Object oriented network system for allocating ranges of globally unique object identifiers from a server process to client processes which release unused identifiers

摘要

A system for generating globally unique identifiers for objects in a distributed object oriented database. In one embodiment the system comprises at least two processors connected by means of a network to a processor executing a server process which provides globally unique identifiers for objects throughout the network. Each processor on the network may execute one or more client processes, each of which may run transactions against the database. Each such client process transmits a request to the server process which provides the globally unique identifiers when that client process requires a globally unique object identifier for objects which the requesting client process is creating. In response to the request, the server which provides globally unique identifiers transmits a range of globally unique object identifiers to the requesting client process. The requesting client process then allocates object identifiers from this range of globally unique object identifiers to the objects it is creating. Upon completion of the allocation of the globally unique object identifiers to the objects which have been created, the requesting client process then returns any unused globally unique object identifiers to the server for use by other client processes.