Abstract: Disclosed is a method and mechanism for duration-based management of temporary large objects (“LOBs”) in a database system. According to one aspect, temporary LOBs are associated with a duration having a lifespan that corresponds to the lifespan of the temporary LOBs. When the duration ends, the associated temporary LOBs, and any resources allocated to the temporary LOBs, are automatically released. According to another aspect, multiple durations of varying, and possibly overlapping lifespans, can exist in the database system. According to yet another aspect, a tree of durations can be created having multiple ancestor and descendant durations.