Circuitous Treasure Hunt

Software retrieves data from a first table, uses those results to search a second table, retrieves data from that table, and so on until the “ultimate results” are obtained. The impact on performance is the large amount of database processing required each time the “ultimate results” are needed. It is especially problematic when the data is on a remote server and each access requires transmitting all the intermediate queries and their results via a network and perhaps through other servers in a multi-tier environment.

Reference

C. U. Smith, L. G. Williams. “Software performance antipatterns”. WOSP 2000, pp. 127-136.