[Info-vax] Integrated Databases (was: Re: The best VMS features, was: Re: openvms renaming file)

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2018-05-28 00:59:29 +0000, Kerry Main said:

> One needs to remember that no other platform provides native relational 
> DB's as part of the OS either.

Operating systems including Blackberry 10, Symbian, Maemo, Android, 
Meego, NetBSD, OpenBSD, iOS, macOS, Tizen, WebOS, DragonFly, and 
Windows 10 all ship with at least one SQL-based relational database.

Downstream operating systems based on illumos, too.

IBM System i includes DB2/400, that dating back to when that gear was 
marketed as the AS/400 and DB2/400.

There are some Linux-based operating systems that include an integrated 
database.  Oracle was (still is?) offering a database appliance, for 
instance.  SAP HANA includes appliance configurations, as well.

There are other integrated combinations around.

There are also relational databases entirely embedded within apps.  No 
external dependencies.  I've written a few of those (including for 
OpenVMS), and it's far easier than it once was.  After writing a few of 
these, RMS increasingly seems crufty, too.

In antiquity, OpenVMS included a relational database license, though 
that was for the DEC Rdb run-time and not the DEC Rdb development and 
that was separately installed.  And that license was withdrawn an aeon 
or two ago.

Most of the rest around have pre-built and easily-added (and free!) 
relational databases, PostgreSQL or MariaDB or otherwise.  The OpenVMS 
installation tools are... not competitive.  And absurdly arcane.

As for VSI OpenVMS?  Can't say I see much of a future in the way things 
are.  Much less any future in the way things were.  VSI has piles and 
piles of work ahead here.  Part of moving OpenVMS forward means 
incorporating an integrated relational database or two, and means 
better integration and tooling for add-on commercial packages and for 
open source tools including open source databases, too.  Among other 
available choices, MariaDB, SQLite and PostgreSQL are all competent 
database products.








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