Patent ID: 7099889

Claim:
A processor-implemented management method for switching a database object in a database that stores a plurality of database objects, wherein multiple versions of database objects are stored in a plurality of files, each of the plurality of files being identified by a file handle, the method comprising: creating a lookup version table that includes version tuples, wherein each version tuple comprises a file handle for a file and a version identification for the file, wherein the file handle and the version identification are decouplable, and wherein the version identification indicates a current version for the object represented by the file handle; prior to a database object performing an operation against a selected database object, locating a version tuple in the lookup version table that corresponds to the selected database object; upon locating the version tuple, locking the version tuple to prevent other database agents from performing an object switching transaction on the selected database object prior to performing the operation; wherein decoupling the file handle from the version identification within the lookup version table eliminates explicit synchronization among all the database agents.