Targeted sweep method for key-value data storage

A system comprising:

• one or more physical processors;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the system to:
• writing entries corresponding to write commands of a write transaction to a queue in a database, wherein each entry from the entries comprises metadata including:
• data identifying a cell to which a write command of the write commands relate, and
• a timestamp of the write transaction;
• selectively performing a sweep of the database by deleting any previous versions of respective particular cells based on whether most recent versions of the respective particular cells have been persisted into the database, wherein the selectively performing of the sweep comprises delaying a deletion for any candidate cell of the particular cells in which a most recent version of the any candidate cell is unpersisted into the database until the most recent version of the any candidate cell has been persisted into the database.