The application of a geometric arithmetic parallel systolic array processor to database machine design

This paper examines the use of the Geometric Arithmetic Parallel Processor (GAPP) IC systolic array chip as the major processing element in the design and construction of a high-speed, parallel, relational database machine. This chip is of particular interest because it is one of the first commercially available systolic array chips. A brief review of the architectural features of the GAPP is presented. Parallel algorithms for handling basic relational database operations-simple queries, joins, and sorts-are presented. Building blocks of cascaded systolic arrays are developed to implement these algorithms. A database machine architecture to incorporate these building blocks is described and compared to existing designs.