Efficient and scalable time-series data storage and retrieval over a network

A method of retrieving time-series columnar-based information, wherein the information comprises a set of time-based partitions that are stored across a cloud-based object store in directories each of which include a set of files, the set of files comprising a first file, a second file, and a third file, wherein the first, second and third files for a given time-based partition together comprise a compact instance of a set of raw unstructured data that comprises the given time-based partition, wherein the column data is stored in the second file in contiguous byte-ranges, comprising:

• at a given query peer of a set of query peers, and in response to receipt of a query:
• identifying a list of time-based partitions considered to contain data responsive to a query;
• distributing to each of the other query peers a subset of the time-based partitions identified in the list;
• for a given time-based partition, and without requiring retrieval of the second file as a whole, receiving contiguous byte-ranges from the second file;
• and
• consolidating data derived by and received from the other query peers to generate a response to the query.