ReTIN: Real-Time Indexing

ReTIN (Real-Time INdexing) is an indexing schema/framework, the objective of which is to allow indexing of complex data arriving as a stream to a database with respect to soft real-time constraints for the maximum duration of insert and select operations. In contrast to hard constraints that have to be always met, the softness of meeting the constrains means that violations are allowed but their number must be minimized. In ReTIN, soft real-time constraints are met with some level of confidence.
The idea of ReTIN is a combination of sequential access to the most recent data and access to indexed less recent data stored in the database. The collection of statistics makes balancing the indexed and unindexed parts of the database efficient. We have implemented ReTIN PostgreSQL DBMS and its GIN index to store and index data.