Direct table association in in-memory databases

A computerized database management system, comprising:

• a database server including a processor and associated random access memory, the processor being configured to:
• configure an in-memory database in the random access memory to have a first table of a plurality of cells organized into logical rows and logical columns and a second table of a plurality of cells organized into logical rows and logical columns, each of the cells of each of the tables having an associated memory address within the random access memory;
• perform an initial scan of the second table to establish a direct table association between a memory address of an origin cell of the plurality of cells of the first table and a memory address of a target cell of the plurality of cells of the second table, the direct table association including at least one physical memory address pointer associated with at least one physical memory address stored on physical hardware, the physical memory address pointer being added to the first table during the initial scan of the second table;
• receive a request to perform a join database operation of one or more rows or columns of the first table including the origin cell on one or more rows or columns of the second table including the target cell, wherein the join database operation is a join database operation on a many-to-many relationship between the first table and the second table, the direct table association includes an intermediate table, a first physical memory address pointer, and a second physical memory address pointer, and the intermediate table comprises a plurality of cells organized into logical rows and logical columns;
• dereference the direct table association for the origin cell to obtain a value of the target cell stored at the physical memory address for the target cell;
• execute the join database operation using the value, to thereby produce a joined table including the value;
• and
• store the joined table at a new location in the random access memory, wherein
• subsequent join database operations of the first table on the second table are performed by dereferencing the direct table association that was established via the initial scan of the second table,
• the first physical memory address pointer is included within at least one cell of the plurality of cells of the intermediate table and points to a physical memory address within random access memory corresponding to a target cell of the plurality of cells of the first table, and
• the second physical memory address pointer is included within at least one cell of the plurality of cells of the intermediate table and points to a physical memory address within random access memory corresponding to at least one target cell of the plurality of cells of the second table.