Patent ID: 6216125
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A database system comprising:a processor;a storage device containing a database, wherein the database comprises:a plurality of data partitions, each data partition comprising:data, including a plurality of key values of at least one key; anda coarse index indexing the plurality of key values according to data partitions containing each key value, wherein the coarse index comprises a first bitmap partition comprising a plurality of bits arranged in rows and columns, each row corresponding to a data partition, each column corresponding to a key value, wherein each bit indicates whether a key value is present in a data partition, arranged in key value major format; andmeans for appending a second bitmap partition to the coarse index, the second bitmap partition comprising:a plurality of bits arranged in rows and columns, each row corresponding to a key value, each column corresponding to a data partition, wherein each bit indicates whether a key value is present in a data partition, arranged in data partition major format.