Patent ID: 7305422

Claim:
A method for accessing non-current data managed by a database server, the method comprising the steps of: a) in response to the database server performing an update to a data item, the database server generating a record that reflects a state of the data item prior to the update; b) repeating step (a) for a series of updates to the data item to generate a corresponding series of records; c) receiving at the database server a database command that requests a non-current version of the data item, wherein the database command specifies a column of a relational table that includes the data item, wherein the database command includes a parameter value that explicitly specifies which update, within the series of updates, is to be supplied to the database command; wherein the parameter value indicates the particular update by specifying a numerical value that indicates where, relative to the end of the series of updates, the particular update occurs; d) selecting a record from the series of records based on the parameter value; and e) responding to the database command by providing a non-current version of the data item based on information contained in the selected record.