Patent ID: 7620609

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, employing the Simple Genetic Algorithm (SGA) as a framework, of selecting a configuration that minimizes cost subject to the constraints, the method comprising the steps of: applying a mutation operation to a next generation of configurations; evaluating each configuration in the next generation for fitness based on costs that include the execution cost of answering queries in a workload using access structures for the configuration, cost to create a new access structure for the configuration and the cost of maintaining access structures for the configuration; determining whether the number of configurations in the next generation has reached a population size threshold; if not, generating another next generation of configurations and repeating at least application and evaluation steps; if so, determining whether the maximum number of generations has been reached a generation size threshold; if not, designating the next generation as the previous generation, generating another next generation of configurations and repeating at least application and evaluation steps and repeating at least the generation, application and evaluation steps; otherwise provide the configurations.