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Vectorized query execution is a Hive feature that greatly reduces the CPU usage for typical query operations like scans, filters, aggregates, and joins. A standard query execution system processes one row at a time. This involves long code paths and significant metadata interpretation in the inner loop of execution. Vectorized query execution streamlines operations by processing a block of 1024 rows at a time. Within the block, each column is stored as a vector (an array of a primitive data type). Simple operations like arithmetic and comparisons are done by quickly iterating through the vectors in a tight loop, with no or very few function calls or conditional branches inside the loop. These loops compile in a streamlined way that uses relatively few instructions and finishes each instruction in fewer clock cycles, on average, by effectively using the processor pipeline and cache memory. A detailed design document is attached to the vectorized query execution JIRA, at https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HIVE-4160.
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