1. For a data processing system having memory for storing a database, a method of directing the data processing system to configure the database based on a database workload having a performance metric, the method comprising: selecting a plurality of database characteristics based upon the database workload, each of the database characteristics having an associated estimated performance metric for the database workload; selecting a set of database characteristics from the plurality of database characteristics for which the associated estimated performance metric is lower than the database workload performance metric; and configuring the database using the selected set of database characteristics.