Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the real time maintenance of database content, in particular files (data sets), of a relational database, specifically DB2. Continuous availability with simultaneous continuous maintenance of a relational database is made available by a method in which the status of the database content is determined using a status monitor integrated in the database, in which status data of the determined status is output in real time using said database-integrated status monitor, in which said output status data is analyzed and compared to comparison data and in which maintenance functions are mostly activated directly following a positive compare result.