A Survey Of Embedded Database Technology For Mobile Applications
- Conference
- Location
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Austin, Texas
- Publication Date
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June 14, 2009
- Start Date
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June 14, 2009
- End Date
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June 17, 2009
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Information Systems
- Page Count
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12
- Page Numbers
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14.123.1 - 14.123.12
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--5810
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/5810
- Download Count
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642
Paper Authors
Kyle Lutes Purdue University
Kyle Lutes is an Associate Professor for the Department of Computer & Information Technology (CIT) at Purdue University. Kyle joined the department in 1998 and is the chair of the department’s software development curriculum. His teaching and scholarly interests cover a broad range of software development areas including software applications for mobile devices, data-centered application development, and software entrepreneurialism. He has authored/co-authored numerous papers and two college textbooks on various software development-related topics. Prior to his current appointment at Purdue, Kyle worked for 16 years as a software engineer and developed systems for such industries as banking, telecommunications, publishing, healthcare, athletic recruiting, retail, and pharmaceutical sales.
John Springer Purdue University
John Springer, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University where he specializes in Data Management and is the chair of the Data Management curricular area subcommittee. Dr. Springer's expertise and research interests lie in database implementation and information integration.
Kelly Howard Purdue University
Kelly Howard is a web developer for the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. She has a Master's degree in Technology from Purdue University, and her research interests are in data privacy and software security.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
A Survey of Embedded Database Technology for Mobile Applications
Abstract
A recent project required us to develop a software application that runs on mobile devices of various form factors. Almost all non-trivial software requires data persistence of some sort, even those running on small mobile devices. For very small amounts of data, a simple sequential file is often adequate. However, for larger and more complex data sets, software developers of mobile applications frequently employ an Embedded Database Management System (EDBMS) to aid in data storage needs. While we have extensive experience in both using database management systems in software development projects, and developing applications for mobile devices, we did not feel we had enough information about EDBMS alternatives. A quick internet search shows there are a variety of commercial and open source embedded database products available on the market today. Adding to our confusion was the fact there does not seem to be any clearly defined set of standard features for embedded database products. The purpose of this study was then to educate ourselves on the various options available. In this paper, we discuss some of the options that must be considered when choosing a data persistence strategy and present the findings of our research of 17 embedded database management system products from 11 different vendors. In the paper, we list 20 desirable characteristics common in embedded database management system products, and summarize their availability in each of the products we reviewed.
Introduction
The term embedded can be defined as being “inserted as an integral part of a surrounding whole,”1. A quick Google search of the word “embedded” yields over 76 million results, with Information Technology (IT) centered applications of the term spanning computing, databases, processors, programming, systems, and more. According to Massa and Barr2, an embedded system is a blending of hardware and software for a dedicated function.
One of the more interesting aspects of embedded systems is the embedded database. As embedded systems have advanced in complexity, reliable and efficient data management has become increasingly important. At one end of the spectrum, this includes network routers and gateways as well as storage devices and entertainment systems3. On the other end of the spectrum are devices such as PDAs, digital cameras, and mobile phones, which need data storage and synchronization but also require a small footprint 3. All of these systems take advantage of the embedded database to eliminate the overhead of an SQL query to a remote database server for every transaction3.
The embedded database is most commonly defined as “a software component that is part of the application,” with its operations invoked by the application4. For the purposes of this study, a few general assumptions can be followed regarding embedded databases3:
It runs as part of the application or on the host system (such as with a PDA); no separate or remote database server is required.
Lutes, K., & Springer, J., & Howard, K. (2009, June), A Survey Of Embedded Database Technology For Mobile Applications Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5810
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