System and method for asynchronous database command processing

A database management system for processing query statements generated by an application program running on a computer system having memory and at least one processor said database management system running on a computer system having memory and at least one processor, the system comprising:

• connection means in said database management system for accepting an application program interprocess connection request to a database and returning a unique connection identifier for the interprocess connection;
• means for testing said connection request to determine whether asynchronous or synchronous query processing is requested;
• means for activating the connection in an asynchronous mode if said test result indicates asynchronous processing is requested and activating the connection in synchronous mode otherwise;
• means for accepting a query statement processing request from said application program to said database management system;
• and
• means for responding to periodic polling from the application program seeking to determine whether the query statement has completed processing;
• means for returning data to said application program in response to said periodic polling if the query statement has completed processing;
• means for returning an incomplete processing indicator otherwise.

The system of claim 4, further comprising:

• interprocess communication means for communicating between said application program and said database management means;
• control block means in said database management means for storing data associating said application program with said database in said database management system;
• and
• control block identification means for assigning a unique identifier to the control block means for uniquely identifying the connection.