An Analytical Method for Estimating and Interpreting Query Time

This paper presents a general methodology to decompose the processing of relational queries into functional units. Each unit consumes a constant CPU usage, which depends on the DBMS and system configuration, but not on the database or the query. We describe how to measure the unit CPU consumption, as well as how to use it to predict and interpret query time. Two DBMSs were tested to validate and calibrate the model. Its applications on DBMS design, database &sign, query performance and DBMS comparison are discussed.