Patent ID: 7523088

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for directing a database server to selectively release database system resources associated with a database system operatively coupled with the database server, the database server accessible by applications, the method comprising: receiving an online protocol indicator from an application, wherein the online protocol indicator comprises adding a pre-defined keyword to a database statement included in a request sent by the application to the database server, returning a defined error condition indicator to the application when the application has forwarded the online protocol indicator and when identified system resources are determined to be scarce, and receiving a commit statement from the application when a response from the database server is determined to comprise the defined error condition indicator, wherein the application is a multi-transactional application; the defined error condition indicator is returned to the application if at least one of a lock list and an active log space is full; the database server interrogates the active log to determine if the active log is full and interrogates the lock list to determine if the lock list is full; and the application issues the commit at any time without changing a logic of the application while the application has forwarded the online protocol indicator.