Databases are typically used to organize, store, and retrieve data. Recent advances in technology have allowed databases to store vast amounts of data. However, querying vast amounts of data presents many challenges.
Due to the large amount of data stored, a database query may potentially take significant system resources, such as processing power and memory. One common error when performing a query on a large database is an “Out of memory” error. This error occurs when the system has run out of physical memory to perform an operation or operations.
Conventional methods to guard against an “Out of memory” error include adding more physical memory, or reducing the amount of queries processed concurrently. However, conventional methods are either expensive, not scalable, or both. There is a need, therefore, for an improved method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for allocating memory in databases.