The application-directed distributed unit of work facility also provides for the remote preparation and execution of SQL statements in the same fashion as remote unit of work. An application process at computer system A can connect to an application server at computer system B by issuing a CONNECT or SET CONNECTION statement. The application process can then execute any number of static and dynamic SQL statements that reference objects at B before ending the unit of work. All objects referenced in a single SQL statement must be managed by the same application server. However, unlike remote unit of work, any number of application servers can participate in the same unit of work. A commit or rollback operation ends the unit of work.