an important technology for the Informix database to solve massive data processing. This technology uses a special data storage method, which greatly improves the processing capability of time-related data. Compared with relational databases, its storage space is halved, and the query speed is improved. In a smart electric meter, you can set data at a fixed time interval in a time series column and use the time series Function (TimeSeries Function) allows you to query, update, and delete data in real time. The superior query performance of time series functions far exceeds that of relational databases.

2. Introduction to Informix Time Series

Time series can be widely used in multiple fields. The following uses a smart meter system as an example to describe the basic principles of Informix time series by comparing it with a relational data table.

2.1 relational table model

The Relational Database Table (Relational Database Table) model adopts a row-and-column structure. Generally, it contains the primary key used to identify a unique row and each row identifies a record. As shown in the following table, the primary key is (meter_id, data_date), that is, the electric meter number + time point uniquely identifies a record. An electric meter is recorded at each effective time point.

Figure 1. Table Structure of a relational table

2.2 Informix Time Series Model

The TimeSeries model stores time-related data in a TimeSeries field. The TimeSeries model table can be simply divided into two parts: the first part and the time series part. The first part contains the basic information of each electric meter, such as the electric meter ID. Using a time series model to represent an electric meter can save most of the duplicate information and improve the field storage and access efficiency. Shows a time series model table.

Figure 2. Table Structure of the time series table

2.3 comparison between time series models and Relational Models

This storage model of the time series model is suitable for processing a large amount of time-related data. It is a comparison chart of the query time between time series tables and Relational Tables that change with the query range.

Figure 3 Comparison between time series model and relational model

As you can see, as the relational database tables grow over time, the query efficiency will decrease faster and faster, and the performance of TimeSeries will be affected very little by the time. The query efficiency is dozens of times that of Relational Tables.