A method of creating a searchable archive accessible by a data processing system, comprising: generating a domain structure and one or more token columns (312A, 312B) from one or more data columns (300A, 300B) of an archive data set, the domain structure associating unique data values in a domain of the one or more data columns to token values and the one or more token columns (312A, 312B) corresponding to the one or more data columns (300A, 300B) stored in the archive data set; extracting domain metadata from the domain structure and token column metadata from the one or more token columns, the domain metadata including at least a count of unique data values that are represented in the domain structure and the token column metadata including a range of data values (360, 362) that are represented as tokens in each token column; dividing the one or more token columns into a plurality of token column segments (358, 360, 362); extracting segment metadata from the plurality of token column segments, the segment metadata including at least the range of token values (366, 368) that are represented in each of the plurality of token column segments; creating a plurality of compressed segments from the plurality of token column segments; creating one or more compacted files from the plurality of compressed segments and the segment metadata; storing the one or more compacted files in a file system coupled to the data processing system; and storing the domain metadata and the token column metadata in a metadata file external to the one or more compacted files, the metadata file being configured for use by the data processing system to access data stored in the one or more compacted files. generating a domain structure and one or more token columns (312A, 312B) from one or more data columns (300A, 300B) of an archive data set, the domain structure associating unique data values in a domain of the one or more data columns to token values and the one or more token columns (312A, 312B) corresponding to the one or more data columns (300A, 300B) stored in the archive data set; extracting domain metadata from the domain structure and token column metadata from the one or more token columns, the domain metadata including at least a count of unique data values that are represented in the domain structure and the token column metadata including a range of data values (360, 362) that are represented as tokens in each token column; dividing the one or more token columns into a plurality of token column segments (358, 360, 362); extracting segment metadata from the plurality of token column segments, the segment metadata including at least the range of token values (366, 368) that are represented in each of the plurality of token column segments; creating a plurality of compressed segments from the plurality of token column segments; creating one or more compacted files from the plurality of compressed segments and the segment metadata; storing the one or more compacted files in a file system coupled to the data processing system; and storing the domain metadata and the token column metadata in a metadata file external to the one or more compacted files, the metadata file being configured for use by the data processing system to access data stored in the one or more compacted files.