Method of storing elements in a database

A method of storing elements in a database and of finding such stored elements, wherein a reference to the storage space intended for the storage of a data element in the database is calculated by means of a mathematical function, wherein the function input data is comprised of an external key belonging to said element, wherein the result obtained with said mathematical function points to an internal position in the database for said element, and wherein the result is divided into different parts, wherein said result is divided into at least three parts, in that a first part constitutes a direct or indirect reference to a fragment belonging to said database;

• in that a second part constitutes a direct or indirect reference to a page in said fragment;
• in that a third part constitutes a direct or indirect reference to a so-called bucket belonging to said page;
• in that said bucket includes at least one container in which said element can be stored, or is already stored, or wherein a direct or indirect reference to said element is stored;
• in that the size of a maximum-size container is limited so as to be at the most equal to the amount of data information that can be read at one time into a cache memory belonging to a processor operating within the database or utilising said database;
• and in that, where the time taken to process the amount of information that can be read at one time into a cache memory exceeds the time for a cache-miss, the maximum-growth size of a container is limited so that the time taken to process a maximum-size container will be less than the time lapse for a cache-miss, regardless of how much data-information can be read into the cache memory at a time.