PROCESSING MULTIPLE DATABASE TRANSACTIONS IN THE SAME PROCESS TO REDUCE PROCESS OVERHEAD AND REDUNDANT RETRIEVAL FROM DATABASE SERVERS

The present invention uses a segmented caching data structure to cache database objects provided by a database server. The database server provides database objects in response to requests by a number of different programs. The segmented caching data structure is made up of a single central cache and a number of program caches, each corresponding to one of the programs. When a database object is provided by the database server in response to a request by any of the programs, a copy of the database object is stored in the central cache. Another copy of the object is stored in the program cache for the program that requested the database object. When the segmented caching data structure is maintained in this manner, when a request is made by one of the programs a copy of the requested object stored in either of the central cache or the program cache for the program may be used, making it unnecessary for the database server to provide the requested database object.