DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/20/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 3-8, 11-12, 20, 22-27, 30-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deokule et al. (US 2025/0217163 A1), hereinafter “Deokule”, in view of Ying et al. (US 2014/0164452 A1), hereinafter “Ying”, and further in view of Kondiles et al. (US 2021/0240713 A1, Applicant’s submitted IDS filed 1/10/2025), hereinafter “Kondiles”.
As per claim 1, Deokule teaches a database system comprises:
“a pluralities of computing device clusters, wherein a computing device cluster of a plurality of the pluralities of computing device clusters includes a plurality of computing devices” at [0034] and Fig. 1;
(Deokule teaches the distributed computing system 110 includes a plurality of computing clusters 122, 124, wherein a computing cluster includes a plurality of computing devices)
wherein a computing device of the plurality of computing devices includes a plurality of computing nodes” at [0034];
(Deokule teaches computing cluster 122 includes a master node 132 and worker nodes 136, 138, 140)
“wherein an administrative sub-system includes a first plurality of computing device clusters of the pluralities of computing device clusters” at [0034] and Fig. 1;
(Deokule teaches the distributed computing system 110 includes a plurality of computing clusters 122, 124)
“wherein a first set of computing nodes of the plurality of computing device cluster is operable to: function as a plurality of admin nodes to administer over a plurality of long-running tasks” at [0034];
(Deokule teaches the master nodes 132, 144 perform operations related to task assignment corresponding to the worker nodes)
“wherein the plurality of long-running tasks is regarding a plurality of database operations that affect database system performance” at [0034]
(Deokule teaches a worker node can perform data storage and/or data retrieval tasks associated with a storage system/database at the behest of the master node that assigns the worker node a particular storage/retrieval task)
“wherein a second set of computing nodes of at least one other plurality of computing device clusters of the pluralities of computing device cluster is operable to: function as a plurality of task nodes to execute, in accordance with administration by the plurality of admin nodes, the plurality of long-running tasks to produce the plurality of task metadata” at [0034];
(Deokule teaches a worker node are configured to perform operations corresponding to tasks assigned to it by a master node. A worker node can perform data storage and/or data retrieval tasks associated with a storage system/database at the behest of the master node that assigns the worker node a particular storage/retrieval task)
“wherein: a first task node of the plurality of task nodes independently and asynchronously executes, in accordance with administration by a first admin node of the plurality of admin nodes, a first long-running task of the plurality of long-running tasks to produce fist task metadata of the plurality of task metadata” at [0034], [0043]-[0044];
(Deokule teaches worker node 136 is configured to perform data storage and data retrieval tasks assigned to it by the master node 132. Each worker node includes a plurality of executors, which is configured to run task and write data resulting from the execution of the task to the cache memory of the computing node)
“a second task node of the plurality of task nodes independently and asynchronously executes, in accordance with administration by a second admin node of the plurality of admin nodes, a second long-running task of the plurality of long-running tasks to produce second task metadata of the plurality of task metadata” at [0034], [0043]-[0044];
(Deokule teaches worker node 148 is configured to perform data storage and data retrieval tasks assigned to it by the master node 144. Each worker node includes a plurality of executors, which is configured to run task and write data resulting from the execution of the task to the cache memory of the computing node)
Deokule does not teach a first set of computer noes “function as system metadata storage cluster to store a plurality of task metadata corresponding to the plurality of long-running task” as claimed. However, Ying teaches a method for processing task using a master node to manage the task and a plurality of task not for executing the task, wherein the master node “function as system meta storge cluster to store a plurality of task metadata corresponding to the plurality of long-running task” at [0027]-[0030]. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine Ying with Deokule’s teaching to provide task metadata so that “each master nodes is continuously aware of the task status of each task performed by each of the master nodes and/or the system status as accessed by each of the master nodes”, as suggested by Ying at [0028].
Deokule and Ying do not explicitly teach: “a data ingest sub-system that includes a second plurality of computing device clusters of the pluralities of computing device clusters; a store and computing sub-system that includes a third plurality of computing device clusters of the plurality of computing device clusters; a query and respond sub-system that includes a fourth plurality of computing device clusters of the pluralities of computing devices clusters” as claimed. However, Kondiles teaches at [0061]-[0075] and Fig. 1 a database system 10 which includes data input sub-system 11 that includes a second plurality of computing device cluster, data store, retrieve & process sub-system 12 that includes a plurality of computing device clusters and query & results sub-system 13 that includes plurality of computing device clusters. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine Kondiles with Deokule’s teaching in order to provide a large-scale data processing network that capable of gathering, storing large amount of data in real-time and processing query to produce results in real-time, as suggested by Kondiles at [0058].
As per claim 3, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Ying also teaches: wherein “the first set of computing nodes is further operable to: determine a first set of characteristics for the first task based on arguments, location type, and location identifier” at [0042]-[0051].
As per claim 4, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Ying also teaches: “the first task node is operable to send the first task metadata to the first admin node, wherein the first admin node is operable to store the first task metadata in the system metadata storage cluster; and the second task node is operable to send the second task metadata to the second admin node, wherein the second admin node is operable to store the second task metadata in the system metadata storage cluster” at [0027]-[0030].
As per claim 5, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Ying also teaches: “a long-running task of the plurality of long-running tasks is regarding creating of metadata regarding execution of: a processing task that includes one of: monitoring optimization of a query, monitoring execution of a query, monitoring generation of a query plan, monitoring inputting of a dataset for temporary storage, monitoring conversion of temporary storage of a dataset to long-term storage, and a user request operation” at [0027]-[0030], [0042]-[0051].
As per claim 6, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 5 discussed above. Ying also teaches: wherein “the monitoring inputting of the dataset comprises: creating metadata regarding at least some of: one or more identifiers for the dataset, size of the dataset, segmenting of the dataset, labels for key fields of data segments, a data type indicator, and the data owner” at [0027]-[0030], [0042]-[0051].
As per claim 7, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Ying also teaches: wherein “a long-running task of the plurality of long-running task is regarding creation of metadata regarding execution of: a management task includes one of: an instance of a software update, an instance of database system maintenance, in instance of database system troubleshooting, storage utilization, storage availability, an instance of adding hardware, storage resource specifications, recording available software for data processing, and file type management” at [0027]-[0030], [0042]-[0051].
As per claim 8, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Ying also teaches: wherein “a long-running task of the plurality of long-running task is regarding creation of metadata regarding execution of: administrative task includes one of an instance of establishing user system permissions, an instance of modifying user system permissions, an instance of rights management, an instance of storing metadata, an instance of user data access privileges, preservation of data; maintaining historical storage information, maintaining storage statistics, and maintaining stored data access statistics” at [0027]-[0030], [0042]-[0051].
As per claim 11, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Deokule also teaches: “a computing node of the plurality of computing nodes includes a plurality of processing core resources, wherein a first processing core resource of a first computing node of the second set of computing nodes is operable to function as the first task node; and wherein a second processing core resource of the first computing node is operable to function as the second task node” at [0032]-[0036] and Fig. 1.
As per claim 12, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Deokule also teaches: “a computing node of the plurality of computing nodes includes a plurality of processing core resources, wherein a first processing core resource of a first computing node of the second set of computing nodes is operable to function as the first task node; and wherein a second processing core resource of a second computing node of the second set of computing node is operable to function as the second task node” at [0032]-[0036] and Fig. 1.
Claims 20, 22-27, 30-31 recite similar limitations as in claims 1, 3-8, 11-12 and are therefore rejected by the same reasons.
Claims 2, 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deokule-Ying and Kondiles, as applied to claims 1, 3-8, 11-12, 20, 22-27, 30-31 above, and further in view of Bouchard et al. (US 2016/0124770 A1), hereinafter “Bouchard”.
As per claim 2, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Deokule also teaches:
“the first task node is further operable to: in response to receiving an initial polling from the first admin node, initiate execution of the first long-running task” at [0034], [0043]-[0044];
“while executing the first long-running task, maintain task status data as at least part of the first task metadata; complete execution of the long-running task; and upon completion, cache task results in memory of the first task node” at [0034], [0043]-[0044];
Deokule does not teach: “in response to a task end polling from the first admin node, send the task results to the first admin node; and delete the task results from the memory of the first task node” as claimed. Bouchard teaches at [0011] a method for processing tasks using a plurality of nodes, including storing results of completed tasks in a completed task result cache from which the main process retrieves completed task results when needed by the main process, and removing the completed task results cache when the result is no longer needed. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine Bouchard with Ying’s teaching “in order to clear space to store results of more probably needed tasks”, as suggested by Bouchard at [0041].
Claim 21 recites similar limitations as in claim 2 and is therefore rejected by the same reasons.
Claims 10, 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deokule-Ying and Kondiles, as applied to claims 1, 3-8, 11-12, 20, 22-27, 30-31 above, and further in view of Smith et al. (US 2020/0233706 A1), hereinafter “Smith”.
As per claim 10, Deokule-Ying and Kondiles teach the system of claim 1 discussed above. Deokule does not teach “receive a task cancellation request regarding the first long-running task; and provide a task cancellation notice regarding the first long-running task to the first task node upon receiving the task cancellation request or at a next scheduling polling of the first task node” as claimed. However, Smith teaches a similar method for improving the performance of a distributed job scheduler by dynamically splitting and distributing the work of a single job into parallelizable tasks that are executed among multiple nodes in a cluster, including the steps of “receive a task cancellation request regarding the first long-running task; and provide a task cancellation notice regarding the first long-running task to the first task node upon receiving the task cancellation request or at a next scheduling polling of the first task node” at [0087], [0095]-[0098]. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine Smith with Deokule’s teaching in order to allow improve task execution speed by canceling task executed by a slow node and reassigning the task to a faster node, as suggested by Smith at [0087].
Claim 29 recites similar limitations as in claims 10 and is therefore rejected by the same reasons.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 28 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-8, 11-12, 20, 22-27, 30-31 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the Claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHANH B PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-4116. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8am to 4pm.
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/KHANH B PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2166
May 12, 2026
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