Rapid development of data generators using meta generators in PDGF

Generating data sets for the performance testing of database systems on a particular hardware configuration and application domain is a very time consuming and tedious process. It is time consuming, because of the large amount of data that needs to be generated and tedious, because new data generators might need to be developed or existing once adjusted. The difficulty in generating this data is amplified by constant advances in hardware and software that allow the testing of ever larger and more complicated systems. In this paper, we present an approach for rapidly developing customized data generators. Our approach, which is based on the Parallel Data Generator Framework (PDGF), deploys a new concept of so called meta generators. Meta generators extend the concept of column-based generators in PDGF. Deploying meta generators in PDGF significantly reduces the development effort of customized data generators, it facilitates their debugging and eases their maintenance.