A method for formatting raw data comprises accessing the raw data, the raw data comprising sparse data segments, which are empty of any data, and non-sparse data segments, which comprise data, and generating a formatted data stream comprising one or more atomic blocks, each atomic block corresponding to a metadata file and to a portion of the non-sparse data segments of the raw data. Generating one atomic block comprises browsing the raw data and, upon locating one sparse data segment, populating the corresponding metadata file with offsets indicative of a beginning and an end of the located sparse data segment and populating the atomic block with a concatenation of at least portions of the non-sparse segments of the raw data located before and after the located sparse segment. If the atomic block exceeds a maximum size, another atomic block and another corresponding metadata file are populated.