Patent ID: 8332857

Claim:
A database system comprising: at least one processor; an optimizer executable on the at least one processor to generate resource estimates for corresponding steps of a query plan provided for a request to be executed in the database system; and a regulator executable on the at least one processor to produce progress information from monitoring execution of the request and to adjust a priority level of the request based on the progress information and based on the resource estimates provided by the optimizer, the regulator to further: compare the resource estimate for each of the steps of the query plan with the progress information; from the progress information, determine whether consumption of a resource is greater than or less than a corresponding resource estimate provided by the optimizer for a particular one of the steps, wherein adjusting the priority level of the request is based on the determining; receive rules defined for a plurality of workload groups; and based on the resource estimates and the received rules, assign the request to one of the plurality of workload groups.