Generic database cost models for hierarchical memory systems

Accurate prediction of operator execution time is a prerequisite for database query optimization. Although extensively studied for conventional disk-based DBMSs, cost modeling in main-memory DBMSs is still an open issue. Recent database research has demonstrated that memory access is more and more becoming a significant-- if not the major--cost component of database operations. If used properly, fast but small cache memories--usually organized in cascading hierarchy between CPU and main memory--can help to reduce memory access costs. However, they make the cost estimation problem more complex.