Patent ID: 8239392

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, by a data processing apparatus, a multi-dimensional data record, each dimension specifying a value of a corresponding data field; receiving, by a data processing apparatus, data indicative of: a fixed hash length for a record hash that represents values specified by the multi-dimensional data record, the fixed hash length indicating a number of bits for the record hash; and a start bit and a stop bit for each of a number of dimension hashes that are concatenated to create the record hash, the start bit and stop bit for each dimension hash being bit locations in the record hash at which ends of the dimension hash are located, the number of dimension hashes being based on a number of dimensions in the multi-dimensional record; concatenating the number of dimension hashes to create the record hash, wherein concatenating the number of dimension hashes comprises: for each dimension of the multi-dimensional data record: generating, by a data processing apparatus, a dimension hash for the value specified by the dimension, a length of the dimension hash being based on the start bit and the stop bit for the dimension; and inserting, by a data processing apparatus, the dimension hash into the record hash, the dimension hash being inserted between the start bit and the stop bit for the dimension; and storing the record hash as a data word and with a reference to the multi-dimensional data record to facilitate a multi-dimensional search of the multi-dimensional data record.