Oracle announces another release of Berkeley DB

DATABASE MONOLITH Oracle has announced the latest version of its Berkeley DB database engine.

The central message appears to be that everything will be a lot easier after the update, and the firm is keen to point out how the database can be exploited by people who are not particularly comfortable with coding SQL. How comfortable they will be using Oracle's Berkeley DB 11g Release 2 remains to be seen.

Also high on the list of things Oracle thought worth pointing out was the fact that it would help firms that run things at the edge of the network.

"Expanding demand for applications that run at the 'edge' of the network infrastructure, such as in switches, routers or mobile networks, and on end-user mobile devices continues to grow rapidly," said Marie-Anne Neimat, vice president of development at Oracle.

"These applications need fast, scalable and reliable storage services for the data on which they operate - yet must be self-managing and operate without administrators. With new SQL capabilities and Android support, Oracle Berkeley DB 11g Release 2 makes it easier for developers to quickly develop and deploy new ‘edge' applications that meet users' high performance and scalability demands".

The firm said that the update includes a range of APIs, including a new SQL API, to help simplify applications development, and will let users choose the one that best fits their abilities. Oracle has also added support for a range of things you can't use on a scrabble board, including JDBC and ODBC connections.

Also new is support for the Android platform, which the firm said will let developers create and deploy a wide range of applications for mobile devices.

Oracle Berkeley DB 11g Release 2 will be available for download on March 31, 2010. µ