The Berkeley DB Book

The database technology landscape has been changing rapidly over the last few years. The server-based relational databases, which were so successful in solving the data-storage problem for traditional client/server and web-based applications, are no longer able to meet the requirements of newer applications, such as handheld devices, appliance-based solutions, and distributed applications. Berkeley DB is not a new technology that was designed to meet the requirements of this new breed of applications, but it is flexible enough to be used in these applications nevertheless. Berkeley DB doesn’t fulfill all the requirements of these appli- tions, so new database technologies will evolve to fill the void. However, its versatility and flexibility will certainly influence the design of any new database product. This book’s target audience ranges all the way from developers who don’t know anything about Berkeley DB to fairly knowledgeable users. Therefore, I expect that not all readers will be interested in reading the entire book. I have given a brief outline of each chapter below to help you decide which chapters you may want to read or skip. Chapter 1: This chapter offers a general introduction to Berkeley DB. It includes a brief history of its development and a basic description of its architecture. If you’re already familiar with Berkley DB, you can skip this chapter.