Comparison of O2, Objectivity, ObjectStore, Versant

This is updated and upgraded version of "Comparison of ten ooDBMS" (.ps, .pdf)
made by Peter Kueng from University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Most of information in this table was given  by vendors.

PRODUCT

CRITERION

O2 www.o2tech.com
(v.5.0)

OBJECTIVITY www.objectivity.com
(v.5.0)

OBJECTSTORE www.odi.com
(v.5.0)

VERSANT www.versant.com
(v.5.0)

1. DBMS supports user defined data typesYES YESYESYES
2. DBMS supports IS_A relationshipsYESYES YESYES
3. DBMS supports PART_OF RelationshipsYES YESYESYES
4. DBMS supports multiple inheritanceYES YESYESYES
5. DBMS supports the concept of versionYES YESYESYES
6. DBMS checks the cardinality between objectsYES YESYESYES
7. DBMS supports long transactionsNO* YESYESYES
8. DBMS supports replication of dataYES YESYESYES
9. DBMS supports data encryptionYESNO NONO*
10. Attributes of objects has to be defined in the language... C++
O2C
JAVA SMALLTALK4 		C++
JAVA
SMALLTALK
SQL 		C, C++
JAVA
SMALLTALK3
ACTIVE X 		C, C++
JAVA
SMALLTALK
11. DBMS stores the methods of objects in the DB YESNO, METHODS ARE 
STORED IN THE CLIENT 		NO, METHODS ARE 
STORED IN THE CLIENT		 YES
12. Methods of objects has to be defined in the language... C++
JAVA
O2C SMALLTALK4 		C++
JAVA
SMALLTALK
SQL 		C, C++
JAVA
SMALLTALK3
ACTIVE X 		C, C++
JAVA
SMALLTALK
13. DBMS supports application programming in C++ YESYESYESYES
14. DBMS supports application programming in JAVA YESYESYESYES
15. DBMS supports application programming in Smalltalk YES4 YESYES3 YES
STANDARDS
16. DBMS supports the Object Definition Language ODL** NOYES, trough a 3rd party product from their german distributor (MICRAM) NONO
17. DBMS supports the Object Query Language OQL** YES, v1.2YES, supports all of SQL-92 which includes sql select with method execution, but not oql typing that differs from SQL-92 NONO
18. DBMS supports ODMG C++ binding**YES, v1.2 YES, all basis capabilities (ref, relationships, etc.), but not collections YES, v1.2YES, v1.2
19. DBMS supports ODMG Smalltalk binding** YES, v1.2YES, v1.2YES, v1.23 NO
20. DBMS supports the standard SQL in interactive mode NOYESNOYES
21. DBMS supports the standard SQL in embedded mode NOYESYESYES, via ODBC
22. DBMS supports a database language based on SQL YESYESYESYES
QUERIES
23. DBMS supports ad-hoc queries with a GUIYES YES, YESYES
24. DBMS supports ad-hoc queries with a 4GLYES YESYESYES
25. DBMS supports ad-hoc queries with a knowledge-oriented language (e.g. Lisp) YESYESNO*NO*
26. DBMS supports ad-hoc queries with a object-oriented language (e.g. C++) YESYES, as long as those tools support ODBC YESYES
27. DBMS supports embedded queries with a 4GLYES YESYESYES
SCHEMA MODIFICATION
28. DBMS supports ad-hoc updates of the DB-schema with a GUI YESYESYESYES
29. DBMS supports ad-hoc updates of the DB-schema with a 4GL YESNOYESNO*
30. DBMS supports ad-hoc updates of the DB-schema with a knowledge-oriented language YESNONONO*
31. DBMS supports ad-hoc updates of the DB-schema with a object-oriented language YESYESYESYES
CASE-TOOLS
32. DBMS is supported by an integrated object-oriented CASE-tool YESNO RATIONAL ROSENO
33. DBMS is supported by a 3rd party object-oriented CASE-tool YESYES, CLASSIFY/DB FROM MICRAMYES, OBJECTMARKER, MARK V, PARADIGM+ YES, OEW, OMTOOL, RATIONAL ROSE*
34. DBMS is supported by a non-object-oriented CASE-tool YESNONONO
ACCESS TO OTHER DBMS
35. An application running on the ooDBMS can read data which reside on other ooDBMS YESYESYESYES
36. An application running on the ooDBMS can modify data which reside on other ooDBMS YESYESYESYES
37. An application running on the ooDBMS can read data on the relational DBMS ORACLE YESYESYESYES
38. An application running on the ooDBMS can read data on other DBMS YESYESYESYES
ARCHITECTURE
39. DBMS supports a single-user single-tasking environment  YESYESYESYES
40. DBMS supports a single-user multi-tasking environment YESYESYES, supports multiple threads within a transaction rather than transaction-per-thread YES
41. DBMS supports a multi-user environmentYES YESYESYES
42. DBMS is based on the client-server principle YESYES, but thin server and fat client (queries are executed in the client) YES, but thin server and fat client (queries are executed in the client) YES (queries may be executed either in the client, or in the server)
43. The physical data can reside on the client part YESYES, in fact anywhere on the networkYES YES
44. The applications can run autonomously on the client part YESYESYESYES
45.  Integration with CORBA environment YESYESYESYES
46. Data transfer (pages/objects)pagespages pagesobjects
47. Object execution on serveractivepassive passivepassive
TRANSACTIONS
48. DBMS supports nested transactionsNO DATA NOT YET, but it supports concurrent transactions YESYES
49. DBMS supports MROWNO DATAYES YESNO DATA
50. DBMS supports long transactionsNO* YESYESYES
SERVER
51. DBMS supports MS_WindowsYES, WINDOWS NT YES, WINDOWS NT and 95YES, WINDOWS NT and 95YES, WINDOWS NT and 95
52. DBMS supports OS/2NONOYES YES
53. DBMS supports SUN OSYESYES YESYES
54. DBMS supports SUN SOLARISYESYES YESYES
55. DBMS supports AIXYESYESYES YES
56. DBMS supports VMSNOYES, but they are planning to phase this out NONO
57. DBMS supports data distribution over several servers YESYESYESYES
58. DBMS supports other OSHPUX, BOSX, IRIX, DIGITAL UNIX most of UNIX systemsHP-UX, IRIX, DIGITAL UNIX, NEC UNIX, Siemens Nixdorff UNIXmost of UNIX systems
CLIENT
59. DBMS supports MS-WindowsYES, WINDOWS NT YES, WINDOWS NT and 95YES, WINDOWS NT and 95YES, WINDOWS NT and 95
60. DBMS supports MacintoshYESNO NONO
61. DBMS supports SUN OSYESYES YESYES
62. DBMS supports data distribution over several clients YESYESYESYES
63. DBMS supports other OSYESmost of UNIX systems HP-UX, IRIX, DIGITAL UNIX, NEC UNIX, Siemens Nixdorff UNIXmost of UNIX systems
MARKET
64. Market Share1 10%9% 29%9%
65. Prices2 3000$ per seat3000$ per seat 3500$ per seatNO DATA

* - No new data. Information was taken from Peter Kueng's table. Versions:
    O2 4.3
    Objectivity 3.0
    ObjectStore 3.0
    Versant 2.1

** - compliance through the first quarter of 1996, taken from http://www.odmg.org/

1 - Source: International Data Corp. aka IDC. 1995

2 - Source: ODBMSFACTS www.odbmsfacts.com

3 - ODI dropped Smalltalk support in 5.0 (it was supported in 4.0 version)

4 - O2 dropped Smalltalk support in 5.0 (it was supported in earlier versions)

This table was filled by:
  Tomasz Chendynski
  Zbigniew Rastabiga
  Piotr Ukowski
supervisor:
 Vahe AMIRBEKIAN

Attention! If you find some irrelevant information given in this table, please, contact with me.

Last updated 1997.07.01.