key@noscvax.UUCP (06/02/83)
What follows is a compilation of the information I've been able
to gather on Database Management Systems (DBMS) which run under
the Unix operating system. There are three DBMS,
/rdb
Polaris
MDBS III
which I am aware of but for which I do not have enough informa-
tion to include in my summary at this time. When I have informa-
tion on those systems I will add them to my summary table and re-
transmit the entire table again.
The information in the summary table is as accurate as I could
make it. What I got in most cases as a response to my original
inquiry to the net was the name of a product and a person to con-
tact. The remainder I extracted from literature that varied
between sales brochures and benchmark studies, telephone conver-
sations with the vendors, and messages sent by users who had done
their own surveys and/or had some experience with one or more of
these DBMS. Obviously, with such a wide diversity of sources,
the types and details of the information I had available also
varied widely. I used the '?' to indicate where I lacked infor-
mation or where I suspected more information might be available.
Please feel free to note errors or omissions in my summary. I
will try and incorporate your comments in the final draft of the
summary.
Finally, for some of the DBMS I have listed a category "User Ex-
perience:", followed by a persons name and their electronic mail
address. These people have had some experience with the DBMS
under which they are listed and have agreed to answer questions
you might have - if they can and if they have the time. They
have not volunteered to be consultants. They've simply agreed to
provide answers to questions of application, user-friendliness,
etc. that you might not get from other sources. Please don't
abuse their generous offers by sending them "Tell me everything
you know about ..." requests. I have the names of people who have
experience with several of the other systems listed below but
have not had the time to solicit their approval to include them
in the list. If you have experience with any of these systems
and would be willing to be listed in the summary, please drop me
a line.
Thanks again to all of you who answered my inquiry and pointed me
in the right direction.
Gerry Key
Computer Sciences Corporation
4045 Hancock Street
San Diego, California 92110
(616) 225-8401
ARPANET: key@nosc
USENET: ..!philabs!sdcsvax!noscvax!key
INGRES
Vendor: Relational Technology Incorporated
2855 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 515
Berkeley, California 94705
(415) 845-1700
Contact: Richard Scheffer (Sales Representative)
Current Version: 1.2 (Version 2.0 planned for release
Summer 1983)
CPU: VAX-11/780 ($17,000)
Motorola 68000 - ?
Unix Versions: 4.1bsd Version 7?
Cost: (Includes single-CPU license, TAR tape with
binaries, 6 months of updates?, and 25 copies
of users' manual)
Data Model: Relational
Implentation
Language: C
Host Language
Interface: C
Query Language: Quel
Data types: Character Integer
Floating
Memory allocation: Dynamic
Size limitations: Databases/system - Unlimited
Records/database - Unlimited
Relations/database - Unlimited
Attributes/relation - 49
Characters/attribute - 255
Characters/record - 1010
Data compression: Strip trailing blanks
Multiple Users: Limited but changeable by installer
Concurrency: ?
Index types: Hash ISAM
Heap (unsorted) Sort
Security type: No user identification other than Unix's
Security levels: Database, relation, attribute, data content,
terminal, date & time
Recovery: None
User experience: Tom Vollmer
vollmer@nosc (ARPANET)
..!philabs!sdcsvax!noscvax!vollmer
..!ucbvax!sdcsvax!noscvax!vollmer
Dave Dewitt
dewitt@uwisc (ARPANET)
ORACLE
Vendor: Oracle Corporation
3000 Sand Hill Road 3-180
Menlo Park, California 94025
(415) 854-7350
Contact: ?
Current Version: 3 (Version 3 is the current release of Oracle,
but will not be available for Unix systems
until Summer 1983)
CPU: Altos 68000 Fortune 68000
IBM PC Tandy
VAX (planned)
PDP-11 (running Oracle Version 2 only)
Unix Versions: Version 7 System III
4.1bsd (planned)
Cost: VAX 750-780 $24K-$48K +10%/year
(Cost range depends on whether first or
n-th CPU and whether you opt for no
support [$24K] or full support)
Oracle on microcomputers is sold by the vendors,
not Oracle, Inc. Price typically ranges from
$600-$2000.
Data Model: Relational
Implentation
Language: C
Host Language
Interface: Pascal, C, Basic, Fortran, Macro, Cobol, PL/1
Call only; precompile with next release
Query Language: SQL
Data types: Character Integer
Date Floating
Memory allocation: Dynamic
Size limitations: Databases/system - 1
Records/database - 2G
Relations/database - 255
Attributes/relation - 255
Characters/attribute - ?
Characters/record - ?
Data compression: ?
Multiple Users: ?
Concurrency: ?
Index types: ?
Security type: ?
Security levels: ?
Recovery: Checkpoint/restart; log
User Experience: Dawn Lundin
Dlundin.xls-onyx02@UDEL-Relay (ARPANET)
BRITTON LEE IDM-500
Vendor: Britton Lee, Incorporated
14600 Winchester Blvd.
Los Gatos, California 95030
(408) 378-7000
Contact: John Hackenburg (Sales Representative)
Current Version: IDM-300 (-200 is base machine; -300 is same machine
for Unix-based host); includes 7-slot chassis
with maximum of 1 disk controller 1 Mbyte main
memory, 3 I/O channels, no accelerator option
available; tape drive available
IDM-600/1 and IDM-600/2 (-500 is base machine; -600
is same machine for Unix-based host); includes 16-slot
chassis, with maximum of 4 disk controllers, 6 Mbytes
main memory, 8 I/O channesl, accelerator option
and tape drive available
CPU: PDP-11 VAX-11/750-780
[NOTE: The IDM-300/600 are "database machines",
separate systems which may be used as a
standalone systems interfaced to intelligent
terminals or more typically backended to a
host computer. The CPUs listed above are
host computers running Unix to which the
IDM-300/600 has been backended.]
Unix Versions: Version 7 (PDP-11) 4.1bsd (VAX)
[NOTE: as noted above, these are the versions
of Unix running on the host CPU to which the
IDM-300/600 has been backended.]
?
Cost: $59,500 (IDM-300)
$79,500 (IDM-600)- IDM 16-slot chassis
(These purchase prices includes the database
processor, 1 disk controller, 1 Mbyte main
memory, an IEEE 488 interface on the IDM side
and a Unibus interface card on the host side,
the relational software for the IDM, the database
software for the host, DEC-style cabinet, cables,
installation and 90-day warrenty [labor free;
user must pay travel and per diem], users' manual
and software reference manual. The do not include
disks or host computer. A software support program
for the host-side software has not been defined.)
Data Model: Relational
Implentation
Language: C (host software) -query, dba facilities, runtime library
with interface to C; option precompile for C; report
writer, simple data entry processor, tuple-by-tuple
Host Language
Interface: C (callable runtime library; precompiler planned
for future release)
Query Language: IDL (Quel-like), resident on host
machine
Data types: Character (variable-length)
Floating (4 & 8 byte) store & retrieve, no ops
Integer (1, 2, & 4 byte)
Packed decimal (31-digit maximum)
BCD
Floating BCD
Memory allocation: Dynamic
Size limitations: Databases/system - 50 databases
- 32 Gbytes
Records/relation - 2G
Objects (views, stored commands, etc)/database - 32K
Attributes/relation - 250
Characters/attribute - 255
Characters/record - 2000
Data compression: Trailing and leading blanks
Multiple Users: 600 can support 128 processes
Concurrency: Lock at 2K page level
Index types: B tree (secondary - clustered (sorted); one per relation
non-clustered index in record, 254/relation)
Security type: Unix's
Security levels: Relation level only; read, write and
database attribute (write only
execute
Recovery: Audit trail & transaction log
User experience: Dave Dewitt
dewitt@uwisc (ARPANET)
MISTRESS
Vendor: Rhodnius, Inc.
10 St. Mary Street
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA M4Y 1P9
(416) 922-1743
Contact: Valerie Deacon (Sales Assistant)
Doug Phillips (Sales Manager)
John Kornatowski (President)
Current Version: 2.1
CPU: VAX-11/780 ($13,500; 50% discount for educational inst.)
PDP-11/44-70 ($6750)
Motorola 68000 ($3775) Zilog Z-8000 ($3775)
Intel 8086 ($3775) Onyx ($3775)
Perkin-Elmer ($13,500) Amdahl ($27,000)
IBM 33xx ($27,000)
Unix Versions: System III V6
PWB V7
Berkeley VAX V32
Xenix IS
Zeus UTS
TSS HCR/Unity
Cost: (Includes Mistress, report writer, screen
interface)
$250 (90-day demonstration package)
Data Model: Relational
Implentation
Language: C
Host Language
Interface: C & Unix Shell (standard)
FORTRAN, Pascal, & others (optional)
Query Language: Similar to IBM SQL
Data types: Character Date
Decimal Float
Integer Dollar
Text
Memory allocation: Dynamic
Size limitations: Databases/system - (one database/directory)
Records/database - 2G
Relations/database - 9,999
Attributes/relation - 9,999*
Characters/attribute - 2G*
Characters/record - (* no inherent limitation,
but could be limited by available memory)
Data compression: ?
Multiple Users: No limitations
Concurrency: When using host language interface, lockout is
at the database level; when using the query
language, lockout is at the relation level.
Index types: B+ tree
Security type: No user identification other than Unix's
Security levels: Can assign particular 'menus' (views?) to users,
but no multi-level security per se
Recovery: ?
UNIFY
Vendor: North American Technology Inc.
9570 S.W. Barbur Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97219
(503) 245-6585
TWX 469220
Contact: Roberta Donovan (Dir. Marketing Serv.)
Bob Millward (Technical)
Current Version: 2.0 (3.0 end of July)
CPU: DEC Systems
PDP 11/23-24-34 $2995
PDP 11/44-VAX 11/730 $5995
PDP 11/70-VAX 11/750 $9995
VAX 11/780-782 $15000
68000 Systems
PIXEL Contact vendor
MOMENTEUM "
FORWARD TECHNOLOGY "
CODATA "
COMPUTHINK "
FORTUNE "
Z8000 Systems
PLEXUS P40/P25 $2995
ONYX 8002 $2995
ZILOG SYSTEM 8000 $2995
SGS UX16 Contact vendor
8086 Systems
ALTOS 8600 $2995
INTEL ?
NABO Mfg. Corp. ?
Unix Versions: V6, V7, System III
Cost: See above. Price includesd Unitrieve, Sequel 2,
Report Writer, Menu Handler, Screen Handler,
Query by Forms, Host Language Interface, and
Utilities.
OEM & multiple-CPU discounts available
$70 200-page reference manual plus 200-page
tutorial
$295 (2-day training class, in Portland)
Data Model: Relational
Implentation
Language: C
Host Language
Interface: RM COBOL (Fortran, Pascal planned for end of year)
C
Query Language: SEQUEL 2
Data types: Integer Floating
Character (fixed-length) Date (>1900)
Dollar
Memory allocation: 100 Kbytes, fixed
Size Limitations: Databases/system - unlimited
(one database/directory)
Relations/database - 256
Records/database - 2G
Attributes/relation - 100
Characters/record - 25,600
Characters/attribute - 256
Data compression: ?
Multiple Users
per Database: Unlimited (system limit)
Concurrency: No lockout during updates
Index types: Hashing (primary keys)
Compressed B-trees (secondary keys)
Linked-list (ala System R)
Sequential
Security type: User password
Security levels: menu, program, data field
Recovery: Checkpoint/restart; log
User Experience: Dawn Lundin
Dlundin.xls-onyx02@UDEL-Relay (ARPANET)
INFORMIX
Vendor: Relational Database Systems, Inc.
1208 Apollo Way, Suite 503
Sunnyvale, California 94086
(408) 746-0982
Telex 467687
Contact: Bill Hedge (Sales Representative)
Current Version: 2.0
3.0 - due April 1983
CPU: PDP 11/33-44-70 VAX 11
PIXEL ALTOS 68000
PLEXUS P40/P25 ONYX 8002
ZILOG SYSTEM 8000 ALTOS 8600
ALTOS 586 PERKIN-ELMER
BBN Machine FORTUNE
Unix Versions: System III Version 7
Cost: $12000 for VAX 11 (includes Informix, Ace
report writer, Perform screen handler,
C-isam access package, and manuals for each)
$1600 for ALTOS, FORTUNE, PIXEL (same products
as above)
$200 (demonstration package; $100 applicable
to purchase price)
Maintenance - 10% of purchase price
Data Model: Relational
Implentation
Language: C
Host Language
Interface: C, CIS COBOL (througy CISAM; from Microfocus)
Query Language: Informer
Data types: Version 2.0
Character Integer (2-byte) Floating (8-byte)
Version 3.0 (adds)
Integer (4-byte) Money Date Serial-Number
Text
Memory allocation: Dynamic (Version 3.0)
Size limitations: Version 2.0
Databases/system - Unlimited
Relations/database - 35
Records/database - Unix addressing limit
Attributes/database(!) - 300
Characters/attribute - 2048
Characters/record - 2048
Version 3.0
Available memory
Data compression: Trailing blanks
Leading duplicate characters in index
Multiple Users: No limits
Concurrency: Lockout at record level during updates
Index types: Optimized B+ tree
C-ISAM
Security type: Use Unix's user-identification
Security levels: Can lock database, relation, and attribute
levels
Recovery: Audit trail
LOGIX
Vendor: Logical Software, Inc.
55 Wheeler Street
Cambridge, Massachusettes 02138
(617) 864-0137
TWX 7103201382 ABT CAM
Contact: Kent M. Brown
Ilona A. Lappo
Current Version: 3.0
CPU (lease): VAX ($22,000) PDP-11/45-70 ($15,000)
Motorola 68000 ($20K + $5K) 8086 ($20K + $5K)
Onyx ($7500)
Unix Versions: Version 7 Venix
Xenix Unisoft Unix
Cost: (Lease prices above include 9-track tape
with source code, manuals in nroff format,
scripts for building binaries, testing
programdb)
$10,000 (Softshell on 9-track tape)
$2000 (5-day training class, in Mass.)
$800/day + expenses (consulting)
Data Model: Relational
Implentation
Language: C
Host Language
Interface: C & Unix Shell (standard)
Query Language: SelectQ, QuickQ, CompileQ
Softshell (Generalized Unix interface; separate
product)
Data types: Character (fixed) Date
Real Money
Integer Duration
Boolean
Memory allocation: System requires 64K; limit above that is system's
Size limitations: Databases/system - Unlimited
Records/database - Unlimited
Relations/database - Unlimited
Attributes/relations - 256
Characters/attribute - Unlimited
Characters/record - Unlimited
Data compression: ?
Multiple Users: No limit
Users can access two database simultaneously
Concurrency: Relation-level lockout?
Index types: B tree
Security type: Unix's user identification only
Security levels: Relation level now
Recovery: See dated relaton
SEQUITUR
Vendor: Pacific Software Manufacturing Co.
2600 Tenth Street
Berkeley, California 94710
(415) 486-2070
Contact: Roseann Geyer (Sales Support Administrator)
Current Version: 3?
CPU (lease): Standard release
Fortune 32:16 ($1395)
IBM PC (available 5/83)
Special order
VAX with 4.1bsd ($12,000)
Wicat 150, 160 ($1395)
200 ($1995)
Zilog System 8000 ($1995)
Unix Versions: 4.1bsd
?
Cost: (Lease prices above include tape with binaries,
user's guide, sample database, demonstration
script, tutorial and installation instructions)
Updates
1.5% of lease price per month, or
$50/update release tape + $10/document update
Consultation
Five free 20-minute calls
$10 per 20-minute call thereafter
Data Model: Relataional
Implentation
Language: ?
Host Language
Interface: C
?
Query Language: ?
Data types: Variable-length text Numbers (?)
Money Date
Time
Memory allocation: ?
Size limitations: ?
Relations - ?
Attributes - ?
Data compression: ?
Multiple Users: ?
Concurrency: ?
Index types: B+ tree
Security type: ?
Security levels: ?
Recovery:
TROLL
Vendor: USA
User Software Engineering Distribution
Medical Information Science, Room A-16
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California 94143
(415) 666-2951
EUROPE
Wiskundig Seminarium
Vrije Universiteit
de Boelelaan 1081
Postbus 7161
1007 MC Amsterdam
THE NETHERLANDS
(020) 548 24 10
Contact: USA
Anthony I. Wasserman (Professor)
Tina Walters (Distribution Manager)
EUROPE
Martin L. Kersten
Current Version: 1.1
CPU: VAX (Version 7 Unix)
PDP-11 (single processor, separate I & D space)
Unix Versions: Version 7
Cost: $200 (US) Dfl. 500 (Europe)
(Includes 9-track tape with source code,
object libraries, pages for 'man troll' and
executable version of Troll and Focus/USE [a
screen-oriented interface to Troll])
$15 (US) Dfl. 40 (Europe) - (documentation)
Data Model: Relational
Implentation
Language: C
Host Language
Interface: C & Unix Shell
Fortran 77
Query Language: Procedural, relational algebra-like commands
Focus/USE can be used to "browse" Troll relations
with vi-like commands
Data types: Character (fixed-length) Text (variable length)
Integer Scalar
Boolean User-defined scalar
Subranges
Memory allocation: Dynamic
Size limitations: Databases/system - Unlimited
Records/database - Unix addressing limit
Relations/database - Unlimited number of relations
- 12 relations active at one time
- 16 Mbytes (32765 512-byte pages)
per relation
Attributes/relation - 64
Characters/attribute - ?
Characters/record - 503?
Data compression: Strip trailing blanks
Multiple Users: No limit
Concurrency: Lockout at relation level during updates (will change
with release of 4.2bsd)
Index types: B tree
Security type: Unix user identification only
Security levels: Relation only
Recovery: Audit trail with user log