A programmable machine system and method for managing electronic data access among multiple different relational databases in a network distributed database environment. The machine is programmed so that it can construct cost-effective access strategies for any of the participating databases absent any DBMS-specific cost models. The system provides query optimization across different database management systems in a network distributed database environment based on a calibrating database relying only on typical relational database statistics and cost data is developed by running queries in the various databases against the calibrating database. A logical cost model is constructed using the resulting cost data and is used to estimate the cost of a given query based on logical characteristics of the DBMS, the relations, and the query itself. The cost of a complex query is estimated using primitive queries. Optimal query access strategies are thereby designed and used to control execution of the queries across relational databases controlled by two or more different database management systems.