When trying to more easily configure your business to design complex data storage and retrieval systems, you will most likely turn to a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). This is a database management system that uses a relational model to create groups of data put into tables. These tables are known as relations. This type of database is the most widely used database solution for companies and organizations in a number of different fields and industries.
When it comes to choosing the right RDBMS for your organization, it usually narrows down to the most popular three:
1. Oracle: Arguably the most popular RDBMS, due to its consistent upgrades and ability to scale along with technological advancements. Oracle was also the first company to release its RDBMS for commercial use and to release a commercial version of SQL that promoted use of queries. The most recent version of Oracle is known as “12c” and has a number of new features that increase security, enhance performance, a new Advanced Analytics platform, and improvements to Oracle Application Express – Oracle’s rapid development tool. Oracle databases are mainly used in large enterprise systems and highly configured to cloud computing.
License : Proprietary
Languages Supported : C, C#, C++, Objective C, Java, Ruby
Operating System : Windows, OS X, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX,z/OS, AIX
2. Microsoft SQL Server: Since its initial release as Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Microsoft has consistently kept up with the latest technology by releasing frequent updates to SQL Server. SQL Server began supporting XML with the 2005 release, and included native support for OLE with the 2012 release. SQL Server 2016 will be releasing soon within the next year and is said to be packed with great new features.
License : Proprietary
Languages Supported : PHP, Java, Ruby, VB, .Net, Python
Operating System : Windows
3. MySQL: This is an open source database, which makes it a bit different than Oracle and SQL Server. As the Internet has become a major tool for business, MySQL has become the main database for managing databases associated with websites. The latest release of MySQL has several features including customized partitioning, improvements to support for SMP, and semi-synchronous replication.
License : Open Source
Languages Supported : C, C#, C++, Objective C, D, Ruby, Jav
Operating System : Windows, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, OS X
While these may be the top three SQL databases, this is most certainly not a comprehensive list. This is instead a top three guide to point you to the most popular SQL database management systems available. There are other options available for your business, like NoSql, which we will discuss in a later blog post.
When it comes to choosing the right RDBMS, it generally comes down to how your organization is going to use it and the data associated with your business. Also a consideration is the knowledge of those in your IT department that will be using this database management system. The most important thing to consider is that the database system that your choose aligns with your business needs and projected growth. If these two don’t coincide then you will have wasted time, money, and resources on the wrong fit for your business.
If you’re unsure about which database management system is right for you it may also be beneficial to contact a third party or consultant in order to learn more and have an analysis done. It is never a bad idea to have a second look at your database needs to find the best fit for your company. You can never be too prepared when making an important business decision.