Patent ID: 7103588

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of operating a database, comprising: receiving a command to create a table, the command specifying at least one key column, the command specifying an organization of the table based on at least one specified range associated with the at least one key column, respectively, the at least one specified range comprising at least one specified lower limit and at least one specified upper limit, respectively; determining a number of logical slots based on the at least one specified lower limit and the at least one specified upper limit; creating the table, the table comprising the at least one key column, the table comprising a range clustered area having a plurality of logical slots, the range clustered area having the number of logical slots, wherein successive said logical slots of the range clustered area are associated with successive logical slot numbers, wherein the logical slots are associated with physical slots of one or more pages, successive ones of the physical slots of said pages being associated with successive ones of the logical slots; calculating a logical slot number representing a location of a particular row in the range clustered area based on a particular key value of the at least one key column of the particular row and the at least one specified range, such that said calculating provides a distinct logical slot number of the logical slot numbers for each distinct key value of the at least one specified range, such that the successive logical slot numbers are associated with the distinct key values in key value order, respectively; calculating a page number based on the logical slot number; calculating a physical slot number based on the logical slot numbers; and accessing the particular row based on the page number and the physical slot number.