Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
12
Automated Physical
Database Design
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex . . .
It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage to move
in the opposite direction.
—Albert Einstein
Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations
which we can perform without thinking about them.
—Alfred North Whitehead
he year 1997 was a turning point in the popular understanding of the capability of
modern computers to solve complex problems that we normally associated with
human intellect and wisdom. The turning point had little to do with the design of data-
base systems. In 1997 a supercomputer produced by IBM, named “Deep Blue II,”
became the first ever computer to beat a reigning world chess champion: grandmaster
Gary Kasparov. What changed on that day in 1997 was the realization that computers
could actual compete successfully against the best human experts in an important
domain that we normally associate with creative problem solving. Similarly, leading
corporations have begun to produce advanced technology for the automated physical
design of database systems.
The contest was the second between the two, Kasparov having beaten Deep
Blue's earlier version in 1996. However, the 1997 confrontation was significantly
more challenging. Deep Blue was significantly upgraded for the second
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