Software engineering frameworks tame the complexity of large collections of classes by identifying structural invariants, regularizing interfaces, and increasing sharing across the collection. We wish to appropriate these benefits for families of closely related benchmarks, say for evaluating query engine implementation strategies. We introduce the notion of a benchmark framework, an ecosystem of benchmarks that are related in semantically-rich ways and enabled by organizing principles. A benchmark framework is realized by iteratively changing one individual benchmark into another, say by modifying the data format, adding schema constraints, or instantiating a different workload. Paramount to our notion of benchmark frameworks are the ease of describing the differences between individual benchmarks and the utility of methods to validate the correctness of each benchmark component by exploiting the overarching ecosystem. As a detailed case study, we introduce τBench, a benchmark framework consisting of ten individual benchmarks, spanning XML, XQuery, XML Schema, and PSM, along with temporal extensions to each. A second case study examines the Mining Unstructured Data benchmark framework and a third examines the potential benefits of rendering the TPC family as a benchmark framework.

Any software made available via TIMECENTER is provided “as is ” and without any express or implied warranties, including, without limitation, the implied warranty of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The TIMECENTER icon on the cover combines two “arrows. ” These “arrows ” are letters in the so-called Rune alphabet used one millennium ago by the Vikings, as well as by their precedessors and successors. The Rune alphabet (second phase) has 16 letters, all of which have angular shapes and lack horizontal lines because the primary storage medium was wood. Runes may also be found on jewelry, tools, and weapons and were perceived by many as having magic, hidden powers.

Any software made available via TIMECENTER is provided “as is ” and without any express or implied warranties, including, without limitation, the implied warranty of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The TIMECENTER icon on the cover combines two “arrows. ” These “arrows ” are letters in the so-called Rune alphabet used one millennium ago by the Vikings, as well as by their precedessors and successors. The Rune alphabet (second phase) has 16 letters, all of which have angular shapes and lack horizontal lines because the primary storage medium was wood. Runes may also be found on jewelry, tools, and weapons and were perceived by many as having magic, hidden powers.