Method for storing data elements in a database

A method for storing a first data element in a database comprising at least one storage medium, a database management unit and at least one communication interface, the database comprising a plurality of tables, the plurality of tables comprising a plurality of rows, the rows comprising a plurality of columns of data elements, the tables being divided into a plurality of data sections, each data section of the plurality of data sections comprising a subset of the plurality of rows and one or more data elements from a column of the plurality of columns, each data section being stored in an individual data section-file in the at least one storage medium, the method comprising:

• providing, by a computer processor, at least one table-mapping file for enabling access to a table of the plurality of tables in the storage medium, the at least one table-mapping file comprising a plurality of map records of a single table, a map record comprising information indicative of one or more of:
• a table from the plurality of tables, a column of the table, a data section of the table, and a range of values of the one or more data elements included in the data section of the column;
• receiving, by the computer processor, the first data element at the database via the at least one communication interface, wherein the database further comprises a plurality of column-mapping files stored in the storage medium for enabling access to a column from the plurality of columns, a column-mapping file comprising a plurality of map records of a single column, the database further comprising mapping-policy information for the tables included in the database, the policy information being indicative of whether to use a table-mapping file or a column-mapping file for enabling access to the one or more data elements included in a table, at least one access-log file stored in the storage medium, the access-log file comprising information for the tables indicative of a number of operations for storing one or more data elements and a number of queries for one or more data elements of a table;
• determining, by the computer processor, the table, column, and data section the first data element is to be stored in by the database management unit;
• determining, by the computer processor, a ratio of queries to storing operations for a table using the information included in the access-log file by the database management unit;
• comparing, by the computer processor, the determined ratio to a predefined threshold ratio by the database management unit;
• if the determined ratio exceeds the predefined threshold ratio, retrieving, by the computer processor, the plurality of map records from the table-mapping file and storing the plurality of map records in the column-mapping file of the column the plurality of map records correspond to by the database management unit;
• storing, by the computer processor, the first data element in the individual data section-file corresponding to the determined table, column and data section by the database management unit;
• and
• updating, by the computer processor, the at least one table-mapping file corresponding to the table, columns and data section the first data element has been stored in by the database management unit, based on a single input/out operation.