A database system includes a database server, a DRAM, a persistent memory, and at least one storage media. The database server includes a cache manager. The DRAM stores a buffer hash table and the persistent memory includes a persistent memory database cache including a plurality of buffers. Buffer content in a buffer is conditionally persisted subsequent to a system initialization event based on the respective buffer satisfying one or more predefined conditions. Each buffer is associated with buffer descriptor values corresponding to a plurality of buffer descriptors. The plurality of buffer descriptors includes a first type of buffer descriptors and a second type of buffer descriptors. Modifications to the buffer hash table are routed to the DRAM, and modifications to the buffer content and modifications to buffer descriptor values corresponding to the first type of buffer descriptors are explicitly flushed to the persistent memory database cache.