BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Specializing Reinforcement Learning Techniques for Database System
 s - Ryan Marcus (University of Pennsylvania)
DTSTART:20251106T140000Z
DTEND:20251106T150000Z
UID:TALK236173@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Eiko Yoneki
DESCRIPTION:Reinforcement learning (RL) is a powerful general-purpose tech
 nique for automatically selecting actions that maximize rewards. At a surf
 ace level\, RL seems like a perfect fit for solving several problems in da
 ta management\, such as query optimization ("choose a plan that minimizes 
 latency")\, execution engines ("pick the right operator for my context")\,
  and workload management ("schedule my queries such that SLA violations ar
 e minimized"). Unfortunately\, putting RL into core database components in
  practice has several drawbacks\, such as sample inefficiency and explorat
 ion overhead. This talk will begin with a case study in "lessons learned" 
  from deploying learned query optimizers at Microsoft and Meta\, and will 
 then present our lab's current cookbook for successfully integrating RL in
 to data systems. This cookbook boils down to two core principles: (1) move
  expensive exploration offline\, and (2) ensure the overhead of the RL tec
 hnique being used matches the potential gains from good decision-making.\n
 \nBio: Ryan Marcus is an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylv
 ania\, where he works on building next-generation database management syst
 ems that automatically adapt to new hardware and user workloads\, invent n
 ovel processing strategies\, and understand user intention. Before joining
  Penn\, Ryan was a postdoctoral researcher at MIT\, and received his PhD f
 rom Brandeis University. His work has received multiple awards\, including
  a Google ML and Systems Junior Faculty Award\, a SIGMOD Best Paper Award\
 , and recognition in SIGMOD Research Highlights. You can read more about R
 yan on his website: https://rmarcus.info\n\nZoom: https://cam-ac-uk.zoom.u
 s/j/2644961338?pwd=PJrfDcVwjXyE4PNpSjznN9YYQYzqre.1&omn=83089748605 
LOCATION:Online
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR