1. A system for processing a prioritizing protocol for a database, the system including: an interface for nominating a first prioritizing protocol that maps a plurality of user accounts to one or more performance groups and to one or more periods; a processor that is responsive to the interface for defining a second prioritizing protocol by: defining a plurality of workload classes; associating each user account to a particular workload class; and mapping each workload class to a workload weight; and an output in communication with the processor for exporting the second prioritizing protocol.