Preventing Cache Overflows in an Object-Oriented Database Management System with the Object-Descriptor Architecture

In an object-oriented database management system built in the object-descriptor architecture, there is a concern about cached object-descriptors (CODs) filling up the client object cache space and, consequently, failing a database transaction. This phenomenon occurs especially during the data loading which keeps creating new objects in the object cache space. In this paper, we reexamine the structure and use of CODs, discuss the pros and cons of retaining CODs in an object cache, and propose a resolution to the problem of cache overflow. Our solution requires only a slight modification of the transaction termination protocol.