Implementation of parallel nested transactions for nested rule execution in active databases

Abstract

(Jonventional, passive datal)ases, ex('cute transcictions or queries in response to the requests from a user or an application program. In contrcist, an Active Database Management System (ADI3MS) allows users to specify actions to be executed when some specific evcMits are signaled. ADBMSs ¿ichieve tliis feciture by mecins of rules. Execution of ruh's is an important part of an ADBMS which may affect the overall performanc'e of the system. Nested transactions are proposed as a rule execution model for ADBMSs. The nested trcinsciction model, in contrast to flat transactions, allows transactions to be started inside some other trcinsactions forming a transaction hierarchy. In this thesis, implementation issues of pcirallel nested transactions, wluM’e all the transactions in the hierarchy may run in pcirallel, aix' discussed for parallel rule execution in ADBMSs. Implementation of nested transactions ha.s I^een performed by extending the flat trcuisaction semantics of OpenOODB using Solaris threads. A formal specification of the proposed (xxec.ution model using ACTA framework is also provided.