Patent ID: 8161015

Claim:
A method of performing a query using an index for a table having a segment of data removed therefrom, the index being discrepant from the table, said method comprising: amending the query according to discrepancies between the table and the index, the step of amending comprising: establishing search boundaries based on entries in the index referring to the removed segment; and generating a search of the index within the search boundaries based on the query; rectifying the discrepancies between the index and the table, the step of rectifying comprising: establishing an entry in a starting location list for the removed segment, the entry in the starting location list corresponding to an entry in the index; sequentially analyzing, from the starting location list, each entry in the index to remove entries from the index referring to any removed segment referenced in the starting location list; detecting a segment newly removed from the table; setting an entry in the starting location list for the newly removed segment corresponding to a next unanalyzed entry in the index; and continuing the steps of sequentially analyzing, detecting and setting until all entries in the index have been analyzed for each removed segment referenced in the starting location list.