System and method for granular scalability in analytical data processing

A method of resolving data queries in a data processing system, the method comprising:

• receiving in the data processing system a data query, wherein the data processing system stores a plurality of information units describing pluralities of data elements, a first information unit having a retrieval subunit that includes information for retrieving all unique data elements in a first plurality of data elements and a summary subunit including summarized information about data elements in the first plurality of data elements;
• deriving via the data processing system a result of the data query, wherein the result of the data query comprises a plurality of new data elements, and wherein the data processing system uses
• summary subunits of information units to select a set of information units describing data elements that are sufficient to resolve the data query,
• retrieval subunits of information units in the selected set of information units to retrieve data elements sufficient to resolve the data query, and
• retrieved data elements and summary subunits of information units stored by the data processing system to resolve the data query;
• and
• returning the result of the data query.