Dynamic determination of optimal process for enforcing constraints

A computer implemented method for checking constraints in a database table, comprising:

• determining if a referential integrity constraint is defined for a database table;
• if a referential integrity constraint is defined, dynamically determining if a foreign key index is defined for the database table;
• if a foreign key index is defined for the database table, reading the foreign key index and comparing a content of the foreign key index with a content of a parent index corresponding to the foreign key index;
• if no foreign key index is defined for the database table, dynamically determining if the parent index for the referential integrity constraint can be stored in a dataspace;
• if the parent index can be stored in the dataspace,
• reading the content of the parent index into the dataspace,
• reading the database table, and
• comparing a foreign key for each row of the database table against the dataspace containing the content of the parent index.

A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform methods of checking constraints in a database table, comprising:

• computer readable program means for causing a computer to determine if a referential integrity constraint is defined for a database table,
• computer readable program means for causing a computer to, if a referential integrity constraint is defined, dynamically determine if a parent index for the referential integrity constraint can be stored in a dataspace,
• computer readable program means for causing a computer to, if the parent index can be stored in the dataspace,
• read a content of the parent index into the dataspace,
• read the database table, and
• compare a foreign key for each row of the database table against the dataspace containing the content of the parent index.