10 of the Best Free Linux Relational Databases

A relational database matches data using common characteristics found within the data set. The resulting groups of data are organized and are much easier for people to understand. In such a database the data and relations between them are organised in tables.

A table is a collection of records and each record in a table contains the same fields. Certain fields may be designated as keys, which means that searches for specific values of that field will use indexing to speed them up.

The term relational database was originally defined by Edgar Codd, a British computer scientist, whilst working at IBM Almaden Research Center. He recognised that the concept of a relational database could be derived from the principles of relational algebra and relational calculus.

A Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is a Database Management System (DBMS) that is based on the relational model. Most database systems today are based on this type of system.

A database is a vital system for any organisation that stores mission critical information. The continual failure of a company's database system can only lead to the demise of the organisation - companies cannot do business without a working database system.

To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 10 open source RDBMS.

Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for anyone who wants to store data in an efficient way.

There are many excellent database systems that are closed source free to download applications. Worthy of particular note are DB2 (a real heavyweight by IBM), Oracle Database 11g (developed by Oracle Corporation), MaxDB (capable of running terabyte-range data in continuous operation) and Berkeley DB (a high-performance embedded database).

Now, let's explore the 10 open source RDBMS at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.

Relational Databases
MySQL	Multithreaded, multi-user SQL database management system
PostgreSQL	Award winning Object-relational database management system
Firebird	Relational database offering many ANSI SQL features
Ingres	Mature, high-performance relational database solution
Virtuoso	Data Management with Web Application Server and Web Services Platform
LucidDB	Purpose-built entirely for data warehousing and business intelligence
Apache Derby	Implemented entirely in Java, part of the Apache DB project
Drizzle	Optimized for Cloud and Net applications
HSQLDB	JDBC interface, client-server version, query tool, grid and more
SQLite	Embeddable SQL Database Engine