1. A distributed computer system for query processing, comprising: a plurality of query processing servers operably coupled in a hierarchy for distributed processing of a query referencing a data table partitioned into column chunks; a plurality of storage servers operably coupled for providing a column chunk data store, the column chunk data store having the partitioned data table striped across the plurality of storage servers; and a network operably coupled to the plurality of query processing servers and operably coupled to the plurality of storage servers for transferring column chunks from the plurality of storage servers to the plurality of query processing servers for processing the query referencing the data table.