Patent ID: 7640277

Claim:
A data processing system implemented method of releasing a to-be-released savepoint at a remote node in a database management system, the to-be-released savepoint being one of a plurality of savepoints represented by a plurality of control blocks arranged in a linked list stored at the remote node, the data processing system implemented method comprising: receiving a request to release the to-be-released savepoint at the remote node from a coordinator node in the database management system; selecting a control block from the plurality of control blocks in the linked list stored at the remote node, wherein the selected control block is a control block representing the to-be-released savepoint; merging the selected control block in the linked list stored at the remote node with all other control blocks in the plurality of control blocks representing savepoints that are more recently created than the savepoint represented by the selected control block; and releasing the to-be-released savepoint, wherein the selecting comprises: determining whether a control block representing the to-be-released savepoint exists in the linked list stored at the remote node; if it is determined that the control block representing the to-be-released savepoint does not exist in the linked list stored at the remote node, selecting a second control block that represents a second savepoint created most recently after the control block representing the to-be-released savepoint; and setting the second control block as the control block representing the to-be-released savepoint.