Abstract: A storage and retrieval system for storage and retrieval of records in a computer system. In a preferred embodiment, the storage system generates various hashing functions, hashes the keys of the records to identify storage locations, and stores the records in the identified storage locations. The retrieval system retrieves a record for a key by using the hashing functions to identify a storage location and retrieving the data from the identified storage location. The storage system logically organizes storage (e.g., memory) into levels. Each level is further organized into bins, and each bin contains a fixed number of slots. Each slot contains storage for storing one record. The storage system preferably stores about half the records at the first level, a quarter of the records at the second level, and so on. The storage system uses hashing functions and hashes the keys to determine at which level, bin, and slot to store the record associated with the key.