Patent ID: 7389305

Claim:
A computer implemented method for managing a database data structure partitioned into a plurality of sections, each of the sections comprising a plurality of data records, the method comprising: receiving a new data record and a key associated with the new data record; identifying one of the sections based upon the associated key of the new data record in response to said receiving said new data record and said associated key; determining if said new data record fits in an unused storage space in said identified section based on a size of said new data record in response to said identifying one of the sections; storing said new data record in said identified section if said new data record fits in said unused storage space and ending the process; ranking all data records in said identified section according to a computer implemented ranking function; summing sizes of all said data records below rank of said new data record; ending the process by returning a failure indicator, indicating said database data structure is unable to store said new data record in the identified section if said sum is not greater than said size of said new data record; and deleting one or more data records from the identified section based on said ranking until there is sufficient space for the new data record and appending the new data record at the end of the identified section if said sum is greater than said size of said new data record.