Slide 4.8: Whatever happened to object-oriented databases?

Whatever Happened to Object-Oriented DBs?

The following statuses are observed:

Relational databases are still by far the most widely used databases.

ORDBMSs are gaining in popularity.

Object-oriented database systems are still minor players with solid but strictly niche markets, for example, AI and CAD/CAM applications.

Through 2004, the annual growth rates of 18.2 percent for RDBMSs and ORDBMSs, and only 12.5 percent for OODBMSs.

Several technical issues have led to OODBSs’ limited strength:

Object-relational databases: ORDBSs work via an object layer that sits atop a conventional tabular relational engine.

Performance: OODBSs can store data sets in their entirely and thus typically run faster than relational databases. However, relational databases have reduced OODBSs’ performance advantage with improved optimizers.

Standardization: The Object Database Management Group has developed ODMG standards. However, vendors behind ODMG represent zero billion dollars in revenue while the vendors behind SQL represent several billion in revenue.

Business issue: Companies usually loathe to construct systems for a different technology, unless it offers a compelling business advantage, which has rarely been demonstrated by OO systems.

Review: Limited Strength of Object-Oriented Databases

Which issue has NOT led to the limited strength of object-oriented databases?

Business issue
Modeling/designing issue
Object-relational database issue
Performance issue

Result: