The interpretation of Embedded Database（嵌入式数据库的介绍）

What is an embedded database?(有空再翻译)

第一段对嵌入式数据库的定义，比较简练。

An embedded database (Wikipedia Entry) engine is a database management system (DBMS) which is usually hidden from the applications end users, and requires no local database administrator to manage (zero config).  The application usually communicates to the database through an application programming interface (API) that may be SQL or proprietary database vendor native calls.

The application software that requires access to the stored data often includes the database maintenance functions as a part of their system, including backups, packing, table maintenance, etc.  The user of the application usually has no idea that the system is even using a database.

Embedded databases can use different architectures

第二段对嵌入式数据库的体系结构介绍了一下。

In process (sometimes called Serverless database) resides with the application and terminates when the application exits.  VistaDB is an in process engine.

Client / Server is usually not considered an embedded database because the database engine resides outside the application, and usually requires the end user to manage the server. 

Examples of Embedded Databases

Not sure what a real world embedded database app looks like?  Take a look at some of these examples.

• Desktop email software
  • Microsoft Outlook PST files
  • Thunderbird stores mail in multiple files that make up the data and indexes
  • Apple Mail uses an embedded database
• Desktop Search  (Google Desktop / Beagle / Live Search)
  • The desktop search market heavily uses local databases to store file data, search indexes and more
• Blackberry Smartphones
  • The Blackberry is actually a giant Oracle database.  The entire filesystem is stored in an embedded database.
• Desktop applications that embed Microsoft Access MDB files
  • Many use the Access Runtime for their datastore, but display icons and logos from their own application
  • Access may contain VBA Forms for controlling access to the data, and complex logic as well
  • Many small business packages are written as Access modules
• Games
  • Games are storing more and more data into embedded databases to allow quicker stats generation, or even as save game formats
• Accounting Packages
  • Most accounting systems like Quickbooks store their records in relational data for ease of reporting and quick retrieval of records based upon criteria
  • Microsoft Money files are also an embedded database
• Tax Systems
  • Applications like TurboTax store often store user entries in an embedded database for quick cross reference and tabular access to the results
• Switches / Routers
  • DNS enties, DHCP data, and even just the user configuration settings are often stored in databases
• Blogs
  • Almost every popular blogging system uses some form of database to put the blog and comment data.  Graffiti is an example that uses VistaDB to store the data with the blog for quick ftp deployment of the blog presentation and data.

VistaDB is an Embedded .Net Database Engine

VistaDB resides with your application and executes in process with your application.  The database files are a single file VDB3 file that may be renamed in order to be used as a file format for your application.  The VistaDB runtime assembly is a single .Net Assembly that may be merged into your application to further disguise the use of our database within your application. 

Most desktop users of VistaDB don't ever know they are using us! 

We allow you to seamlessly embed our database engine into your application for the best possible end user experience.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An embedded database system is a database management system (DBMS) which is tightly integrated with an application software that requires access to stored data, such that the database system is “hidden” from the application’s end-user and requires little or no ongoing maintenance. It is actually a broad technology category that includes database systems with differing application programming interfaces (SQL as well as proprietary, native APIs); database architectures (client/server and in-process); storage modes (on-disk, in-memory and combined); database models (relational, object-oriented, Entity-Attribute-Value model and network/CODASYL); and target markets. The term "embedded database" can be confusing because only a small subset of embedded database products is used in real-time embedded systems such as telecommunications switches and consumer electronics devices.[1]

嵌入式数据库系统是一个紧密集成到需要访问存储数据的应用软件内部，以至于这个应用的终端用户根本意识不到它的存在并且此数据库可自行维护。它其实是一个很宽泛的技术范畴，涵盖了各种应用编程接口、数据库体系结构（C/S模式或者进程内运行模式）；存储模型（基于磁盘、主存存储、或者混合产物）；数据库模型（关系型、面向对象、实体-属性-值）和目标市场等方面。其可在电信交换机和电子消费产品中应用。

In some ways it is anti-database appliance. Other way to look at it is abstraction of the database functions itself via end application Functions which interacts with the database. The application can be either Operating System or the end application. One of the analogy that can be used here is an integrated database in the operating system which is controlled via services of the operating system. For example if you use "svcadm enable postgres:version_82" on Solaris, a PostgreSQL 8.2 instance is enabled for you in the background. Which means you are ready to use it with no idea on where it is or what it is (except from the svcadm name). That's an analogy of embedded database. Many applications infact create their own menu items to backup application which includes the database underneath it and so on. If things are setup right, then you dont even have to execute any dedicated PostgreSQL commands to stop/start, backup etc and everything is done using application like svcadm, zfs snapshot, etc.

一些方式说嵌入式数据库为反数据库的应用。另一些方式着重着眼于连通与数据库交互的终端应用函数的数据库函数的抽象。而这个终端应用可以使操作系统（android ）或者是终端应用（基于PC（windows与linux）os的firefox web bowser和基于embedd os（wp7和ios））。前者是集成在操作系统里的数据库，用来控制操作系统的服务。例如，如果你在Solaris里面使用"svcadm enablepostgres:version_82" 。 PostgreSQL 8.2便会在后端为你服务。这意味着你会在不经意间在任何地方都会用到他。以下是另一类嵌入式数据库。一些应用实际上会建立他们自己的菜单项来支援包含其底层数据库的应用。如果一些顺利，ramon你不需要执行既定的PostgreSQL 指令带停止/启动，备份等，并且……