A database system comprises a plurality of servers with data storage. The system holds first and second database tables. Records of the first database table are distributed among the servers according to values of a first distribution column. The servers can receive access requests and log workload data representative of the requests. Based on the workload data, the servers can determine a performance impact associated with columns of the tables and, upon determining that a performance impact associated with one of the columns is greater than a performance impact associated with the first distribution column, the servers can re-distribute the records among the plurality of servers according to values of the second column.