1. A method implemented by a computer network, comprising; storing a database table in a distributed database resident on a computer network with a plurality of nodes, wherein the database table is partitioned to database table partitions across the plurality of nodes within the computer network and wherein each database table partition does not exceed a maximum size and therefore each of the plurality of nodes holds multiple database table partitions; representing the database table with a plurality of append-only files, wherein each append-only file stores data in a logical representation that is independent of the physical representation of the data at a node of the computer network; repartitioning data in the append-only files across the plurality of nodes in the computer network to form repartitioned files; and keeping information about a mapping between the append-only files and the repartitioned files.