Using non-volatile memory resources to enable a virtual buffer pool for a database application

A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a computer program, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

• maintain, in a volatile main memory component, a buffer pool for a database application;
• write a block of application data to a location on a non-volatile, asymmetric memory component;
• add, to the buffer pool maintained in the volatile main memory component, a control portion that corresponds to the block of application data and that includes a reference to the location of the block of application data on the non-volatile, asymmetric memory component;
• receive, from the database application, a request to access the block of application data;
• and
• in response to receiving the request to access the block of application data:
• access, from the buffer pool maintained in the volatile main memory component, the control portion that corresponds to the block of application data,
• based on accessing the control portion that corresponds to the block of application data from the buffer pool maintained in the volatile main memory component, identify the location of the block of application data on the non-volatile, asymmetric memory component, and
• based on identifying the location of the block of application data on the non-volatile, asymmetric memory component, enable the database application to access the block of application data directly from the non-volatile, asymmetric memory component, wherein the database application is configured to support migration of application data between the volatile memory component and the nonvolatile memory component and adding the control portion corresponding to the block of application data to the buffer pool maintained in the volatile main memory component includes adding the control portion corresponding to the block of application data to the buffer pool maintained in the volatile main memory component without adding the entire block of application data to the buffer pool maintained in the volatile main memory component.