System for controlling database growth in a read-repeatable environment

In a typical database system, multiple users access or are "attached" to a database at a single time. To provide read-repeatability in the database environment, each user attached to the database is provided a view of the database which remains unaffected by transactions of other users which modify the contents or structure of the database during a period of attachment by the initial user. Growth of databases in read-repeatable environments is controlled by an erase list maintained for each generation of the database. The erase list identifies pages which are retained in the database to facilitate read repeatability. The system uses the erase list to identify obsolete pages which can be removed from the database. The removed pages can then be reclaimed for re-use by a subsequent generation.