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Relational Database Management System

by Kelly Fiorini
A relational database management system (RDBMS) maintains and updates relational databases. Learn about the basic elements and why to use an RDBMS.

What is a relational database management system?

A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a software platform that manages data stored in a relational database. Relational databases organize information into interconnected tables consisting of rows and columns, with each row representing a unique record and each column representing a data field. 

Central to modern IT systems, RDBMSs are employed by businesses globally to manage essential data such as customer details and transaction records. The relational model has a table-based format that enables complex data relationships and efficient data retrieval, making it integral to enterprise applications.

Key components of RDBMS include

  • Keys: Utilize primary keys to uniquely identify each record and foreign keys to link records between tables, ensuring data integrity.
  • SQL Operations: Execute operations like select, insert, update, and delete using SQL (Structured Query Language) to manage and manipulate data.
  • Transactions: Maintain data accuracy and consistency through transactions that ensure all operations are successfully completed before committing data.
  • Security and Maintenance: Implement robust security measures and regular maintenance to optimize database performance and ensure data safety.

Advantages of RDBMS

The primary value of an RDBMS lies in its ability to efficiently handle large volumes of data while maintaining data integrity and security. It supports complex queries, transactions, and analytics, making it indispensable for organizations that require robust data management capabilities.

Take your understanding of database management even further when you find the best document databases for your needs. 

Related glossary terms

Kelly Fiorini
KF

Kelly Fiorini

Kelly Fiorini is a freelance writer for G2. After ten years as a teacher, Kelly now creates content for mostly B2B SaaS clients. In her free time, she’s usually reading, spilling coffee, walking her dogs, and trying to keep her plants alive. Kelly received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame and her Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Louisville.

Relational Database Management System Software

This list shows the top software that mention relational database management system most on G2.

MySQL is the world's most popular open-source database, renowned for its reliability, performance, and ease of use. It serves as the backbone for many high-profile web applications, including those of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. MySQL offers a comprehensive suite of features that cater to the needs of modern web, mobile, embedded, and cloud applications. Key Features and Functionality: - Transactional Data Dictionary: Implemented as a set of SQL tables stored in a single InnoDB tablespace, enhancing data management efficiency. - Common Table Expressions (CTEs): Also known as WITH queries, CTEs simplify complex queries and improve readability. - Window Functions: These functions reduce code complexity and boost developer productivity by allowing calculations across sets of table rows related to the current row. - Invisible Indexes: Facilitate better management of software upgrades and database changes for applications that require continuous operation. - Descending Indexes: Eliminate the need for sorting results, leading to performance improvements. - JSON Support: Includes the JSON_TABLE() function, which accepts JSON data and returns it as a relational table, enhancing flexibility in data handling. - Document Store: Allows the development of both SQL and NoSQL document applications using a single database, providing versatility in application design. - SQL Roles: Simplify permission management by granting and denying permissions to groups of users, thereby reducing the security workload. - OpenSSL Integration: Utilizes OpenSSL as the default TLS/SSL library, ensuring secure data transmission. - Default to utf8mb4 Character Set: Supports richer mobile applications and international character sets, accommodating a global user base. - Geographic Information System (GIS) Enhancements: Supports geography and Spatial Reference Systems (SRS), enabling advanced spatial data analysis. - InnoDB Cluster: Provides improved high availability through integrated solutions. - InnoDB ClusterSet: Offers cross-region disaster recovery capabilities, ensuring data resilience. - Replication: Provides flexible topologies for scale-out and high availability, enhancing system robustness. - Reliability: Requires minimal intervention to achieve continuous uptime, ensuring consistent performance. - Partitioning: Improves performance and management of very large database environments by dividing tables into smaller, more manageable pieces. - ACID Transactions: Ensures reliable and secure business-critical applications by supporting Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability. - Stored Procedures and Triggers: Enhance developer productivity and enforce complex business rules at the database level. - Views: Ensure sensitive information is not compromised by providing controlled access to data. - Ease of Use: Offers a "3 minutes from download to development" installation and configuration process, facilitating quick deployment. - Low Administration: Requires very little database maintenance, reducing operational overhead. Primary Value and User Solutions: MySQL delivers a robust, scalable, and secure database solution that addresses the needs of developers and enterprises alike. Its comprehensive feature set supports the development of high-performance applications across various platforms, including web, mobile, embedded, and cloud environments. By offering advanced functionalities such as ACID compliance, high availability, and flexible replication, MySQL ensures data integrity and reliability. Its ease of use and low administrative requirements enable organizations to reduce operational costs and accelerate time-to-market for their applications. Furthermore, MySQL's support for modern development practices, including JSON and NoSQL capabilities, allows developers to build versatile and future-proof applications.

SQL Server 2017 brings the power of SQL Server to Windows, Linux and Docker containers for the first time ever, enabling developers to build intelligent applications using their preferred language and environment. Experience industry-leading performance, rest assured with innovative security features, transform your business with AI built-in, and deliver insights wherever your users are with mobile BI.

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system renowned for its reliability, extensibility, and adherence to SQL standards. Originating from the POSTGRES project at the University of California at Berkeley in 1986, it has evolved over nearly four decades into a robust platform capable of handling complex data workloads across various operating systems. PostgreSQL's architecture emphasizes data integrity and scalability, making it a preferred choice for developers and organizations worldwide. Key Features and Functionality: - Comprehensive Data Types: Supports a wide range of data types, including primitives (Integer, Numeric, String, Boolean), structured (Date/Time, Array, Range), document (JSON/JSONB, XML), and geometric types. - Advanced Data Integrity: Ensures data accuracy through features like UNIQUE constraints, primary and foreign keys, exclusion constraints, and various locking mechanisms. - High Performance and Concurrency: Utilizes advanced indexing methods (B-tree, GiST, GIN, BRIN), a sophisticated query planner, multi-version concurrency control (MVCC), parallel query execution, and table partitioning to optimize performance. - Reliability and Disaster Recovery: Offers write-ahead logging (WAL), various replication methods (asynchronous, synchronous, logical), point-in-time recovery (PITR), and active standbys to ensure data durability and availability. - Robust Security Measures: Provides multiple authentication methods (GSSAPI, SSPI, LDAP, SCRAM-SHA-256, Certificate, OAuth 2.0), a comprehensive access-control system, and supports multi-factor authentication. - Extensibility: Allows the creation of custom data types, functions, and operators. Supports procedural languages like PL/pgSQL, Perl, Python, and Tcl, with additional languages available through extensions. Primary Value and User Solutions: PostgreSQL addresses the needs of developers and organizations by offering a highly extensible and standards-compliant database system that ensures data integrity, scalability, and robust performance. Its open-source nature allows for continuous innovation and adaptability, enabling users to tailor the database to their specific requirements. Whether managing small applications or large-scale enterprise systems, PostgreSQL provides a reliable foundation for storing and processing data efficiently.

SQLite is a C-language library that provides a self-contained, serverless, and zero-configuration SQL database engine. Renowned for its small footprint and high reliability, SQLite is the most widely deployed database engine globally, embedded in billions of devices and applications. Its cross-platform database file format ensures seamless data transfer across different systems, making it a preferred choice for developers seeking an efficient and dependable database solution. Key Features and Functionality: - Self-Contained and Serverless: Operates without a separate server process, reading and writing directly to disk files. - Zero-Configuration: Requires no setup or administration, facilitating easy integration into applications. - Full-Featured SQL Implementation: Supports advanced capabilities like partial indexes, indexes on expressions, JSON, common table expressions, and window functions. - Single-File Database: Stores the entire database, including multiple tables, indices, triggers, and views, in a single cross-platform disk file. - Scalability: Handles databases up to 281 terabytes and supports row sizes up to 1 gigabyte. - Compact Size: With all features enabled, the library size can be less than 900KiB, depending on the target platform and compiler optimization settings. - High Performance: In some cases, SQLite is faster than direct filesystem I/O. - Cross-Platform Compatibility: Supports various operating systems, including Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows. - Public Domain Source Code: The source code is in the public domain, allowing free use for any purpose. Primary Value and User Solutions: SQLite offers a lightweight, reliable, and easy-to-use database solution that eliminates the complexities associated with traditional database management systems. Its serverless architecture and zero-configuration setup make it ideal for applications where simplicity and efficiency are paramount. By storing data in a single file, SQLite simplifies data management and portability, addressing the needs of developers and organizations seeking a robust database engine without the overhead of a full-fledged RDBMS.

IBM® Db2® is the database that offers enterprise-wide solutions handling high-volume workloads. It is optimized to deliver industry-leading performance while lowering costs.

Apache Derby is a relational database management system developed by the Apache Software Foundation that can be embedded in Java programs and used for online transaction processing.

Parallel Data Warehouse offers scalability to hundreds of terabytes and high performance through a massively parallel processing architecture.

Oracle Database is a comprehensive, multi-model database management system developed by Oracle Corporation. It is designed to handle various data types and workloads, including online transaction processing (OLTP), data warehousing, and mixed database operations. With its robust architecture, Oracle Database supports deployment across on-premises environments, cloud platforms, and hybrid configurations, offering flexibility and scalability to meet diverse business needs. Key Features and Functionality: - Multi-Model Support: Oracle Database accommodates various data models, including relational, document, graph, and key-value, enabling developers to work with diverse data types within a single platform. - Advanced Analytics: The database integrates advanced analytics capabilities, such as in-database machine learning and AI Vector Search, allowing users to perform complex analyses directly within the database environment. - High Availability and Scalability: Designed for mission-critical applications, Oracle Database offers features like data replication, backup, server clustering, and automatic storage management to ensure high availability and seamless scalability. - Security: With comprehensive security measures, including encryption, SQL Firewall, and data masking, Oracle Database safeguards sensitive information and maintains data integrity. - Multicloud Deployment: Oracle Database supports deployment across various cloud platforms, including Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, providing flexibility and compliance with data residency requirements. Primary Value and Solutions Provided: Oracle Database addresses the complex data management needs of modern enterprises by offering a unified platform that supports multiple data models and workloads. Its integration of AI and machine learning capabilities enables organizations to derive actionable insights directly from their data, enhancing decision-making processes. The database's high availability and scalability ensure that businesses can maintain continuous operations and adapt to growing data demands. Additionally, its robust security features protect against data breaches and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. By supporting multicloud deployments, Oracle Database provides the flexibility to operate in various cloud environments, facilitating seamless integration and innovation across different platforms.

Microsoft Access is a database management system (DBMS) developed by Microsoft, combining the relational Access Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software development tools. As part of the Microsoft 365 suite, Access enables users to create, manage, and analyze databases efficiently. It allows for the development of application software and supports integration with various data sources, including SQL Server and Oracle, through ODBC compatibility. Access is designed to facilitate rapid application development (RAD), making it suitable for both novice users and experienced developers. Key Features and Functionality: - Data Storage and Management: Access stores data in its own format based on the Access Database Engine and can import or link directly to data stored in other applications and databases. - User Interface Design: It provides tools to create forms and reports, enabling users to design intuitive interfaces for data entry and analysis. - Query and Reporting Tools: Access includes a query interface and report creation features that can work with any data source that Access can access. - Programming Support: Access supports Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), allowing for advanced automation, data validation, and error trapping. - Integration Capabilities: It can link to data in its existing location and use it for viewing, querying, editing, and reporting, allowing the existing data to change while ensuring that Access uses the latest data. Primary Value and User Solutions: Microsoft Access provides a versatile platform for users to develop custom database solutions tailored to their specific needs. Its integration with other Microsoft Office applications enhances productivity by allowing seamless data sharing and reporting. Access's user-friendly interface and robust functionality make it an ideal choice for small to medium-sized businesses, educational institutions, and individual users seeking to manage and analyze data effectively without requiring extensive programming knowledge.

SAP HANA Cloud is the cloud-native data foundation of SAP Business Technology Platform, it stores, processes and analyzes data in real time at petabyte scale and converges multiple data types in a single system while managing it more efficiently with integrated multitier storage.

MySQL 5.6 is a robust, open-source relational database management system designed to meet the demands of modern web, cloud, and embedded applications. Released in February 2013, it introduced significant enhancements in performance, scalability, reliability, and manageability, making it a preferred choice for developers and organizations seeking efficient data management solutions. Key Features and Functionality: - Improved Performance and Scalability: MySQL 5.6 offers up to a 230% improvement in transactional and read-only throughput. This is achieved through optimizations in the InnoDB storage engine, including reduced mutex contentions and enhanced concurrency on heavily loaded OLTP systems. - Enhanced Query Execution: The updated optimizer includes subquery optimizations, Index Condition Pushdown , and Batch Key Access , resulting in faster query execution times and improved diagnostics. - Advanced Replication Capabilities: Features like crash-safe replication, multi-threaded slaves, and global transaction identifiers enhance data integrity and availability, facilitating efficient scale-out architectures. - Flexible NoSQL Access: Integration with the Memcached API allows for simple key-value operations directly on InnoDB tables, combining the benefits of NoSQL and SQL within the same database system. - Online Data Definition Language Operations: DBAs can perform schema changes, such as adding indexes or altering tables, without downtime, ensuring continuous application availability. Primary Value and User Solutions: MySQL 5.6 addresses critical challenges in data management by providing a high-performance, scalable, and reliable database solution. Its enhanced features enable developers to build and deploy sophisticated applications efficiently, while DBAs benefit from improved manageability and reduced operational overhead. The integration of NoSQL capabilities and advanced replication ensures flexibility and data integrity, making MySQL 5.6 a comprehensive solution for diverse data management needs.

Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is a web service that makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale a relational DB in the cloud: Amazon Aurora, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.

IT-Conductor SaaS platform remotely orchestrates complex IT operations. When applied to the automation of Application Performance Management, enterprise customers have realized savings up to 90% of the time and cost, while gaining a valuable global Remote Trusted Advisor.

ApexSQL offers tools for SQL server.

Spin up a virtual machine, back up your SQL Server instance, and restore it into Azure. It’s that easy to reduce your capital investments and optimize operational expenses by migrating your on-premises SQL Server to the cloud. Spin up a virtual machine, back up your SQL Server instance, and restore it into Azure. It's that easy to reduce your capital investments and optimize operational expenses by migrating your on-premises SQL Server to the cloud.

Azure SQL Database is a fully managed, intelligent relational database service built on the Microsoft SQL Server engine, designed to support modern cloud applications. It offers scalability, high availability, and robust security features, enabling developers to build and maintain applications without the complexities of infrastructure management. Key Features and Functionality: - Hyperscale Storage: Rapidly scale storage resources to meet demand, supporting large databases with up to 100 TB capacity. - Serverless Compute: Automatically adjust compute resources based on workload needs, optimizing performance and cost. - Built-in Intelligence: Utilize AI-driven features for performance tuning, threat detection, and advanced security measures. - High Availability: Ensure business continuity with automatic backups, geo-replication, and a 99.99% uptime SLA. - Advanced Security: Protect data with multi-layered security, including encryption, access controls, and compliance with over 100 certifications. Primary Value and Solutions Provided: Azure SQL Database simplifies database management by automating routine tasks such as patching, backups, and monitoring, allowing developers to focus on application development. Its scalability and performance capabilities support applications of varying sizes, from small web apps to large enterprise solutions. The integration with Azure services and support for AI and machine learning workloads enable the creation of intelligent applications. Additionally, its comprehensive security and compliance features ensure data protection and regulatory adherence, making it a reliable choice for businesses seeking a robust cloud-based database solution.

MariaDB is a high performance, open source database that helps the world's busiest websites deliver more content, faster.

Amazon Aurora is a fully managed relational database service that combines the performance and availability of high-end commercial databases with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of open-source databases. Compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL, Aurora delivers up to five times the throughput of standard MySQL databases and up to three times that of standard PostgreSQL databases. It is designed for high availability, offering up to 99.99% availability within a single region and up to 99.999% across multiple regions. Aurora's architecture includes a distributed, fault-tolerant storage system that automatically scales up to 128 tebibytes, ensuring continuous data access and durability. Additionally, Aurora provides serverless configurations, allowing automatic scaling based on application needs, and integrates seamlessly with other AWS services for machine learning and analytics. Key Features and Functionality: - High Performance: Delivers up to five times the throughput of MySQL and three times that of PostgreSQL, enabling efficient handling of demanding workloads. - High Availability: Designed for up to 99.99% availability within a single region and up to 99.999% across multiple regions, ensuring continuous data access. - Scalability: Automatically scales storage up to 128 tebibytes and supports up to 15 read replicas for read-intensive applications. - Serverless Configuration: Offers Aurora Serverless, which automatically adjusts capacity based on application demand, eliminating the need for manual provisioning. - Machine Learning Integration: Integrates with Amazon SageMaker and Amazon Comprehend, allowing for in-database machine learning capabilities without data movement. - Security: Provides multiple layers of security, including network isolation, encryption at rest and in transit, and compliance with various industry standards. Primary Value and Solutions Provided: Amazon Aurora addresses the need for a high-performance, highly available, and scalable relational database service that is cost-effective and easy to manage. By offering compatibility with MySQL and PostgreSQL, it allows organizations to migrate existing applications without significant code changes. Aurora's automatic scaling and serverless options cater to applications with variable workloads, reducing operational overhead and costs. Its integration with AWS machine learning services enables real-time analytics and predictive capabilities directly within the database, enhancing application functionality. Overall, Aurora simplifies database management while delivering enterprise-grade performance and reliability.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud stands for SAP Suite 4 HANA. It is an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for businesses of all sizes, in all industries, that require deep and broad functionality combined with a high degree of flexibility.

Oracle Application Express enables you to design, develop and deploy beautiful, responsive, database-driven applications using only your web browser