Restricting a Package to one instance.

I have a package that, as a requirement, may not have multiple instantiations. Further, multiple sessions must be able to check its state (which can be via a function that returns various variables from the package).

 Is there a way to:

1. make a package have only one instantiation?
2. for mutiple sessions (by multiple users) see a common state?

On another note, once the package starts, away it goes looping. It stops in one of two cases. When the loop iterates:

1. it checks a package variable to see if it should continue.
2. it retrieves a value from a queue. When empty, it stops.

I wanted to add a third method. This would be a forced stop. I am assuming to force a stop on a procedure (E.G. in middle of doing an UPDATE that will take a half-hour) its session would need to be killed.

1. Is killing it the only way?
2. Is there a way for a procedure to get its session id?
3. Can a procedure be killed and keep the state of its package?

Brian Received on Tue Sep 25 2001 - 16:13:35 CDT