Birdstep Technology announced a major upgrade to its Raima Embedded Database Manager (RDM Embedded). Version 8.0 of the Linux-compatible DBMS boasts performance-enhancing features such as hybrid in-memory support, true varchars, and sparse indexing.

Since 1984, RDM Embedded (formerly dbVista) has served as a cross-platform database for resource-constrained environments, says Birdstep. The company claims over 20 million installations of the product and adoption by more than 20,000 developers. Birdstep has since introduced a client/server version of RDM Embedded called RDM Server, as well as an RDM Mobile version designed for consumer electronics products.

The following are the key additions to RDM Embedded V8:

• Hybrid in-memory support — Allows database to run completely diskless, as well as in a hybrid mode, with only parts of the implementation placed in memory.
• True varchar support — By using RDN Embedded's new implementation of storing variable sized strings, says Birdstep, performance can be improved.
• Sparse indexing — Data indexing duplicates ordered instances of data, which can compromise CPU and I/O cycles, says Birdstep. By adding a user-configurable sparse indexing system for strings, sort orders are usually resolved by comparing only the first few bytes of data, thereby reducing overhead.
• New development tools — Birdstep has added clustering and de-fragmentation tools to its collection of 20 tools and utilities.

Availability

RDM Embedded version 8.0 appears to be available immediately, at an undisclosed price.

 
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