Abstract: Various implementations of the invention store and retrieve data via a computing processor. The data is comprised of a plurality of data records with a sequentially changing data value and an other data value. For each data record in the plurality of data records, the computing processor causes the data record to be aggregated and stored with other data records in a first data storage container corresponding to a first data storage space based on the sequentially changing data value of the data record (i.e., sequential data space), and causes the data record to be aggregated and stored with other data records in a second data storage container corresponding to a second data storage space (i.e., finite data space). The data records in the second data storage container are stored based on the other data value. When a query is made against the data, the computing processor determines whether the query is best evaluated in the sequential data space or the finite data space.

Abstract: Various implementations of the invention provide load balancing in a data storage system. A computing processor receives a request to create a new data storage container on a selected one of a plurality of data storage assets, where each of the plurality of data storage assets is configured to host a plurality of data storage containers. The computing processor determines which of the plurality of data storage assets is farthest away from an existing data storage container corresponding to the new data storage container and creates the new data storage container on the data storage asset that is farthest away from the existing data storage container.

Abstract: Various implementations of the invention create storage containers in a data storage system. A computing processor receives a new data record to be stored in a data storage container which is configured to store a fixed number of stored data records. The computing processor determines whether a number of the plurality of stored data records in the data storage container is within a certain threshold of the fixed number of stored data records for the data storage container. For data storage containers residing in a sequential data space, when the number of records is within the certain threshold, the computing processor opens a new data storage container, stores the new data record in the new data storage container, and closes the data storage container to new data records.