Bitemporal data

In a temporal database, bitemporal data is both the valid time and transaction time of the data.

In a database table bitemporal data is often represented by four extra table-columns StartVT and EndVT, StartTT and EndTT. Normally each time interval is closed at its lower bound, and open at its upper bound.

Bitemporal Table

A bitemporal table is a table that combines the historical tracking of a system-period temporal table (transaction time table) with the time-specific data storage capabilities of an application-period temporal table (valid time table). Bitemporal tables are used to keep user-based period information as well as system-based historical information.

Bitemporal tables behave as a combination of system-period temporal tables and application-period temporal tables. All the restrictions that apply to system-period temporal tables and application temporal tables also apply to bitemporal tables.

See also

• Bitemporal Modeling
• Temporal database
• Tuple-versioning