How is object data stored and managed in Oracle8i?
Objects are managed natively by the data server. Object types can be used as the type of a column (column objects) or as type of each row in an object table (row objects). When used as column objects, object types serve as classical relational domains. Each row object has a unique identity, called an object identifier (OID). Objects are first-class citizens and are fully integrated with the database components. They can be indexed and partitioned. For example, queries involving objects can be parallelized and are optimized by the cost-based optimizer using statistics. By building on the proven foundation of the Oracle8i data server, objects are managed with the same reliability, availability, and scalability as relational data.
