Google patents data sorting method that saves records to disk
Google has filed a patent for a system that organizes large streams of data by grouping records based on specific keys. Instead of keeping this sorted data only in temporary memory, the system saves it to permanent storage so that different processing units can request and retrieve specific subsets of the data as needed.
In the filing’s own words
A method includes receiving a request to perform a shuffle operation on a data stream; receiving at least a portion of the data stream including a plurality of records, each including a key; storing each of the plurality of records in a persistent storage location assigned to a key range corresponding to keys included in the plurality of records; receiving a request from a consumer for a subset of the plurality of records including a range of keys; and upon receiving the request from the consumer, providing the subset of the plurality of records including the range of keys from the one or more persistent storage locations.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing apparatus, the method comprising: receiving a request to perform a shuffle operation on a data stream, the shuffle operation being an operation that groups records in the data stream: receiving at least a portion of the data stream, the data stream including a plurality of records; receiving an indication of a storage location for the plurality of records; during the shuffle operation, storing each of the plurality of records in one or more persistent storage locations based on the indication; receiving a request from a first reducer for a subset of the plurality of records stored in the one or more persistent storage locations; upon receiving the request from the first reducer, providing the subset of the plurality of records from the persistent storage locations to the reducer; receiving a second request from a second reducer for the subset of the plurality of records stored in the one or more of the persistent storage locations; and upon receiving the second request from the second reducer, providing the subset of the plurality of records from the persistent storage locations to the second reducer.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Google LLC)
- Official title
- Persistent Shuffle System
- Publication number
- US20260329661A1
- Application number
- 19429664
- Filed
- Dec 22, 2025
- Published
- Oct 22, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06F 9/5066 Physics & computingG06F 16/23 Physics & computingMore from Google in AI & software
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.