diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/pom.xml b/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/pom.xml
index 2cf6ce2..59c8c46 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/pom.xml
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/pom.xml
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@
         <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
         <version>2.0.2</version>
         <configuration>
-          <source>1.6</source>
-          <target>1.6</target>
+          <source>1.7</source>
+          <target>1.7</target>
           <encoding>UTF-8</encoding>
+          <fork>true</fork>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/NGramTokenizerTest.java b/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/NGramTokenizerTest.java
index 5f15a91..3fb6407 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/NGramTokenizerTest.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/NGramTokenizerTest.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.data.std.util.GrowableArray;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.storage.am.invertedindex.tokenizers.AbstractUTF8Token;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.storage.am.invertedindex.tokenizers.HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.storage.am.invertedindex.tokenizers.IToken;
@@ -41,207 +42,196 @@
 
 public class NGramTokenizerTest {
 
-	private char PRECHAR = '#';
-	private char POSTCHAR = '$';
+    private char PRECHAR = '#';
+    private char POSTCHAR = '$';
 
-	private String str = "Jürgen S. Generic's Car";
-	private byte[] inputBuffer;
+    private String str = "Jürgen S. Generic's Car";
+    private byte[] inputBuffer;
 
-	private int gramLength = 3;
+    private int gramLength = 3;
 
-	private void getExpectedGrams(String s, int gramLength,
-			ArrayList<String> grams, boolean prePost) {
+    private void getExpectedGrams(String s, int gramLength, ArrayList<String> grams, boolean prePost) {
 
-		String tmp = s.toLowerCase();
-		if (prePost) {
-			StringBuilder preBuilder = new StringBuilder();
-			for (int i = 0; i < gramLength - 1; i++) {
-				preBuilder.append(PRECHAR);
-			}
-			String pre = preBuilder.toString();
+        String tmp = s.toLowerCase();
+        if (prePost) {
+            StringBuilder preBuilder = new StringBuilder();
+            for (int i = 0; i < gramLength - 1; i++) {
+                preBuilder.append(PRECHAR);
+            }
+            String pre = preBuilder.toString();
 
-			StringBuilder postBuilder = new StringBuilder();
-			for (int i = 0; i < gramLength - 1; i++) {
-				postBuilder.append(POSTCHAR);
-			}
-			String post = postBuilder.toString();
+            StringBuilder postBuilder = new StringBuilder();
+            for (int i = 0; i < gramLength - 1; i++) {
+                postBuilder.append(POSTCHAR);
+            }
+            String post = postBuilder.toString();
 
-			tmp = pre + s.toLowerCase() + post;
-		}
+            tmp = pre + s.toLowerCase() + post;
+        }
 
-		for (int i = 0; i < tmp.length() - gramLength + 1; i++) {
-			String gram = tmp.substring(i, i + gramLength);
-			grams.add(gram);
-		}
-	}
+        for (int i = 0; i < tmp.length() - gramLength + 1; i++) {
+            String gram = tmp.substring(i, i + gramLength);
+            grams.add(gram);
+        }
+    }
 
-	@Before
-	public void init() throws Exception {
-		// serialize string into bytes
-		ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-		DataOutput dos = new DataOutputStream(baos);
-		dos.writeUTF(str);
-		inputBuffer = baos.toByteArray();
-	}
+    @Before
+    public void init() throws Exception {
+        // serialize string into bytes
+        ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        DataOutput dos = new DataOutputStream(baos);
+        dos.writeUTF(str);
+        inputBuffer = baos.toByteArray();
+    }
 
-	void runTestNGramTokenizerWithCountedHashedUTF8Tokens(boolean prePost)
-			throws IOException {
-		HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory tokenFactory = new HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory();
-		NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer tokenizer = new NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer(
-				gramLength, prePost, false, false, tokenFactory);
-		tokenizer.reset(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.length);
+    void runTestNGramTokenizerWithCountedHashedUTF8Tokens(boolean prePost) throws IOException {
+        HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory tokenFactory = new HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory();
+        NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer tokenizer = new NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer(gramLength, prePost, false,
+                false, tokenFactory);
+        tokenizer.reset(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.length);
 
-		ArrayList<String> expectedGrams = new ArrayList<String>();
-		getExpectedGrams(str, gramLength, expectedGrams, prePost);
-		ArrayList<Integer> expectedHashedGrams = new ArrayList<Integer>();
-		HashMap<String, Integer> gramCounts = new HashMap<String, Integer>();
-		for (String s : expectedGrams) {
-			Integer count = gramCounts.get(s);
-			if (count == null) {
-				count = 1;
-				gramCounts.put(s, count);
-			} else {
-				count++;
-			}
+        ArrayList<String> expectedGrams = new ArrayList<String>();
+        getExpectedGrams(str, gramLength, expectedGrams, prePost);
+        ArrayList<Integer> expectedHashedGrams = new ArrayList<Integer>();
+        HashMap<String, Integer> gramCounts = new HashMap<String, Integer>();
+        for (String s : expectedGrams) {
+            Integer count = gramCounts.get(s);
+            if (count == null) {
+                count = 1;
+                gramCounts.put(s, count);
+            } else {
+                count++;
+            }
 
-			int hash = tokenHash(s, count);
-			expectedHashedGrams.add(hash);
-		}
+            int hash = tokenHash(s, count);
+            expectedHashedGrams.add(hash);
+        }
 
-		int tokenCount = 0;
+        int tokenCount = 0;
 
-		while (tokenizer.hasNext()) {
-			tokenizer.next();
+        while (tokenizer.hasNext()) {
+            tokenizer.next();
 
-			// serialize hashed token
-			ByteArrayOutputStream tokenBaos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-			DataOutput tokenDos = new DataOutputStream(tokenBaos);
+            // serialize hashed token
+            GrowableArray tokenStorage = new GrowableArray();
 
-			IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
-			token.serializeToken(tokenDos);
+            IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
+            token.serializeToken(tokenStorage);
 
-			// deserialize token
-			ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(
-					tokenBaos.toByteArray());
-			DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
+            // deserialize token
+            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenStorage.getByteArray());
+            DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
 
-			Integer hashedGram = in.readInt();
+            Integer hashedGram = in.readInt();
 
-			// System.out.println(hashedGram);
+            // System.out.println(hashedGram);
 
-			Assert.assertEquals(expectedHashedGrams.get(tokenCount), hashedGram);
+            Assert.assertEquals(expectedHashedGrams.get(tokenCount), hashedGram);
 
-			tokenCount++;
-		}
-		// System.out.println("---------");
-	}
+            tokenCount++;
+        }
+        // System.out.println("---------");
+    }
 
-	void runTestNGramTokenizerWithHashedUTF8Tokens(boolean prePost)
-			throws IOException {
-		HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory tokenFactory = new HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory();
-		NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer tokenizer = new NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer(
-				gramLength, prePost, true, false, tokenFactory);
-		tokenizer.reset(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.length);
+    void runTestNGramTokenizerWithHashedUTF8Tokens(boolean prePost) throws IOException {
+        HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory tokenFactory = new HashedUTF8NGramTokenFactory();
+        NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer tokenizer = new NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer(gramLength, prePost, true, false,
+                tokenFactory);
+        tokenizer.reset(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.length);
 
-		ArrayList<String> expectedGrams = new ArrayList<String>();
-		getExpectedGrams(str, gramLength, expectedGrams, prePost);
-		ArrayList<Integer> expectedHashedGrams = new ArrayList<Integer>();
-		for (String s : expectedGrams) {
-			int hash = tokenHash(s, 1);
-			expectedHashedGrams.add(hash);
-		}
+        ArrayList<String> expectedGrams = new ArrayList<String>();
+        getExpectedGrams(str, gramLength, expectedGrams, prePost);
+        ArrayList<Integer> expectedHashedGrams = new ArrayList<Integer>();
+        for (String s : expectedGrams) {
+            int hash = tokenHash(s, 1);
+            expectedHashedGrams.add(hash);
+        }
 
-		int tokenCount = 0;
+        int tokenCount = 0;
 
-		while (tokenizer.hasNext()) {
-			tokenizer.next();
+        while (tokenizer.hasNext()) {
+            tokenizer.next();
 
-			// serialize hashed token
-			ByteArrayOutputStream tokenBaos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-			DataOutput tokenDos = new DataOutputStream(tokenBaos);
+            // serialize hashed token
+            GrowableArray tokenStorage = new GrowableArray();
 
-			IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
-			token.serializeToken(tokenDos);
+            IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
+            token.serializeToken(tokenStorage);
 
-			// deserialize token
-			ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(
-					tokenBaos.toByteArray());
-			DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
+            // deserialize token
+            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenStorage.getByteArray());
+            DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
 
-			Integer hashedGram = in.readInt();
+            Integer hashedGram = in.readInt();
 
-			// System.out.println(hashedGram);
+            // System.out.println(hashedGram);
 
-			Assert.assertEquals(expectedHashedGrams.get(tokenCount), hashedGram);
+            Assert.assertEquals(expectedHashedGrams.get(tokenCount), hashedGram);
 
-			tokenCount++;
-		}
-		// System.out.println("---------");
-	}
+            tokenCount++;
+        }
+        // System.out.println("---------");
+    }
 
-	void runTestNGramTokenizerWithUTF8Tokens(boolean prePost)
-			throws IOException {
-		UTF8NGramTokenFactory tokenFactory = new UTF8NGramTokenFactory();
-		NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer tokenizer = new NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer(
-				gramLength, prePost, true, false, tokenFactory);
-		tokenizer.reset(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.length);
+    void runTestNGramTokenizerWithUTF8Tokens(boolean prePost) throws IOException {
+        UTF8NGramTokenFactory tokenFactory = new UTF8NGramTokenFactory();
+        NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer tokenizer = new NGramUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer(gramLength, prePost, true, false,
+                tokenFactory);
+        tokenizer.reset(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.length);
 
-		ArrayList<String> expectedGrams = new ArrayList<String>();
-		getExpectedGrams(str, gramLength, expectedGrams, prePost);
+        ArrayList<String> expectedGrams = new ArrayList<String>();
+        getExpectedGrams(str, gramLength, expectedGrams, prePost);
 
-		int tokenCount = 0;
+        int tokenCount = 0;
 
-		while (tokenizer.hasNext()) {
-			tokenizer.next();
+        while (tokenizer.hasNext()) {
+            tokenizer.next();
 
-			// serialize hashed token
-			ByteArrayOutputStream tokenBaos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-			DataOutput tokenDos = new DataOutputStream(tokenBaos);
+            // serialize hashed token
+            GrowableArray tokenStorage = new GrowableArray();
 
-			IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
-			token.serializeToken(tokenDos);
+            IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
+            token.serializeToken(tokenStorage);
 
-			// deserialize token
-			ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(
-					tokenBaos.toByteArray());
-			DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
+            // deserialize token
+            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenStorage.getByteArray());
+            DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
 
-			String strGram = in.readUTF();
+            String strGram = in.readUTF();
 
-			// System.out.println("\"" + strGram + "\"");
+            // System.out.println("\"" + strGram + "\"");
 
-			Assert.assertEquals(expectedGrams.get(tokenCount), strGram);
+            Assert.assertEquals(expectedGrams.get(tokenCount), strGram);
 
-			tokenCount++;
-		}
-		// System.out.println("---------");
-	}
+            tokenCount++;
+        }
+        // System.out.println("---------");
+    }
 
-	@Test
-	public void testNGramTokenizerWithCountedHashedUTF8Tokens()
-			throws Exception {
-		runTestNGramTokenizerWithCountedHashedUTF8Tokens(false);
-		runTestNGramTokenizerWithCountedHashedUTF8Tokens(true);
-	}
+    @Test
+    public void testNGramTokenizerWithCountedHashedUTF8Tokens() throws Exception {
+        runTestNGramTokenizerWithCountedHashedUTF8Tokens(false);
+        runTestNGramTokenizerWithCountedHashedUTF8Tokens(true);
+    }
 
-	@Test
-	public void testNGramTokenizerWithHashedUTF8Tokens() throws Exception {
-		runTestNGramTokenizerWithHashedUTF8Tokens(false);
-		runTestNGramTokenizerWithHashedUTF8Tokens(true);
-	}
+    @Test
+    public void testNGramTokenizerWithHashedUTF8Tokens() throws Exception {
+        runTestNGramTokenizerWithHashedUTF8Tokens(false);
+        runTestNGramTokenizerWithHashedUTF8Tokens(true);
+    }
 
-	@Test
-	public void testNGramTokenizerWithUTF8Tokens() throws IOException {
-		runTestNGramTokenizerWithUTF8Tokens(false);
-		runTestNGramTokenizerWithUTF8Tokens(true);
-	}
+    @Test
+    public void testNGramTokenizerWithUTF8Tokens() throws IOException {
+        runTestNGramTokenizerWithUTF8Tokens(false);
+        runTestNGramTokenizerWithUTF8Tokens(true);
+    }
 
-	public int tokenHash(String token, int tokenCount) {
-		int h = AbstractUTF8Token.GOLDEN_RATIO_32;
-		for (int i = 0; i < token.length(); i++) {
-			h ^= token.charAt(i);
-			h *= AbstractUTF8Token.GOLDEN_RATIO_32;
-		}
-		return h + tokenCount;
-	}
+    public int tokenHash(String token, int tokenCount) {
+        int h = AbstractUTF8Token.GOLDEN_RATIO_32;
+        for (int i = 0; i < token.length(); i++) {
+            h ^= token.charAt(i);
+            h *= AbstractUTF8Token.GOLDEN_RATIO_32;
+        }
+        return h + tokenCount;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/SearchTest.java b/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/SearchTest.java
index c3c9b99..47a068b 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/SearchTest.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/SearchTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.api.dataflow.value.IBinaryComparator;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.data.std.util.ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream;
+import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.data.std.util.GrowableArray;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.data.accessors.ITupleReference;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.data.marshalling.IntegerSerializerDeserializer;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.dataflow.common.data.marshalling.UTF8StringSerializerDeserializer;
@@ -112,20 +113,19 @@
 	}
 
 	private class TokenIdPair implements Comparable<TokenIdPair> {
-		public ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream baaos = new ByteArrayAccessibleOutputStream();
-		public DataOutputStream dos = new DataOutputStream(baaos);
+	    public final GrowableArray tokenStorage = new GrowableArray();
 		public int id;
 
 		TokenIdPair(IToken token, int id) throws IOException {
-			token.serializeToken(dos);
+			token.serializeToken(tokenStorage);
 			this.id = id;
 		}
 
 		@Override
 		public int compareTo(TokenIdPair o) {
-			int cmp = btreeBinCmps[0].compare(baaos.getByteArray(), 0,
-					baaos.getByteArray().length, o.baaos.getByteArray(), 0,
-					o.baaos.getByteArray().length);
+			int cmp = btreeBinCmps[0].compare(tokenStorage.getByteArray(), 0,
+			        tokenStorage.getByteArray().length, o.tokenStorage.getByteArray(), 0,
+					o.tokenStorage.getByteArray().length);
 			if (cmp == 0) {
 				return id - o.id;
 			} else {
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@
 
 		for (TokenIdPair t : pairs) {
 			tb.reset();
-			tb.addField(t.baaos.getByteArray(), 0,
-					t.baaos.getByteArray().length);
+			tb.addField(t.tokenStorage.getByteArray(), 0,
+					t.tokenStorage.getByteArray().length);
 			IntegerSerializerDeserializer.INSTANCE.serialize(t.id, tb.getDataOutput());
 			tb.addFieldEndOffset();
 			tuple.reset(tb.getFieldEndOffsets(), tb.getByteArray());
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/WordTokenizerTest.java b/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/WordTokenizerTest.java
index 53fb96d..810c5f5 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/WordTokenizerTest.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-tests/hyracks-storage-am-invertedindex-test/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/invertedindex/WordTokenizerTest.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.data.std.util.GrowableArray;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.storage.am.invertedindex.tokenizers.AbstractUTF8Token;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.storage.am.invertedindex.tokenizers.DelimitedUTF8StringBinaryTokenizer;
 import edu.uci.ics.hyracks.storage.am.invertedindex.tokenizers.HashedUTF8WordTokenFactory;
@@ -127,14 +128,13 @@
             tokenizer.next();
 
             // serialize token
-            ByteArrayOutputStream tokenBaos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-            DataOutput tokenDos = new DataOutputStream(tokenBaos);
+            GrowableArray tokenStorage = new GrowableArray();
 
             IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
-            token.serializeToken(tokenDos);
+            token.serializeToken(tokenStorage);
 
             // deserialize token
-            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenBaos.toByteArray());
+            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenStorage.getByteArray());
             DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
 
             Integer hashedToken = in.readInt();
@@ -159,14 +159,13 @@
             tokenizer.next();
 
             // serialize token
-            ByteArrayOutputStream tokenBaos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-            DataOutput tokenDos = new DataOutputStream(tokenBaos);
+            GrowableArray tokenStorage = new GrowableArray();
 
             IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
-            token.serializeToken(tokenDos);
+            token.serializeToken(tokenStorage);
 
             // deserialize token
-            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenBaos.toByteArray());
+            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenStorage.getByteArray());
             DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
 
             Integer hashedToken = in.readInt();
@@ -191,14 +190,13 @@
             tokenizer.next();
 
             // serialize hashed token
-            ByteArrayOutputStream tokenBaos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-            DataOutput tokenDos = new DataOutputStream(tokenBaos);
+            GrowableArray tokenStorage = new GrowableArray();
 
             IToken token = tokenizer.getToken();
-            token.serializeToken(tokenDos);
+            token.serializeToken(tokenStorage);
 
             // deserialize token
-            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenBaos.toByteArray());
+            ByteArrayInputStream bais = new ByteArrayInputStream(tokenStorage.getByteArray());
             DataInput in = new DataInputStream(bais);
 
             String strToken = in.readUTF();