Patent ID: 8560570

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving a logical table definition as part of a database query within a distributed database system; determining whether the received logical table definition matches a local logical table definition; processing the query in response to determining that the received logical table definition matches the local logical table definition; and forwarding the query to at least one other distributed database node; where determining whether the received logical table definition matches the local logical table definition comprises identifying at least one of a column name match and a column data type match between the received logical table definition and the local logical table definition; and where processing the query in response to determining that the received logical table definition matches the local logical table definition comprises: identifying a local physical table associated with the local logical table definition; retrieving at least one data element from a local physical table storage location associated with the local physical table based upon a determination of at least one of the column name match and a column data type match between the received logical table definition and the local logical table definition; and responding to the query with the retrieved at least one data element.