A system and method is described for database split generation in a massively parallel or distributed database environment including a plurality of databases and a data warehouse layer providing data summarization and querying functionality. A database table accessor of the system obtains, from an associated client application, a query for data in a table of the data warehouse layer, wherein the query includes a user preference. The system obtains table data representative of properties of the table, and determines a splits generator in accordance with one or more of the user preference or the properties of the table. The system generates, by the selected splits generator, table splits dividing the user query into a plurality of query splits, and outputs the plurality of query splits to an associated plurality of mappers for execution by the associated plurality of mappers of each of the plurality of query splits against the table.