Transient tables last until the database server shuts down. Multiple users can use the same transient table, and each user sees the data of all other users.
In most regards, transient tables behave like standard (persistent) in-memory tables (M-tables).
For example:
▪ Data in transient tables has the same scope or visibility as data in persistent tables. The data that you insert into a transient table can be seen by other user sessions, if those users have appropriate privileges.
▪ Transient tables can be used in views.
▪ Transient tables can have indexes on them.
▪ Transient tables can have triggers on them.
▪ Transient tables can contain BLOB columns.
▪ Privileges apply to transient tables.
▪ Transient tables reside in a specific catalog and schema.
▪ You can import data into transient tables by using the solidDB Speed Loader (solload) utility.
If you export a database with a transient table, the data in the transient tables and the structure of the tables are exported.
The server stores the definition of the transient table (but not the data) in the system tables and keeps that definition even after the server is shut down. If you restart the server later, the table still exists, but the data does not. Thus, you need to create the table only one time. In fact, if you or another user try to create a transient table with the same name as an existing transient table, you get an error message, even if the server has been shut down and restarted since the time that the table with that name was originally created. This behavior can be unexpected if you think that a transient table disappears as soon as you shut down the server.
Also, since a transient table persists (even though the data does not), you can use the DROP TABLE statement to drop the table after you no longer need it, see DROP TABLE.
Transient tables have some limitations when compared to persistent M-tables.
▪ Transient table data is not replicated to the secondary server when you use the HotStandby component. Transient tables themselves (but not their data) are replicated to the HotStandby secondary server. Thus, for failover to the secondary, server, you do not have to re-create transient tables. However, you must re-create any data in them.
▪ Transient tables have restrictions on how they can be used with referential constraints. Transient tables can reference other transient tables and persistent tables. They cannot reference temporary tables. Temporary tables and persistent tables cannot reference a transient table.
▪ Transient tables can be used only as replica tables in Advanced Replication systems, not as master tables.
Transient tables are not defined by the ANSI standard for SQL. Transient tables are a solidDB extension to the SQL standard.