Reconsidering Optimistic Algorithms for Relational DBMS

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the success of StrongDBMS's optimistic algorithms in high concurrency scenarios, criticizing traditional locking-based DBMS and suggesting a need for re-engineering.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of optimistic algorithms' advantages and critiques locking-based approaches, advocating for re-engineering existing DBMS.

Findings

StrongDBMS outperforms commercial DBMS in high concurrency.

Optimistic algorithms reduce contention compared to locking.

Critique of locking-based algorithms for modern high-concurrency workloads.

Abstract

At DBKDA 2019, we demonstrated that StrongDBMS with simple but rigorous optimistic algorithms, provides better performance in situations of high concurrency than major commercial database management systems (DBMS). The demonstration was convincing but the reasons for its success were not fully analysed. There is a brief account of the results below. In this short contribution, we wish to discuss the reasons for the results. The analysis leads to a strong criticism of all DBMS algorithms based on locking, and based on these results, it is not fanciful to suggest that it is time to re-engineer existing DBMS.