Object-Relational Databases (ORDBMS) are the "next great wave" of database technology, offering powerful opportunities to enhance flexibility, functionality, and performance. This book explains ORDBMS technology in depth, and presents a start-to-finish design and implementation methodology for ORDBMS development. In Part I, Paul Brown reviews the key features and functionality built into today's object-relational databases. Brown introduces the ORDBMS data model, query language, the basics of ORDBMS extensibility, relationships between the ORDBMS and middleware, and, finally, key APIs used to integrate an ORDBMS with other components of an enterprise information system. In Part II, Brown shows how to use these features and concepts to build a complete, working system. Using a complete e-commerce case study, he describes a semi-formal methodological road map for optimizing the effectiveness of ORDBMS systems. Along the way, Brown also covers database extensibility, DataBlades, and a variety of crucial related issues, including physical data management in ORDBMS environments; using Java to create UDTs and UDRs; ORDBMS system catalogs; and more. All sample code is included on the accompanying CD-ROM.
PAUL BROWN is Informix's "Chief Plumber," and one of the architects of Informix's IDS.2000TM Object-Relational DBMS product. He was a senior consultant for Illustra, the pioneering ORDBMS start-up and has worked at UC Berkeley on Postgres, the object-relational research project.