Abstract: A server system allows object relational mapping. Objects of an object type are stored as records in a table corresponding to the object type. The server system allows new attributes to be added to an object type without altering the corresponding table. The object type comprises a set of mapped attributes that correspond to distinct columns of the associated table. The object type further comprises unmapped attributes that fail to map to distinct columns of the table. The table is associated with a virtual column for storing the unmapped attributes. The unmapped attributes of an object of the object type are encoded into a value and stored in the virtual column. The virtual column may be a column of the same table or a column of an auxiliary table. The unmapped attributes may also be stored as name value pairs in an auxiliary table associated with the table.

Abstract: A server system allows object relational mapping. Objects of an object type are stored as records in a table corresponding to the object type. The server system allows new attributes to be added to an object type without altering the corresponding table. The object type comprises a set of mapped attributes that correspond to distinct columns of the associated table. The object type further comprises unmapped attributes that fail to map to distinct columns of the table. The table is associated with a virtual column for storing the unmapped attributes. The unmapped attributes of an object of the object type are encoded into a value and stored in the virtual column. The virtual column may be a column of the same table or a column of an auxiliary table. The unmapped attributes may also be stored as name value pairs in an auxiliary table associated with the table.

Abstract: A parent record is created, and the parent record includes a cache for children. Child records are created, and each child record belongs to a parent. Responsive to the creation or update of a child record, the parent record's cache is invalidated. To rebuild the parent record's cache, the child records are serialized and written into the parent record's cache. During a read operation, the parent record is read, including the parent record's cache of children, in a single database access. This results in a substantial savings of time as compared to retrieving the parent and the children from the database separately. Where the number of reads of the parent record greatly exceeds the number of changes to child records, serialized child associations in parent records enhances the efficiency of database access.