Re: A query planner that learns

Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> Jochem van Dieten wrote:
>> Scott Marlowe wrote:
>>> While all the talk of a hinting system over in hackers and perform is
>>> good, and I have a few queries that could live with a simple hint system
>>> pop up now and again, I keep thinking that a query planner that learns
>> >from its mistakes over time is far more desirable.
>>> Is it reasonable or possible for the system to have a way to look at
>>> query plans it's run and look for obvious mistakes its made, like being
>>> off by a factor of 10 or more in estimations, and slowly learn to apply
>>> its own hints?
>> Technically it is very feasible. But I think you might want to check US
>> Patent 6,763,359 before you start writing any code.
>
> I think it would be a very good idea if you guys stopped looking at the
> US patent database. It does no good to anyone. There's no way we can
> avoid stomping on a patent or another -- there are patents for everything.
>

Hasn't IBM release a pile of it's patents for use (or at least stated
they won't sue) to OSS projects? If so, is this patent covered by that
"amnesty"?

Simply ignoring patents because "there is a patent for everything" is a
recipe for disaster. Companies like MS are running out of ways to tear
open OSS and they are certainly not above (below?) suing the heck out of
OSS projects for patent infringement.

What's needed is reform in the USPO. Call you congress (wo)man and
complain, but don't flaunt the law; you will lose.

Madi