Patent ID: 7277892

Claim:
A database processing method, comprising the steps of: partitioning a relational database table into a set of partitions each corresponding to one of multiple dimensions, wherein a key range partitioning or a hash partitioning is further applied to each of said partitions; determining columns of said database table to each of which a plurality of key ranges are allocated, wherein said columns correspond to more than two of the partitions and corresponding dimensional order, and each of said columns is provided with said plurality of key ranges beforehand; allocating one data storage area for each of said key ranges which are assigned to each of said columns; storing partition definition information defining how each of the data storage areas is allocated to one of the key ranges into a dictionary; in response to a first query, referencing to said dictionary, and searching the data storage areas identified as the scope of a search, the identified data storage areas being specified by key values included in the first query and corresponding to a first column of said columns; in response to a second query, referencing to said dictionary, and searching at least one of the data storage areas identified as the scope of a search, the identified data storage areas being specified by the key values included in the second query and corresponding to a second column of said columns different from the first column; and searching said dictionary in response to a request of data insertion to the database table, inserting data to be inserted that is included in the insertion request into the data storage area identified as the scope of an insertion, the identified data storage area being specified by a key value included in the insertion request and corresponding to a column to which said plurality of key ranges were allocated.