Testing the Quality of a Query Optimizer.

@article{DBLP:journals/debu/StillgerF95,
  author    = {Michael Stillger and
               Johann Christoph Freytag},
  title     = {Testing the Quality of a Query Optimizer},
  journal   = {IEEE Data Eng. Bull.},
  volume    = {18},
  number    = {3},
  year      = {1995},
  pages     = {41-48},
  ee        = {db/journals/debu/StillgerF95.html},
  bibsource = {DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de}
}

Abstract

Today, database technology is used in many different application areas. Therefore, the need to understand how well a particular database management system (DBMS) suits the requirements of a given application has become an important task. One way to address this need is to provide means to measure and to verify the quality of a database management system and its query optimizer. Additionally, since database implementors continue to improve the query optimizer of their specific systems, it becomes especially important for them and the users of those systems to evaluate those changes on a large scale. In particular, changes of the optimizer must be understood by both groups of people. Individual test environments or standardized benchmarks are commonly used to evaluate the quality of an optimizer. Almost all of them are only suited for a particular, artificial database schema and lack the flexibility of determining the size and the shape of queries to be tested and the database to be used.

We present a set of tools which are designed to overcome these problems. As a result it is especially useful for testing query optimization issues like join order, selectivity estimation and choice of execution algorithms. The main features are: specification and generation of the data and of the database schema, specification and generation of a particular set of queries for any existing or newly generated database. On the one hand, the tools aim to support the work of the database implementors (DBIs) to design their own testbed according to changes or enhancements done; on the other hand, they should help vendors and customers to design individual testbeds that reflect the needs of specific database applications.

With the query generator we already have available a first tool in our tool set. Extensions and additional tools are currently under design and implementation.

Copyright © 1995 by the author(s). Abstract used with permission.

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