BusTub is a relational database management system built for educational purposes in an introductory database systems course at Carnegie Mellon University.
The project addresses the need for students to understand how database systems work by implementing core DBMS functionality from scratch. BusTub provides a framework where students build components like buffer pool management, query execution engines, and transaction processing. The system supports basic SQL and includes an interactive shell once all course projects are completed. Rather than presenting a finished product, BusTub serves as a scaffolded codebase where students progressively implement missing pieces to create a working relational database.
BusTub is designed exclusively for educational use and explicitly should not be used in production environments. It suits students enrolled in or self-studying database systems courses who want hands-on experience building database internals. The README emphasizes strict academic integrity policies: students in the course must not fork the repository publicly or share solutions, and external students using the autograder must not make implementations publicly available. The project provides access to autograders through Gradescope after assignment due dates, allowing self-study outside the university while maintaining fairness.
The project maintains active engagement with its educational mission through regular updates aligned with course iterations. Development focuses on sustaining the assignment infrastructure and autograding system that enables both CMU students and external learners to participate. The codebase receives ongoing refinement to support the pedagogical goals of the course, with documentation emphasizing proper Git workflows and private repository setup for students undertaking the projects.
