1. A computer system, comprising: a general purpose computer; one or more input devices associated with the computer for generating a query; a database including tables accessible to the computer; logic executable by the computer for undertaking method acts to respond to the query, the method acts comprising: determining, among the tables of the query, a fact table and plural snowflakes of tables; eliminating cycles among the tables of the query; determining a minimal set of tables in at least one snowflake; and determining which snowflakes should appear in a predetermined stage of a query execution plan.