Systems and Methods of Increasing Database Access Concurrency Using Granular Timestamps

A database management system, comprising one or more server computers, each server computer including:

• one or more processors;
• memory;
• a database table stored in the memory, the database table having a plurality of rows, wherein each row comprising a primary key and a plurality of non-key columns, each non-key column comprises one or more column values, each column value has an associated timestamp that identifies when the associated column value was stored, and the timestamps associated with the column values in each non-key column provide a unique order for the column values that comprise the non-key column;
• and
• one or more programs stored in the memory for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
• initiating a read transaction to read from a first non-key column of a first row in the database table, including determining that a write transaction is in progress that is updating a second non-key column of the first row in the database table, wherein the second non-key column is distinct from the first non-key column and the write transaction holds a lock on the second non-key column of the first row of the database table;
• and
• concurrently reading the data from the first non-key column and writing a new column value to the second non-key column.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more server computers, each server computer having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

• maintaining a database table, wherein the database table has a plurality of rows, each row comprising a primary key and a plurality of non-key columns, each non-key column comprises one or more column values, each column value has an associated timestamp that identifies when the associated column value was stored, and the timestamps associated with the column values in each non-key column provide a unique order for the column values that comprise the non-key column;
• initiating a read transaction to read from a first non-key column of a first row in the database table, including determining that a write transaction is in progress that is updating a second non-key column of the first row in the database table, wherein the second non-key column is distinct from the first non-key column and the write transaction holds a lock on the second non-key column of the first row of the database table;
• and
• concurrently reading the data from the first non-key column and writing a new column value to the second non-key column.