Continuous Query

Synonyms

Standing query

Definition

A continuous query Q is a query that is issued once over a database D, and then logically runs continuously over the data in D until Q is terminated. Q lets users get new results from D without having to issue the same query repeatedly. Continuous queries are best understood in contrast to traditional SQL queries over D that run once to completion over the current data in D.

Key Points

Traditional database systems expect all data to be managed within some form of persistent data sets. For many recent applications, where the data is changing constantly (often exclusively through insertions of new elements), the concept of a continuous data stream is more appropriate than a data set. Several applications generate data streams naturally as opposed to data sets, e.g., financial tickers, performance measurements in network monitoring, and call detail records in telecommunications. Continuous queries are a natural interface for monitoring data streams. In...