Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing a user program, which has provided a global transaction to a remote system, to continue operation after only a partial recovery, thereby significantly reducing the delay associated with a detected fault or failure. The local transaction steps may be recovered by the local system. For all global transaction steps in a "ready" state, a data base management system may re-establish the data base locks and system environment variables associated therewith. Thereafter, the user programs may continue operation and may access the un-locked portion of the data base, including the portion associated with the local transactions. In the meantime, a transaction manager may determine the actual status of the global transaction steps by performing the necessary communications with the remote systems.