1. A computer program product comprising a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: generating, for a multi-operation database process to be performed in a distributed database management system comprising a plurality of nodes, a plurality of sub-plans, each of the plurality of sub-plans comprising a different distribution of node locations of a plurality of operators among the plurality of nodes, the plurality of operators being those necessary to complete the multi-operation database process; calculating a total minimum global cost for each sub-plan of the plurality of sub-plans; and selecting an optimal plan from the plurality of sub-plans, the optimal plan having a lowest total minimum global cost.