Database architecture: October 2007 Archives

Large databases require the use of parallel computing resources to get good performance. There are several fundamentally different parallel architectures in use today: shared memory, shared disk, and shared nothing. This post examines each approach in terms of how it impacts database scalability. Continue reading "Database parallelism choices greatly impact scalability" »

DeWitt and Madden discuss how trends in CPU technology, similar to trends in mass storage technology, will increasingly drive the use of column-store architecture in database systems designed primarily for processing decision support queries. They discuss the impact of slotted pages in row stores and how column stores avoid the CPU performance penalty. Continue reading "CPU trends, like disk trends, will favor adoption of column stores" »