The minimum value or the maximum value of the index keys of a coupled node tree of a processing source is determined, and the index keys are successively deleted until the index key that is to be the splitting point is reached, the deleted index keys being inserted into the coupled node tree of the processing target, thereby splitting the coupled node tree. Deletion processing is done of one coupled node tree, taking as the processing source in the above-noted splitting method, and insertion processing is done of the other, taken as the processing target, thereby conjoining the coupled node trees.