System and method for database access using a history walker

A cloud-based computer system, comprising:

• a memory partition;
• a network interface communicatively coupled to one or more processing units and the memory partition, wherein the memory partition comprises computer instructions that when executed by the one or more processing units cause the cloud-based computer system to:
• provide, via the network interface, a hosted client instance that includes one or more client applications configured to utilize a history walker interface to obtain information from a time-based data structure;
• receive, from a first of the one or more client applications, a first request to obtain information about a first update to the time-based data structure, the first request identifying a first update number associated with the first update and information identifying the time-based data structure;
• obtain, in response to the first request, a glide record comprising information from the time-based data structure, the glide record having a plurality of fields, each field having a first update value corresponding to the field's value immediately after the first update;
• receive, from the first of the one or more client applications, a second request to obtain information about a second update to the time-based data structure, the second request including a second update number;
• and
• obtain, in response to the second request, an update to the glide record having the plurality of fields, each field having a second update value corresponding to the field's value immediately after the second update, the second glide record further including information about changes to one or more of the fields' values occurring between the first update and the second update.