Exploring Simple Architecture of Just-in-Time Compilation in Databases

Haoran Ning, Bocheng Han, Zhengyi Yang, Kongzhang Hao, Miao Ma, Chunling Wang, Boge Liu, Xiaoshuang Chen, Yu Hao, Yi Jin, Wanchuan Zhang, Chengwei Zhang

Abstract: Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation is an effective technique for enhancing query execution in modern relational databases, and it has gained increasing attention from academia and industry in recent years. However, the architectures of state-of-the-art JIT-based database systems are often complex, leading to challenges and limitations when adopted for commercial use. In this paper, we present an industrial view to JIT compilation for relational databases, emphasizing practicality and applicability. Our focus is on minimizing engineering effort, simplifying testing, and ensuring seamless integration with existing database ecosystems. We achieve these goals by adhering to three core principles: a simple, lightweight architecture; reuse of existing technologies and frameworks, particularly LLVM; and strong extensibility and compatibility. We demonstrate the feasibility and potential of this approach through an initial exploration using LLVM’s mature JIT compilation capabilities to translate TPC-H database queries into optimized machine code. This proof-of-concept implementation shows the promise of our approach, pivoting the way for a comprehensive database system that leverages a lightweight yet powerful JIT compilation framework for real-world applications.