Patent ID: 8005836

Claim:
A method for organizing data values in which a plurality of the data values are each associated with one of a plurality of partitions in a database system, the method comprising: identifying, by a processing node of the database system, a group of P distinct partitions; selecting, by the processing node, a group of P′ distinct partitions, wherein (i) P′<P, and (ii) the group of P′ distinct partitions is defined logically without having to physically define or redefine any partitions; and substituting, by the processing node, the group of P′ distinct partitions for the group of P distinct partitions to (i) allow a user query to be performed on data values associated with the group of P′ distinct partitions instead of data values associated with the group of P distinct partitions, and (ii) reduce the number of partitions involved in the user query and thereby to improve system performance.