WebView Materialization

Abstract

A WebView is a web page automatically created from base data typically stored in a DBMS. Given the multi-tiered architecture behind database-backed web servers, we have the option of materializing a WebView inside the DBMS, at the web server, or not at all, always computing it on the fly (virtual). Since WebViews must be up to date, materialized WebViews are immediately refreshed with every update on the base data. In this paper we compare the three materialization policies (materialized inside the DBMS, materialized at the web server and virtual) analytically, through a detailed cost model, and quantitatively, through extensive experiments on an implemented system. Our results indicate that materializing at the web server is a more scalable solution and can facilitate an order of magnitude more users than the virtual and materialized inside the DBMS policies, even under high update workloads.