Java DB Features & Benefits

Easy to Use

Java DB's embedded mode makes it simple to develop, deploy, and use applications, while allowing easy migration to client/server mode. Java DB is 100% pure Java, so it fits seamlessly with your Java development model. Just download the derby jar file and put it on your classpath. You are ready to develop and test, with no configuration required. With a few lines of code, the database starts in the same JVM as your application. IDEs such as NetBeans offer built-in support for Java DB.

When you are ready to deploy, it's equally easy. Just provide your customers with with the Java DB jar file as part of your product install. They won't even know that the database is there. There are no licensing fees for you or your customer.

Java DB supports the standards you are already familiar with -- Java, JDBC, ANSI SQL, and, for mobile applications, J2ME. Under development for over a decade, Java DB is robust and stable.

Upgrade is also easy. New Java DB versions can always read the data written by a previous release with no configuration required. To upgrade existing data to use new product features, set a single property on start-up.

Ease of use is in the Apache Derby project charter.

Flexible

Write applications with persistent data for desktop, browser, or mobile devices... Deploy your persistent app on a cell phone, laptop, or mainframe... Persist data on the client tier, middle tier, or server... Java DB can do it all!

Java DB can be run in the familiar client/server configuration, as well as embedded in your application, allowing any number of clients to connect. It is easy to use and easy to deploy for departmental client/server applications, with minimal tuning required. You can develop with Java DB embedded and then switch to client/server for deployment.

Embedded applications can also start the Network Server to allow outside connections. This configuration can be useful for reporting and debugging, for example.

Java DB has uses in all three tiers of a web application. As a server, it has the performance and security you need. Embedded in the middle tier, it can be a persistent cache for metadata or back-end RDBMS data. Performance is great because access is just a local method call. It can be embedded in a web client for local, off-line persistence.

Java DB's small foot print allows it to run on any device that supports Java ME CDC, providing the full power of a relational engine on a cell phone or PDA. Your data is also portable, so you can transfer it to flash memory and read it from an application running on a desktop machine.

Both software and stored data are platform independent. Java DB will run on any platform that has a JVM (Java EE, SE or ME CDC). The database can be copied from one platform to another. Copy your data from a server running Solaris to a Mac laptop or a PDA and everything still works.

Rich Feature Set

Standards-based

Java DB technology adheres to database standards such as JDBC and ANSI SQL standards. This means Java DB provides the functionality expected of a sophisticated relational database, including SQL syntax, transaction management, concurrency, triggers, and backups. It also means that it is easy to migrate an application using Java DB to and from other standards-based databases, such as PostgreSQL, Oracle and DB2.

Secure

Java DB provides a number of security mechanisms including database file encryption, authentication through either external LDAP directory or built-in repository, and authorization. In addition, access to the database can also be controlled at read-only or read-write level.

Java DB allows users to define trigger to ensure referential integrity. It also supports Java stored procedures.

Supported

Sun offers full, 24x7 support for Java DB.