Abstract: An automated method to align column values to proper byte boundaries for rapid scanning in a parallel processing database system. A table definition is received having a logical order of fields. The fields are re-ordered to create a physical order of fields. The physical order of fields has fixed length fields having a same byte alignment requirement positioned adjacent to each other in descending order from largest size to smallest size, and wherein a first fixed length field in the physical order is aligned on a proper byte boundary. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for concurrency control of hierarchically structured data is provided. Lock requests on a target node are processed by exploiting ancestor-descendant information encoded into prefix encoded node identifiers (IDs). A set of implicit locks on ancestor nodes along a path from an immediate parent of a target node to a root node is derived from an explicit lock request on a target node. A logical lock tree describing existing lock modes for ancestor nodes is consulted to determine compatibility with the derived set of implicit locks. If existing lock modes for ancestor nodes are compatible with the derived set of implicit locks, a lock request on a target node is granted. Otherwise, the lock request is denied. A lock release request follows the reverse process; a target node in a particular transaction is released, as are subsequent locks on its ancestors made by the same transaction.

Abstract: An automated method to align column values to proper byte boundaries for rapid scanning in a parallel processing database system. A table definition is received having a logical order of fields. The fields are re-ordered to create a physical order of fields. The physical order of fields has fixed length fields having a same byte alignment requirement positioned adjacent to each other in descending order from largest size to smallest size, and wherein a first fixed length field in the physical order is aligned on a proper byte boundary. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.