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There are several other good databases around. InterBase looks pretty excellent.

I'd be interested in RainingData (<span face=poker>now there's a truly inspired name change</span>) nee Pick GPLing their MultiValue database. Overall, a pig to use and maintain compared with something like PostgreSQL, but it still does some neat tricks and has a reasonable community around it.

Nice, eh?

M.

can be found at InterBase Developer Initiative web site: www.interbase2000.org.

InterBase actually pioneered the algorithm, which they call "multi-generational". Here's from an InterBase marketing blurb:

• Multi-Generational Architecture and Row-Level Locking
  InterBase's unique Multi-Generational Architecture (MGA, also known as versioning) enables clients to access an InterBase server with high concurrency and throughput. Also, the manner in which InterBase stores multiple versions of a given data record means that each client sees a consistent snapshot of the database. A client can update data without interfering with other clients' views of the data. These features result in DBMS technology that is well-suited to handle the short-lived transactions common in OLTP, concurrently with the longer-lived transactions of OLAP.

  The server implements true row-level locks, using an optimistic locking strategy. Any number of clients can share read access on a record simultaneously; contention occurs only when two clients attempt to update the same record. In that case, the client who was first issuing an update operation has the option to commit the operation, and the server returns an error to the other client(s)

  The combination of versioning and row-level locks give InterBase exceptional throughput and concurrency, when compared with RDBMS implementations that use page-locks or exclusive locks for reading. Readers never block writers, and writers never block readers.

  InterBase handles all versioning and locking transparently and automatically for the application. This relieves the developer from the manual locking control required in some other RDBMS products. A number of optional parameters for transactions permit developers to specify other locking behavior.

A more technical summary can be found here

Although they are only the beta version. ftp://ftp2.interbase.c om/pub/products/beta6.0/ib_b60_doc.zip

About 10 meg, PDF format.

Mirrored at Interbase2000.org

Strong data typing is for those with weak minds.

Dalton Calford has written Robots or agents that listen and react to IB events in different languages. This aspec tof Interbase is a potential goldmine for developers.

Dalton in a fit of immense generosity and goodwill has posted some other tips, tricks, musings here.

BTW a very poweful one two three punch is Delphi IBObjects, interbase or soon to be klyx, ibobjects, interbase.

One more thing. Have you downloaded the documentation yet? it ROCKS!. This is best documentation for a open source project I have ever seen (well maybe php is pretty awsome too).

Make no mistake this a serious contender for the database sweepstakes.

MySQL's documentation is bad?? I always thought it was pretty good.

Interbase, on the other hand, looks sparse in the documentation department. There are no books available (one old hit at FatBrain that was never published) and I cannot find anything online at www.interbase.com. There is a grassroots effort here but there is no content!

I haven't installed the RPMs yet - anyone know if there is any documentation installed? I hope I don't have to read man pages to administer this thing.

-tim

As far as I'm concerned, InterBase is a pretty good piece of software. In my experiences with it, it's always performed up to expectations and it does everything I've ever needed it to do. I'm not saying it's right for everyone, but definitely check it out if you haven't done so yet.

If, on the other hand, you're already a devoted or knowledgable user, make sure you visit the Interbase developer's handbook. It's a worthwhile project that could use your help.

I'm excited about this version of Interbase. (Insofar as one can conceivably be exciting about a database -- sign of a true geek, huh?)

yours,
john

Interbase is an ex-proprietry database solution which is (we hope) becoming open source. It runs under Linux, and Win32. In a recent Linux Care poll it came top of the list of databases for most, if not all areas. It already has a solid userbase including NASA, Boeing, and is even used in the M-1 Abrams Tank.

Granted, the source has not seen the light of day, but 'should' be on its way soon.

Interbase provides a very firm stand point launch the open source development. There is an open source documentation project underway Links :
Interbase Homepage
Developer Initiative site

You're looking for InterBase. While it's not yet Open Source, IB 6.0 will be released under MPL 1.1. While they sanitize their code, you can get free (beer) beta releases of InterBase 6.0 for Linux, Windows, or Solaris from http://www.interbase.com at http:// www.interbase. com/open/downloads/60beta_downloads.html. There are RPMs and Tarballs there, and Debian packages are forthcoming.

You can also check out the community springing up around InterBase at http://www.interbase2000.org.

From my own personal experience with InterBase, I can tell you that it is most certainly an enterprise-grade database, with amazing speeds and all the features you could ask of a modern DB.

Interbase v6 is in (free beer) beta right now, and will be released under the MPL (Mozilla Public Licence) by Mid-June

You can download the beta now for Linux, Windows or Solaris from Interbase.com or The Interbase Developers Inititive

Supports databases up to 32 TB (!!!) spread over 2GB files and is fast and reliable. (It's been around for 15 years.) The biggest known Interbase DB is over 200GB.

It's is ANSI 92 SQL compliant (well.. as compliant as any DB I've ever seen - better than Oracle for instance), and the support is Amazing

Join the email lists at www.mers.com, and you'll be able to get answers from Ann Harrison (the president of Interbase.com), or from a lot of other people - it's the best support I've even seen.

As for enterpise features - well, apart from large DB support, it has row level locking, transactions, referential integrity, blobs, Multi-Generational commits, stored procedures... ummm... I can't think of what else to say.

Basically, if your Databases are less than 50GB then Interbase is the number 1 choice - above that maybe Oracle would be better, but that isn't exacly open source.

Um, Groton Database Systems did begat Interbase. Borland bought Interbase/Groton Database Systems. Interbase was then spun off, re-attached and has now been turned into an open source project under MPL1.1 (?) to be released next quarter, under another spun of companies guise. See www.interbase2000.org.

My first slashdot post ever, and no Ninjas, pancakes, grits (hot or otherwise), Natalie Portmoan or OpenDK. D'oh...

It will probably ship in the third quarter of this year - or maybe the fourth (that's from the newsgroups)

The command line C++/Object Pascal compiler is working now.

It will use Qt as a toolkit (not my choice, but at least it's not Motif!) (That's from an interview at www.linuxjournal.com here with Dale Fuller - Borland CEO - done just after the merger)

It seems likely that the compilers will be a free download (and maybe even open source) - and perhaps even a free "Entry Level" version of Kylix will be available.

They aren't sure about the licencing for the VCL yet.

Btw, the Interbase open source project is still going along nicely. A new company has been set up to run it. See here for more news.