Free Essay Example on Databases

Database management systems (DBMS) are computer-based software applications that are able to interact with users, applications as well as the database itself. This is in order to capture as well as analyze data itself. General-purpose DBMS are designed to facilitate the definition, update, querying, administration and creation of databases. This essay is a discussion of three database systems, the Ozone, SharePoint, and SAP, illustrating what the databases can do, the cost that would be incurred if used in an institution, the time taken to build the databases and evaluation of the need to use a linking feature forany web application program with the databases.

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What Can the Applications Do or Not Do?

Ozone Database

It is a fully featured as well as object-oriented database that is used as a management system. The system is entirely developed in Java and then it is distributed under an open source application license (Sun Microsystems, 2016). The Ozone database incorporates a fully developed W3C Compliant, which is a DOM implementation capability that permits users to store all XML data (Ozone, 2016). Through this capability, a user can employ any XML tool in order to provide access to any XML data. In addition, the effectiveness of the Ozone database is enhanced by the support classes offered to guide novice users on using Apache Xerces-J as well as Xalan-J.

In addition to its native API, the Ozone database also offers an integrated ODMG 3.0 interface. However, this interface is not essentially fully ODMG compliant but enables users to port various applications to and from the Ozone database. The most outstanding capability about Ozone is that it is not reliant on any integrated ODMG 3.0 interface. It also does not rely on any mapping technology for it to be able to save objects. The Ozone contains its own clustered storage as well as a cache system, which is able to handle persistent objects. There are four primary features that make the Ozone database a cutting edge among other databases in the market.

They include the ability to use various persistent objects that are freely availed on the Ozone network. The database also features a remarkably powerful multiuser support interface. The speed of the application is also fast and adequate to the performance of various tasks. Finally, during the creation of the database, there was a seamless integration of the database development framework with the main software effort. There are three main versions of the Ozone database that can be used by an institution. They include the Version 1.1, Version 1.2 and Version 1.2x. All the three version have distinct features that differentiate them in terms of performance. The pricing is also different for each of the three versions.

SharePoint

This is a web application or a database that can be used by institutions to develop websites. SharePoint is used like a safe place for storing, organizing, sharing as well as accessing any data via any mobile device (Microsoft, 2016). The database can be launched from any browser like Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome. There are five SharePoint applications that have distinctive features and performance capabilities. SharePoint Online is hosted by Microsoft as a cloud-based service that can allow employees to share documents and other data with colleagues and customers. SharePoint Server can be used by an institution to deploy as well as control the SharePoint server in the institution. It contains essential data sharing features like the Enterprise Data Management, Newsfeed, enterprise search as well as personal sites.

SharePoint Foundation was the primary technology that was used to form the basis for all other SharePoint applications. In an institution, it can be used to develop documents, calendars, data, lists, as well as web pages. The SharePoint Designer, on the other hand, is an open online application that can be used in an institution to build workflow-supported solutions. It can edit various external content types as well as external data solutions, which are all based on institutions connectivity services. Finally, OneDrive is the final SharePoint product that can be used for business document syncing services. It is a PC application, which can be used to sync documents from team sites. A user can also transfer documents to his/her personal computer for later use in offline sessions.

SAP HANA Database

SAP is a column-oriented, relational as well as relational database management system, which was engineered and retailed by the SAP SE corporation. Initially, the SAP HANA was referred as the SAP High-Performance Analytic Appliance. There are seven SAP Databases that an institution can use for their operations. Such include the DB2 that is applicable for z/OS, DB2 that is compatible with LUW, Informix, Oracle, SAP MaxDB, Oracle as well as MS SQL Server. The SAP database offers business intelligence to an institution by supporting a real-time response. The database also has cloud computing technologies, via IBM Cloud, which can be used to backup various institutional information and other data.

The SAP enterprise software was developed in 2013, and it can be used for enterprise resource planning purposes. In 2014, a new SAP HANA application was also developed through the partnership of VMWare and SAP HANA. The product was referred as VMware vSphere 5.5. Since its development, SAP has attained a total of two hundred and thirty thousand customers (Henschen, 2014). This is because of the effectiveness of the databases packing analytics as well as application servers that ease the performance of various functions within an institution. All these features are incorporated into one large SAP platform also referred as the SAP HANA Platform.

There are various functions that make SAP HANA Databases essential for institutional use. Such include the ability of the users to develop, deploy and manage various intelligent institutional-ready mobile apps (SAP HANA Cloud Developers, 2016). Employees or staff members can integrate the cloud technology to the on-premises apps easily and safely. They also aid in unlocking knowledge and maximizes teamwork as a well as productivity in an organization. The support is able to support high-volume transaction processing as well as voluminous data analysis. Finally, the database aids in structuring a vibrant web-based development business environment.

The Approximated Costs of Using the Databases and Time Taken in Their Setup

The Open Database Project is free, and the institutions IT department can download the application from the Ozone Database website. The applications are small in size averaging 250 megabytes in size. They are easy to install since they have an interactive dialogue that guides users on the installation process. The installation or setup of any of the Ozone database application only takes a few minutes to complete. However, this time can be different depending on the number of computers being used in the institution. Users can download the applications from the easy access links offered at the Ozone website. SharePoint only requires a short time to setup since it is a cloud-based system and does not require any installation.

SharePoint Online pricing packages can be obtained from the Microsoft website, and they vary depending on different packages. Nevertheless, the price ranges from USD$5 to USD$10 per user, per month. This is for the SharePoint Online plan 1 and 2 packages. Nevertheless, SharePoint Server Standard and Enterprise can only be purchased alongside Office 365. A license to operate the two is required, and it is issued to the user once the plan or package is purchased. The Office Home and Student 2016 application cost around $149.99 a one-time purchase and about $70 annually for single users. Office 365 business costs USD$10 per month with an annual commitment fee of US$8 (Office 365 Business, 2016). The institution should formulate these costs by multiplying with the number of computers being used in the organization.

Among all the other discussed databases, SAP HANA database is the most expensive to acquire. There are three packages that the institution can choose from when making a database purchase decision. They include SAP Cloud platforms develop edition, starter edition 32GB, and starter edition 64GB. The developer edition is offered for free, but it is not appropriate for institutional performance. This is because it has a limited cloud storage space. The starter edition 32GB goes for USD$439 per month, with a minimum contract of three months (SAP HANA Cloud Platform, 2016). The starter edition 64GB goes for USD$549 per month with a similar three months minimum contract.

Evaluation for the Need to Have a Linking Feature for Any Web Application

Both the SAP HANA database and the Ozone database system do not require to a have a link to any web application. Nevertheless, SharePoint requires a browser for it to be launched (Microsoft, 2016). The widely used browsers in the market include Google Chrome, Apples Safari, Opera, Microsofts Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. The browsers compatibility with the SharePoint database systems depends on the operating system being used by the machine. The different operating systems that can host these browsers include Ubuntu, Microsoft Windows, and Linux.

Conclusion

In conclusion, database management systems play a vital role in ensuring that an institution has a seamless transfer of information and other data between the staff and other stakeholders. The three database management systems that are common in most business institutions are the Ozone, SharePoint, and SAP DATA. Ozone is an open software platform and can thus be obtained for free. SharePoint does not require to be installed as it is a cloud-based application. It can be purchased as a feature in the Microsoft Office 365 application. SAP DATA is the most expensive among the three database systems in terms of monthly subscription premiums. The full installation of any of the databases in an institutions computer systems framework is dependent on the number of computers that the institution use. Ultimately, in order to function, SharePoint requires a linking to various web applications such Mozilla, Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari among others.

References

Henschen, D. (2014, March 03). In-Memory Databases: Do You Need The Speed? Retrieved May 02, 2016, from Information Week: http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/big-data-analytics/in-memory-databases-do-you-need-the-speed/d/d-id/1114076

Microsoft . (2016). What is SharePoint? Retrieved May 02, 2016, from Microsoft: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/What-is-SharePoint-97b915e6-651b-43b2-827d-fb25777f446f

Microsoft. (2016, March 28). Plan browser support in SharePoint 2013. Retrieved May 02, 2016, from Microsoft: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc263526.aspx

Office 365 Business. (2016). Retrieved May 02, 2016, from Microsoft: https://products.office.com/en-us/business/office-365-business

Ozone. (2016). Ozone Versions. Retrieved May 02, 2016, from Ozone: http://www.ozone-db.org/

SAP HANA Cloud Developers. (2016). What is SAP HANA Cloud Platform? Retrieved May 02, 2016, from SAP HANA Cloud Platform: https://hcp.sap.com/index.html

SAP HANA Cloud Platform. (2016). Pricing and Packaging. Retrieved May 02, 2016, from SAP HANA Cloud Platform: https://hcp.sap.com/pricing.html

Sun Microsystems. (2016). Open Source Database Engines in Java. Retrieved May 02, 2016, from Java-Source: http://java-source.net/open-source/database-engines