It is extremely important to application developers and end-users alike to understand the degree to which the Resultsets presented to them by a JDBC solution are actually sensitive to underlying changes in the source database. JDBC 1.1 not only fails to provide you with Bi-directional Resultset Scrolling, it also presents what is basically a snapshot of the data in your database at the time a JDBC query is executed. This has the effect of increasing Multi-User JDBC solution development complexity or limiting the functionality and usability of JDBC by end-users.

Sensitive to changes in underlying database takes many forms, this includes: Static, KeySet, Dynamic, and Mixed modes of sensitivity.

Static. - same as basic JDBC, records scrolling occurs over a database snapshot and is insensitive to underlying change by other users

KeySet. - JDBC resultset records scroll over a set of record identifiers uniquely identifying records in the underlying database, this type of scrolling is sensitive to changes is those records with identifiers at the time of query execution. This form of scrolling is insensitive to record record additions or deletions.

Dynamic. - JDBC resultset records scroll over a set of record identifiers uniquely identifying records in the underlying database, these unique identifiers are recreated before each RowSet traversal (collection of resultset records used as scrolling marker or sliding window or Cursor), rather than once at query execution time. This type of scrolling is sensitive to all changes in the underlying database but may introduce a performance penalties depending on the size of RowSets and available network bandwidth.

Mixed. - JDBC resultset records scroll over a set of record identifiers uniquely identifying records in the underlying database, these unique identifiers are created to a limited size (known as the KeySet Size) at query execution time, only when RowSet traversal goes beyond the existing set of unique row identifiers is another collection of unique identifiers assembled. This type of scrolling is sensitive to all changes in the underlying database, but insensitive to Additions or Deletions affecting records in the current RowSet scrolling across a current KeySet, once KeySet boundaries are crossed Insertions or Deletions are recognized. This mode of sensitivity provides increased performance and the expense of reduced sensitivity.

In addition to being sensitive to changes in the underlying database, Multi-User applications need to be able to protect users and application processes from the effects of one another when the same record or collection of records are being manipulated at the same time. The process by which these issue are addressed is known as Concurrency Control.

Concurrency control occurs in one of two ways, Optimistic or Pessimistic control.

Optimistic Concurrency Control. - presumes that probability and frequency of multiple users and processes instigating changes to the same database records is low. As result when an end-user or process attempts to change records it first of all determines if the record values at the point of change are still the same as what they were at the time of retrieval. If they are unchanged at the point of change then the change occurs otherwise the change process is rejected and then re-attempted. Although this reduces concurrent user latency, it does have the knock on effect of reducing data integrity if changes rejections aren't managed carefully.

Pessimistic Concurrency Control. - presumes that the probability and frequency of multiple user processing and instigating changes to the same records is high. As a result an end-user or process attempts to changes records it first of all secures Exclusive Locks on the records in question, performs the changes, and then releases the locks. Although this increases and preserves data integrity it does introduce concurrent use latency , which is perceived as performance degradation by the end-user or application developer.

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