FirstSQL, Inc., a provider of 100% Java Object-relational SQL database systems, today announced the availability of FirstSQL/J Enterprise Server version 2.60.

This latest release enhances support for J2EE (Java 2, Enterprise Edition) standards, making it easier for customers to develop and deploy J2EE applications using FirstSQL/J Enterprise Server with J2EE application servers.

FirstSQL/J Enterprise Server adds support for J2EE Connector Architecture (JCA) v1.0 & v1.5, connection pooling, and Java Transaction APIs (JTA) for distributed transaction (XA) capabilities.

FirstSQL/J Enterprise Server is focused on the market for Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) applications that use complex Java object models and the relational database model together to address business needs. FirstSQL/J provides a sophisticated relational database with advanced SQL functionality for manipulating serialized Java objects and their methods. Java object persistence is provided internally without the complexity and need for external O/R mapping tools.

JCA provides a solution to the problem of connectivity between JCA compliant application servers and EISs already in existence. The use of the JCA standard decreases the need for programming by creating standardized, reusable components such as Enterprise Java beans (EJB) 2.0 Container Manager Persistence (CMP). Application server vendors who conform to the J2EE Connector architecture do not need to add custom code whenever they want to add connectivity to a new EIS.

FirstSQL/J Enterprise Client implements a Resource Adapter for JCA. JCA provides for both connection pooling and XA transactions. The FirstSQL/J Resource Adapter supports JDBC connections. The Resource Adapter implementation, associated classes, configuration XML and documentation are packaged in a standard JCA deployment file that is available for JBoss today.

FirstSQL/J’s Distributed Transactions (XA) uses standard JTA controls. XA capabilities are available through JDBC 2 Standard Extension Data Source Facility and through JDBC 3 JCA. J2EE Data Source capabilities have been extended with additional facilities for JDBC 2 Standard Edition Data Source to include Connection Pooling and XA Processing.

Additional features in v2.60 include a new Build API, Arbiter API, and RemoteLogger facility. The Build API allows a database to be created from within application code. The Arbiter API provides full application control of failover to Standby replication servers in a daisy-chained configuration. The RemoteLogger is a log management tool to manage and store server logs remotely or locally with configurable file size, number of backup files, and file location.

Visit the FirstSQL home page: www.firstsql.com

Read the press release

Ok, so how is this better than, let's say, using MySQL+Hibernate?

OK, so you don't have time to look into it - fine. I'll start at the basic technical level; FirstSQL is an SQL92 Intermediate level RDBMS - MySQL does not come close in SQL or relational support. FirstSQL was written from the start in Java for scalability and transaction processing with an optimized query engine with both disk and In-memory mode of operation. MySQL is slow, FirstSQL always tests faster. MySQL doesn't really compare to FirstSQL at any level on the technical side - but then it isn't designed to be very sophisticated - is it? It is a commodity dbms written in C.

As for objects in the database - we believe a database vendor knows how to handle and map objects better (and seamlessly) then any 3rd party tool.

You can save the learning and complexity of JDO, O/R mapping tools like Hibernate, and their object query methodologies for MySQL and other databases - native Java object persistence, including methods, is provided with the innovative and intuitive CREATE CLASS DDL command. Java objects are based on unmodified Java classes - and manipulated with standard SQL (no need to learn some new inadequate syntax). Java database objects enhance the power of SQL, allowing their methods to be called in standard SQL from the client and executed on the server.

FirstSQL/J supports a rich set of SQL data types plus the ability to use Java objects in database columns. Java types are mapped with database types internally. This provides maximum developer productivity. I think the productivity gains, while certainly only one of dozens advantages, may be the most important reason why FirstSQL is better then MySQL and Hibernate.

Dave M.

"OK, so you don't have time to look into it - fine. "

Does everyone have to completely research any topic they might have a slight interest in? While I applaud you for giving an answer, the bad attitude is unnecessary.

Numerous times I have searched newsgroups for answers only to see responses to posts with “do a search, this has been discussed many times”. I wish those people would ignore the post, copy the answer into the reply, or copy the link to the answer.

The RTFM disease in the computer industry needs to be cured.

I agree with your good points. I didn't mean to seem like I was copping an attitude. It was an honest Q and I tried to give an honest A.

How do you make a distributed transaction in MySQL?

> How do you make a distributed transaction in MySQL?

How do you make a distributed transaction in any database?

Sandeep.

This was a weak joke on the "make" part. Ignore it. Guess I need to punch out for the day.

Sandeep.

For starters, you can execute object methods in the database.

Does this new version fully support unicode ? That was my biggest concern about your product.

FirstSQL supports UNICODE through its Database Objects capability. It includes an implementation of java.sql.Clob for UNICODE storage. Clob is fully integrated with the JDBC driver (works with getClob, setClob, getString, setString, etc.). It also supports java.sql.Blob.

Well, given the fact that on some platforms, a single JVM can handle up to 2GB of heap, how do you swap between a DB2 and FirstSQL on a 8GB RAM pSeries? Can I distribute my tables on different devices in order to feed my 4 processors?

Are there any cache management flexible policies? How about replication between 2 FirstSQL DBs?

Regards,
Horia

Hi !

If I were to handle more than 2GB memory, I would use jdk 1.4 NIO mmap'ed files...
This allows you to use out-of-heap memory... good to know...
If I were to write a DB in Java, I guess I would use mmap'ed files anyway :-)

But I don't know if FirstSQL uses NIO, nor if it can handle more than 2GB memory.

Bye
Chris

Ups, no more GC?
Business objects would have to be serialized/deserialized into/out of the off-heap buffer right? I think there will be a performance penalty.

But after all you are right. This is a solution.

Regards,
Horia

Memory mapping files under the current 1.4 JDKs is pretty slow. I've done tests with this vs. regular channels and direct buffers, and the latter was significantly faster.

On top of this, there's no way to release mmap'd memory in your Java process. If you're working with many files it's quite easy to zoom your memory use into the stratosphere.

    -Mike

Use a 64 bit OS to take full advantage of large memory with FirstSQL/J and Java.

FirstSQL is limited to the heap size supported by the JVM for cache memory, but this does not limit the actual table sizes except in memory mode. JVMs on 64-bit CPUs can normally handle heaps larger than 2GB.

FirstSQL provides full replication and fail-over capabilities.

>

Fair enough. I was questioning the heap memory model used in JVM and how appropiate it is to use a DB implemented in java in some apps. Probably only few apps require such big caches.

> FirstSQL provides full replication and fail-over capabilities.

Regarding replication capabilities, at first hand reading, I understand that a FirstSQL replica can't operate "online", but as a stand by incarnation of a master DB. In "some" scenarios, one needs the master DB to handle high OLTP hits (custom indexes and all) and one (or more) asynchronous replicas to take care of (with some delay) ad hoc and "breath taking" queries .

Regards,
Horia

The standby(s) is a replica that can switch to read/write but until it does (upon failure/shutdown of the master) is available in read-only mode. It could only receive updates from the master to stay in sync with it.

Most importantly, FirstSQL/J is renowned for its robustness! The product comes with various tools for backup, replication and fault recovery, which can be called from the command line or via a graphical user interface.

Not only does FirstSQL/J support conventional backup and recovery via a snapshot and roll forward process but it also supports replication capabilities which automatically write all committed changes to a second server. A standby server supports live recovery from failure of the primary server. When a standby server detects the primary server has failed, it automatically switches to active mode, and clients can reconnect to it to continue processing.

Another most interesting feature is the implementation of a recursive query which traverses a tree structure. To my knowledge, the only other database that offers this feature is Oracle. This way you can represent a hierarchical structure with one table and produce a flat result set with a single SELECT statement.

Best regards,
Elisabeth

>
Looks like there is a standard SQL feature, inline views and "WITH" statement can do the same. But I see FirstSQL is very feature rich and I am going to try it.
BTW Can I find ODBC driver and DBI interface for FirstSQL ? Do I need connectivity bridges/workarounds for native applications and scripts ?

As a user of FirstSQL the features I appreciate the most are:
1. The ability to store and retreive a complete object graph. This is an enormous time saving over persistence strategies that require you to take apart and reassemble objects.
2. Support for standard JDBC syntax, so one database provides the ability to store objects but also address all your other data storage needs too.
3. The ability to embed the database in your application or run it as a stand alone server, as your requirements dictate.


Another interesting feature (that I admittedly have not used yet) is the ability to invoke methods on stored objects from within the sql query.

Also, I must mention that the support assistence from FirstSQL has been above and beyond the call.

> 1. The ability to store and retreive a complete object graph. This is an enormous time saving over persistence strategies that require you to take apart and reassemble objects.
>
Doe's it transforms objects to tuples ?
Is it possible to use this data without JAVA on client ?
It is not any kind of RDMS feature and it breaks data if objects are serialized to "JAVA blobs".

Objects are not broken, they are stored as native Java objects. It is possible to annotate objects with Interface and inherited class names.

> Is it possible to use this data without JAVA on client ?
> It is not any kind of RDMS feature and it breaks data if objects are serialized to "JAVA blobs".

FirstSQL does not break objects into tuples. It stores objects as column values in rows (tuples). Using the objects does require Java on the client.

Unlike RDBMSs that just store objects as opaque Blobs, FirstSQL allows the objects to be used in SQL -- creating the objects, calling their methods, updating changed objects.

Hi,

Beyond the jdbc/odbc bridge provided by Sun there really isn't much for going the other way. There are a couple companies that provide these tools (try google).
An odbc driver or odbc/jdbc bridge for FirstSQL would be nice and is an important but there just hasn't been enough demand.

Hi Dave!

"An odbc driver or odbc/jdbc bridge for FirstSQL would be nice and is an important but there just hasn't been enough demand."

  http://www.easysoft.com/products/2023/main.phtml

EasySoft says: "The Easysoft ODBC-JDBC Gateway is the simple solution to this problem: a fully functional ODBC 3.5 driver which allows you to access any JDBC data source from any Windows ODBC application."

Apparently, it works with quite a few drivers. There are a list of ODBC capabilities supported and not supported here:
  http://www.easysoft.com/products/2023/tech_features.phtml

Have you tried this? EastSoft of course also a vendor for an ODBC driver that runs with FirstSQL (not FirstSQL/J).

gardz,

Rich
www.javaskyline.com/database.html

Thanks! - been looking for something like this. There must be many people interested in it then we know about.

Dave M.

Not only does FirstSQL sell at a very reasonable price - their support is simply OUTSTANDING.

Regards,
T. Elisabeth

This looks good for Java Desktop applications. I think this will be a good competitor for VB/Access duo. Java AWT/SWING/SWT + First SQL.

For ServerSide, I wonder how scalable it is. They really need to do some performance benchmarks against existing RDBMS databases like Oracle, db2.



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FirstSQL is built for scalability and scales very well on ITanium2, IBM iSeries, and Sun Solaris 64-bit. We don't have experience at the Desktop level, much less with VB or Access - Our users are only replacing Oracle with FirstSQL on large server platforms.

Oh - But because we haven't released any benchmarks for server platforms and you are a VB/Access Desktop App expert you must be right.

Dave,

What is this?

"FirstSQL/J ProLite - FREE version of Professional - ProLite version 1.1mb .jar file with documentation."

Is there a feature comparison?

Sandeep

No hard feelings about your product. I just meant that a product like this on desktop will help Java grow more on the desktop too. Sun's hope for 10 million developers includes luring VB developers to Java.

Good to hear that your product is being used to replace Oracle.

F.Y.I: I have been with Java since JDK 1.0 and been working on J2EE for the past 4 years.

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Thanks, I was taking it a little as a slam. Good point on the position of Sun and the huge VB/Access developer market. I will say that Sun doesn't seem to be 100% behind Java at least when it comes to "Java databases". Berkely DB is a C database that seems to be one of their standards for use in internal projects. I know why, but it is counter intuitive to their push to increase Java penetration.