How can you shorten the delta merge runtime of a table in SAP HANA?

Shortening the delta merge runtime of a table in SAP HANA can be effectively achieved by performing memory-only delta merges. This approach optimizes the merging process by utilizing in-memory processing, which avoids the overhead associated with writing data to disk. When data resides in memory, it allows for faster access and operations, leading to a more efficient delta merge.

By leveraging this method, the system can execute merges more quickly compared to conventional methods that may require disk I/O and other time-consuming processes. A memory-only delta merge has the added benefit of reducing contention and resource usage on the disk subsystem, further improving performance.

The other choices do not have the same direct impact on delta merge runtime. Increasing the table size would typically lead to longer merges due to the larger volume of data to process. Using a lower level of data compression may reduce CPU load during merges, but it does not necessarily make the merge itself faster as it can lead to higher memory usage and thus longer accesses. Performing frequent full data backups is unrelated to the delta merge process and does not influence the runtime of merges at all.