METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PARALLEL EXECUTION OF USER-DEFINED FUNCTIONS IN AN OBJECT-RELATIONAL DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A method and apparatus for processing object data. The apparatus comprises a client interface for receiving client commands comprising a data surrogate identifying the object data and an object data function, and for transmitting processed object data to a client, a federated coordinator coupled to the client interface for translating client commands into object server commands, an object server coupled to the federated coordinator comprising a processor and a data storage device for storing the object data, a virtual processor instance, invoked on the processor for performing the object data function on the object data identified by the data surrogate to produce processed data, a virtual disk instance, invoked in the data storage device and logically associated with the virtual processor instance for storing the object data identified by the data surrogate, and means for moving the object data function to the virtual processor instance logically associated with the virtual disk instance storing the object data.