Method and system for implementing distributed lobs

A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes a set of acts for performing operations on large objects (LOBs) in a distributed database that includes at least a client and one or more database servers, the set of acts comprising:

• receiving a query from the client at a database server of the one or more database servers, wherein the distributed database is distributed as at least a first portion of the distributed database and at least a second portion of the distributed database, the query specifying access to a column of at least a second portion of the distributed database, and the column comprises a LOB;
• in response to receipt of the query, creating, at the database server, a remote LOB locator at least by combining a local LOB locator, a database link count, and one or more database links, the one or more database links corresponding to one or more remote database servers of the one or more database servers, the local LOB locator points to a location at which the LOB is stored in the at least the second portion of the distributed database and the database link count specifies a number of the one or more database links in the remote LOB locator;
• sending the remote LOB locator to the client;
• after sending the remote LOB locator to the client, receiving the remote LOB locator in a request from the client to perform an operation that accesses data in the LOB;
• forwarding the request to the at least the second portion of the distributed database based at least in part on the remote LOB locator;
• and
• performing the operation that accesses the data in the LOB stored in the at least the second portion of the distributed database.

A computer system for performing operations on large objects (LOBs) in a distributed database that includes at least a client and one or more database servers, the computer system comprising:

• a memory for storing data and instructions;
• and
• a processor that executes a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to execute a set of acts, the set of acts comprising:
• receiving a query from the client at a database server of the one or more database servers, wherein the distributed database is distributed as at least a first portion of the distributed database and at least a second portion of the distributed database, the query specifying access to a column of at least a second portion of the distributed database, and the column comprises a LOB;
• in response to receipt of the query, creating, at the database server, a remote LOB locator at least by combining a local LOB locator, a database link count, and one or more database links, the one or more database links corresponding to one or more remote database servers of the one or more database servers, the local LOB locator points to a location at which the LOB is stored in the at least the second portion of the distributed database and the database link count specifies a number of the one or more database links in the remote LOB locator;
• sending the remote LOB locator to the client;
• after sending the remote LOB locator to the client, receiving the remote LOB locator in a request from the client to perform an operation that accesses data in the LOB;
• forwarding the request to the at least the second portion of the distributed database based at least in part on the remote LOB locator;
• and
• performing the operation that accesses the data in the LOB stored in the at least the second portion of the distributed database.