Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!ukc!icdoc!citycs!phils
From: phils@cs.city.ac.uk (Phil M Sleat)
Newsgroups: comp.realtime
Subject: Real-time Databases
Summary: Characteristics of real-time Databases
Message-ID: <1989Dec5.142048.23285@cs.city.ac.uk>
Date: 5 Dec 89 14:20:48 GMT
Sender: Phil M Sleat
Reply-To: phils@city.cs.ac.uk (Phil M Sleat)
Organization: City University, London
Lines: 28
Keywords:Database characteristics, requirements


I am doing a study into optimised architectures for real-time
database engines which may or may not use distributed techniques
and/or parallelism.

I would be very interested to hear from readers of this newsgroup, 
as to what they think the main characteristics of real-time database 
subsystems are. Do you have any experience in implementing real-time
databases ? What were the main requirements for the database function
of the system ?

In order to get a sensible frame of reference for this subject I
should explain what type of real-time system I'm considering. Large,
complex real-time control systems for example in chemical control 
plants; or C3 (command, control, and communications) systems in
naval vessels are my main area of interest. With the later, C3 systems
being my primary source of information. The most obvious
characteristics of the database function of these systems match the
general requirements for the whole system i.e. high performance, 
reliability, expandability, graceful degradation under hardware/software failure etc. What though are the specific characteristics of the 
database and DBMS and what makes them different from commercial 
non-real-time databases and DBMSs.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.


Phil M Sleat
JANET: phils@uk.ac.city.cs