1. A method comprising: maintaining, within volatile memory of a computing device that is executing a database server, a plurality of column vectors for a relational table of a relational database; wherein each column vector, of the plurality of column vectors, corresponds to a distinct column of the relational table; wherein each column vector, of the plurality of column vectors, has a contiguous array of values; wherein the plurality of column vectors includes a particular column vector that has a contiguous array of whole uncompressed variable-length values of a particular column of the relational table; in response to a database command received by the database server, the database server reading multiple values into a central processing unit (CPU) during a single clock cycle from the contiguous array of whole uncompressed variable-length values of the particular column to determine a result set for the database command.