Patent ID: 7454420

Claim:
A method for use with one or more processing devices in order to merge sorted runs of data, comprising: prior to beginning a merging process: defining a plurality of floating buffers; calculating a number of data blocks for each floating buffer; and configuring the floating buffers to store the number of data blocks; and during the merging process: using the floating buffers to perform an external data sorting operation to generate a sorted output; and storing the sorted output in a computer readable medium; wherein the number of data blocks for each floating buffer is calculated to achieve an optimal number of data blocks for each floating buffer, and wherein the optimal number of data blocks is the number for achieving a selected reduction in disk latency costs; and wherein the data blocks store a plurality of data records, and further comprising: comparing the data records in a first set of floating buffers to generate the sorted output; copying additional data blocks from a plurality of sorted runs into a second set of floating buffers before the additional data blocks are used by the comparing step; and replacing depleted floating buffers from the first set with floating buffers from the second set containing the additional data blocks.