A system and method autonomically reallocate memory among buffer pools to permit quick access to data. A simulated buffer pool extension (SBPX) is created for each buffer pool in a set of buffer pools. Data victimized from a buffer pool is represented in the associated SBPX. Requests for data that is not resident in a buffer pool but is represented in the associated SBPX are tallied. Periodically, an expected efficiency benefit of increasing the capacity of each buffer pool is determined from the tallies. Memory is reallocated from the buffer pool with the lowest expected efficiency benefit having remaining reallocatable memory to the buffer pool with the highest expected efficiency benefit having remaining reallocatable memory, until either one or both of the buffer pools exhausts its reallocatable memory. This process is repeated until all reallocatable memory has been reallocated, until only one buffer pool with reallocatable memory remains, or until all buffer pools with remaining reallocatable memory have substantially the same expected efficiency benefit.