Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable storage media for a database system using solid state drives as a second level cache. A database system includes random access memory configured to operate as a first level cache, solid state disk drives configured to operate as a persistent second level cache, and hard disk drives configured to operate as disk storage. The database system also includes a cache manager configured to receive a request for a data page and determine whether the data page is in cache or disk storage. If the data page is on disk, or in the second level cache, it is copied to the first level cache. If copying the data page results in an eviction, the evicted data page is copied to the second level cache. At checkpoint, dirty pages stored in the second level cache are flushed in place in the second level cache.