The sequence generator provides a SEQUENTIAL series of numbers. The sequence generator is especially USEFUL in multi–user environments for generating unique sequential numbers without the overhead of disk I/O or transaction locking. Therefore, the sequence generator reduces “serialization” where the statements of two TRANSACTIONS must generate sequential numbers at the same time. By avoiding the serialization that results when MULTIPLE users wait for each other to generate and use a sequence number, the sequence generator improves transaction throughput and a user’s wait is CONSIDERABLY shorter.

The sequence generator provides a sequential series of numbers. The sequence generator is especially useful in multi–user environments for generating unique sequential numbers without the overhead of disk I/O or transaction locking. Therefore, the sequence generator reduces “serialization” where the statements of two transactions must generate sequential numbers at the same time. By avoiding the serialization that results when multiple users wait for each other to generate and use a sequence number, the sequence generator improves transaction throughput and a user’s wait is considerably shorter.