Patent ID: 8166059

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: storing, within database objects managed by a database system, data files contained in a directory of folders, each folder of said directory of folders containing at least one data file of said data files; in said database, storing metadata that, for each folder of said directory of folders, defines one or more constraints, wherein said one or more constraints includes a physical constraint that specifies that storage of any data file in said each folder is restricted to at least one specified database object of said database objects; wherein for at least two of said directory of folders, a first folder includes a first data file that is restricted to a first database object and a second folder includes a second data file that is restricted to a second database object; wherein the first database object is different than the second database object; receiving, at the database system, a query that complies with a query language; in response to receiving said query: reading said metadata defining said one or more constraints; based on (1) said query and (2) the one or more constraints defined by the read metadata, said database system making a determination of how data required by the query is stored in said database; based on the determination on how data required by the query is stored in said database, rewriting the query to generate a re-written query that specifies a restriction based on said at least one specified database object, wherein the received query did not specify said restriction; and executing, at the database system, the re-written query that specifies the restriction based on said at least one specified database object.