High-Speed Databases Rev Corporate Apps
New technologies for hyperperformance are speeding transaction processing and analytics.
Computerworld - Relational database management systems have become all but ubiquitous in enterprise computing since 1970, when they were first devised by E.F. Codd. But as powerful and flexible as those databases are, they've proved inadequate for a handful of ultrademanding applications that have to process hundreds or thousands of transactions per second and never go down. Now, the very-high-performance database technologies that sprang up to serve these niche markets, such as options trading and telephone call processing, are poised to move into mainstream computing.

![]()
Image Credit: Richard Borge ![]()
While some of these products do "store" data in memory-resident data-bases -- either relational or object-oriented -- the tools are primarily designed to speed transaction processing and analytics, not to act as data repositories.
Thanks for the Memory
Interact Inc., a Lincoln, Neb.-based communications service provider, has for more than 10 years used the in-memory database capabilities of Hewlett-Packard Co.'s NonStop servers to do real-time pricing of incoming telephone calls. But the big, expensive computers were overkill for some Interact customers, such as small mobile telephony resellers, says Tom Massey, director of business development.
So 18 months ago, Interact began to offer a call-pricing service that runs on Linux and Unix servers and uses Oracle Corp.'s TimesTen In-Memory database. "NonStop is big iron and more geared to larger operators," Massey says. "Linux and Unix platforms scale down much better, and operators often prefer them because they are not knowledgeable about NonStop."
Oracle acquired the TimesTen technology last June. Oracle saw the in-memory database as a way to extend its enterprise back-end data storage capabilities to high-performance real-time applications such as Interact's. Interact uses Oracle for back-end data storage as well and does not yet interface those databases with TimesTen, but Massey says he plans to do so.
"We need sub-10-millisecond response time, and you can't get that performance out of an Oracle relational database," says Ed McKee, director of applications at Interact. "To get that kind of performance, the amount of iron you'd have to have would be very significant."
On the other hand, he notes, the in-memory TimesTen product isn't suitable for large-scale data



- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- X-Ray of the PCI Process-4 Proactive Steps
- This white paper from Forrester Research Inc., helps break PCI into understandable components. Security and risk professionals will gain knowledge and insight into...
- Forrester: Economic Impact of Switching to Google Apps
- Content provided by Google
Read this Forrester report on the "total economic impact" of Google Apps, and learn how switching to Google Apps creates... - Intelligent Systems: Unlocking Hidden Business Value with Data
- An intelligent system enables data to flow across an enterprise infrastructure, spanning the devices where valuable data is gathered from employees and customers,...
- Concepts of NonStop SQL/MX
- For DBAs and developers who are familiar with Oracle solutions and want to learn about NonStop SQL/MX, this whitepaper provides an overview of...
- HP Advanced Information Services for SAP In-Memory Appliance (SAP HANA)
- Organizations are eager to connect the vast amounts of data available within and outside their businesses to compete more effectively and make better... All BI and Analytics White Papers
- Quantifying the Business Value of VMware View - Webcast
- Many enterprises have discovered that the use of virtualization to support desktop workloads creates a range of significant benefits. These benefits include price...
- Good to Great - How to Take Business Analytics to the Next Level
- By attending this webcast you will learn how you can implement an effective BA strategy that will deliver maximum strategic value to your...
- Supporting Mobile Productivity With A Limited IT Budget
- Join us and hear from Kaseya mobile IT management experts as we discuss core strategies for supporting the mobile revolution on a shoestring...
- User Experience Monitoring
- In this webinar, you will learn hints & tips for improving end-user response times from Forrester Research analyst, Jean-Pierre Garbani.
- Hints & Tips Cisco
- Overwhelmed by tracking your Vblock, Flexpod or Cisco UCS performance? Spend one hour with Nimsoft to learn how you can eliminate the overhead... All BI and Analytics Webcasts