METHOD FOR RAPIDLY AND EFFICIENTLY HASHING RECORDS OF LARGE DATABASES

A method for rapidly hashing records in a large database stored on a secondary storage device in which a set of memory-blocks are preferably established in main memory for receiving information. Each memory block is associated with a sub-range of hash values that collectively span a range of hash values derived from one or more fields of the database records. The hash values together with other information are distributed among the memory-blocks in accordance with the range of hash values. As each memory block fills, its contents are written to an intermediate file associated with the memory-block in secondary storage. The intermediate files are subsequently retrieved and the hash values stored therein are ordered. The ordered intermediate files are then written to secondary storage as a single hash table spanning the entire database.