1. A database system comprising: a storage array including a plurality of storage devices configured to store database data wherein the database data is stored across a plurality respective data units; and a processor in communication with the storage array, configured to: determine a proportion of database data to an amount of overall database data; determine usage frequency of the database data; select a subset of the database data for compression based on the usage frequency relative to usage frequency of at least one other subset of database data, wherein an amount of the database data in the subset is the proportion of database data; and perform the compression of the selected subset of the database data.