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From: martha@geowhiz.UUCP (Martha Savage)
Newsgroups: net.database
Subject: request info on relational database system for scientific data
Message-ID: <344@geowhiz.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jan-86 13:08:02 EST
Article-I.D.: geowhiz.344
Posted: Fri Jan 10 13:08:02 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jan-86 00:35:05 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: UW Madison, Geology Dept.
Lines: 34

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
We would like to set up a seismological database, and are
looking for a good database system for a MASSCOMP machine.
(MASSCOMP is a 68000-based machine which runs its own
version of UNIX--a problem in itself).  Does anyone have
experience with a relational database system which works
well for scientific data?  I'd like to hear (by e-mail) 
the pros and cons of your system, especially in relation to 
the wish-list below (numbered in order of priority).

1) can be brought up on the MASSCOMP UNIX

2) is sold by an established company which is unlikely to go
belly-up and is likely to fix bugs in new releases, which come
out regularly.

3) has a way of allowing back-up storage to a file, etc. which
does not lose precision.

4) has a query-type language for accessing and formatting data easily.

5) allows scientific functions in such a language (e.g., square roots,
logs, exponentials)

6) allows storage of data in exponential notation

7) (one can always hope) has a date-time storage type which stores
fractions of a second and/or takes leap seconds into account.

Thanks in advance for your help.
-- 
         Martha Kane Savage
U. Wisc. Dept. Geology and Geophysics
{ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!geowhiz!martha