QUIST: a system for semantic query optimization in relational databases

  • Authors:
  • Jonathan J. King

  • Affiliations:
  • -

  • Venue:
  • VLDB '81 Proceedings of the seventh international conference on Very Large Data Bases - Volume 7
  • Year:
  • 1981

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Abstract

Semanfic query ophizotion is an approach to query optimization that uses knowledge of the semantics of the data to transform a query into another query that has the same answer but can be processed more efficiently. However, the indiscriminate application of semantic transformations can itself be excessively costly when there are many semantic rules upon which transformations can be based. This paper describes a semantic query optimization system called QUIST (Query lmprovement through Semantic Transformation). QUIST demonstrates significant cost reductions for a class of relational database queries. At the same time, QUIST uses knowledge about relational database structures and processing methods to insure that semantic transformations are applied selectively. This knowledge reflects cost models and optimization techniques developed in recent query optimization research. To integrate semantic, structure, and processing knowledge, QUIST analyzes a query at several levels of detail, along the lines of the plan-generate-test paradigm of artificial intelligence systems.