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The cached updates feature allows users to retrieve data from a database and make changes to that temporarily cached data without immediately writing to the actual underlying database. Users can make changes over a prolonged period with a minimum amount of resource locking at the actual database. After modifying the data, users call an update function to save their changes in the actual database. The update function sends to the database a batch of all inserts, deletes, and modifications made since the last update function call.

For a distinguishing comparison of the cached updates feature with transaction processing, see Transactions and cached updates.

To support the cached updates feature, a special cursor layer installs on top of any cursor. Implementation and use of the cached updates features is described in subsequent sections