Method and apparatus for propagating commit times between a plurality of database servers

A method for propagating commit times between a plurality of database servers that have access to a common database, wherein each of said plurality of database servers is associated with a logical clock, the method comprising the steps of:

• in response to initiating a commit of a transaction executing on a particular database server of said plurality of database servers, wherein the transaction includes a plurality of changes made at different times to the common database, performing the steps of
• determining a commit time for said transaction, wherein the commit time is a time at which the plurality of changes made by the transaction are considered to have been made permanent in the common database;
• and
• broadcasting said commit time to one or more other database servers of said plurality of database servers by sending a broadcast commit message to the one or more other database servers, wherein the broadcast commit message includes an unique broadcast ID that can be used to identify the broadcast commit message.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for propagating commit times between a plurality of database servers that have access to a common database, wherein each of said plurality of database servers is associated with a logical clock, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• in response to initiating a commit of a transaction executing on a particular database server of said plurality of database servers, wherein the transaction includes a plurality of changes made at different times to the common database, performing the steps of
• determining a commit time for said transaction, wherein the commit time is a time at which the plurality of changes made by the transaction are considered to have been made permanent in the common database;
• and
• broadcasting said commit time to one or more other database servers of said plurality of database servers,
• wherein at least one of the one or more other database servers adjusts its associated logical clock based upon the commit time.

A system for propagating commit times between a plurality of database servers that have access to a common database, wherein each of said plurality of database servers is associated with a logical clock, the system comprising:

• a memory;
• one or more processors coupled to the memory;
• and
• a set of computer instructions contained in the memory, the set of computer instructions including computer instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
• in response to initiating a commit of a transaction executing on a particular database server of said plurality of database servers, wherein the transaction includes a plurality of changes made at different times to the common database, performing the steps of
• determining a commit time for said transaction, wherein the commit time is a time at which the plurality of changes made by the transaction are considered to have been made permanent in the common database;
• and
• broadcasting said commit time to one or more other database servers of said plurality of database servers,
• wherein at least one of the one or more other database servers adjusts its associated logical clock based upon the commit time.

A system for propagating commit times between a plurality of database servers that have access to a common database, wherein each of said plurality of database servers is associated with a logical clock, the system comprising:

• a memory;
• one or more processors coupled to the memory;
• and
• a set of computer instructions contained in the memory, the set of computer instructions including computer instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
• in response to initiating a commit of a transaction executing on a particular database server of said plurality of database servers, wherein the transaction includes a plurality of changes made at different times to the common database, performing the steps of
• determining a commit time for said transaction, wherein the commit time is a time at which the plurality of changes made by the transaction are considered to have been made permanent in the common database;
• and
• broadcasting said commit time to one or more other database servers of said plurality of database servers by sending a broadcast commit message to the one or more other database servers, wherein the broadcast commit message includes an unique broadcast ID that can be used to identify the broadcast commit message.