Sessions and the Cache

Server, database, isolated, and historical sessions include an identity map that maintains object identity, and acts as a cache.

This section explains how the cache differs between the following sessions:

• Server and Database Session Cache

• Isolated Session Cache

• Historical Session Cache

For more information, see "Understanding the Cache".

Server and Database Session Cache

When a server or database session reads objects from the database, it instantiates them and stores them in its identity map (cache). When the application subsequently queries for the same object, TopLink returns the object in the cache, rather than read the object from the database again.

This cache plays an important role in the performance of your application.

In the case of a server session, all client sessions acquired from it share the server session's cache.

To define how the cache manages objects, specify a strategy for cache management in TopLink Workbench.

Isolated Session Cache

When an isolated session reads an object, whose descriptor is configured as isolated, that object is instantiated and stored in the isolated session's cache only–it is not stored in the parent server session's shared object cache. Objects in the isolated session's cache may reference objects in the parent server session's shared object cache, but objects in the parent server session's shared object cache can never reference objects in the isolated session's cache.

Historical Session Cache

When a historical session reads objects, it does so only from its static, read-only cache, which is populated with all objects as of a specified time.