
How does field specialization fit in with other approaches to optimize DBMSes?
DBMSs are by their nature very general: they can handle whatever schema is specified, any data that is consistent with that schema, and any query or modification that is presented. Such generality and efficiency have enabled their proliferation and use in many domains. Through such innovations as indexing structures, concurrency control mechanisms, and sophisticated query optimization strategies, DBMSs are already very efficient. The primary approach used by DBMS vendors for