Patent ID: 8135688
Filing Date: 2012-03-13
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for managing data storage spaces in a database stored upon one or more computer-readable media, comprising: in response to one or more requests that collectively define at least a first partition and a second partition to create within a table in the database, the table comprising a plurality of partitions including the first partition and the second partition, storing metadata defining a partition mapping, without allocating a region in the one or more computer-readable media for storing data items belonging to at least the second partition of the plurality of partitions; wherein the partition mapping indicates, based upon one or more characteristics of data items that are to be stored in the table, in which of the plurality of partitions a given data item of the data items is to be stored; while maintaining the metadata defining the partition mapping, without having yet allocated a region in the one or more computer-readable media for storing any data items belonging to the second partition: in response to the determining that no region has been allocated in the one or more computer-readable media for storing data items belonging to the second partition, allocating a second region in the one or more computer readable media for storing data items belonging to the second partition; responsive to the second instruction, storing the second item in the second region; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.