Method and apparatus for analyzing data retrieval using index scanning

A method and computer program product for analyzing data retrieval using index scanning in a database management system. The method involves scanning an index associated with a table in the database management system and selecting pages in the index. For each of the selected pages, the index entries are extracted and ranked. A distance parameter is then determined for each of the ranked index entries. The number of page transfers is estimated based on the distance parameters and the number of consecutive index entries which can be stored in the buffer pool.