Enea will add NOR/NAND Flash data storage capabilities to its lightweight SQL RDBMS (relational database management system), to support applications such as feature-phones, gateways, and set-top boxes. The “Polyhedra FlashLite” product will support Linux and many other embedded OSes, and is touted as both the smallest and fastest flash-based RDBMS.

Polyhedra is a transactional, real-time, fault-tolerant, in-memory-capable RDBMS that has historically targeted telecom and “datacom” applications, as well as process-control, telemetry, and remote monitoring. Enea ported Polyhedra to Linux in July of 2004.

Claimed features of Polyhedra FlashLite include:

• Client-server architecture
  • Separates data from applications, protecting memory from accidental modification
  • Cross-platform when used over TCP/IP
• “Active queries” that return ongoing, up-to-date results as live data change, reducing polling and CPU cycles
• Triggers allow “business logic” to be defined by database structure
• Cache-based design for high performance
• Requires under 1MB of RAM for both code and working space
• “ROMable” code allows cache size to be controlled, for RAM usage as low as 200KB
• ACID compliant (atomic, consistent, isolated, and durable)
• Uses “standard SQL”

Dr. Nigel Day, product marketing manager for Polyhedra, stated, “Today's mobile devices must handle complex data and keep it safe and consistent, even if the device runs out of power at awkward times.”

MobileTrax Analyst J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., stated, “Full-featured, flash-based RDBMSs like Polyhedra typify the industry's move toward higher level, off-the-shelf solutions for device software optimization.”

Availability

Enea did not respond by publication time to inquiries about product availability.

All Polyhedra RDBMS products share a common code base. Versions are available for 32- and 64-bit OSes, including Linux, Enea's OSE, VxWorks, Integrity, Windows, and Unix. A single-user developer license is priced at $11,995.

Another in-memory database vendor, McObject, recently announced battery-backed RAM support. Ittia also recently added NAND support to its new, from-scratch embedded database product.

 
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