Blackfish SQL

Information relating to Blackfish SQL database.

Embarcadero’s web page on Blackfish SQL

Blackfish SQL is a high-performance, small-footprint (1.3Mb .NET 2.0 assembly), SQL-92 compliant transactional database that runs on both .NET framework and the Java platform, with database files compatible between the two platforms.

Blackfish SQL for .NET 2.0 is fully integrated with CodeGear RAD Studio, Delphi, C++Builder and Delphi Prism and supports stored procedures written in the Delphi, C#, VB or Delphi Prism languages (but not SQL as with Interbase).

• Architect and Enterprise editions of the IDEs include unlimited Blackfish SQL database desktop or server deployment on systems with up to 5 users / 20 connections (max. 4 connections per user), and support for databases up to 2GB and RAM cache limit of 1Gb
• Professional editions of the IDEs include unlimited Blackfish SQL desktop database deployment on systems with 1 local user / 4 connections, and support for databases up to 512 MB and RAM cache limit of 512Mb. Thus no remote server licence!
• additional licenses available for single deployments of 1, 5, 10, 25, or unlimited users
• Blackfish SQL RAD Studio Edition licensing supports multi-core CPUs
• deployment requires copying the assembly file and licence file to destination server – no installer or configuration needed
• dbExpress 4 drivers for Win32 Delphi and C++
• ADO.NET 2.0 providers for .NET- ideal for hosted ASP.NET apps as very easy to deploy
• JDBC for Java
• JavaBeans data access components for Java
• XA/JTA Distributed transactions for Java
• Unicode storage of character data
• Unicode-based collation key support for sorting and indexing
• can be run as a Windows Service, as a standalone server or as an inprocess, embedded database
• Zero-administration, single assembly or single-jar deployment
• automatic crash recovery
• SQL-based security with support for roles
• Database incremental backup and failover
• BUT .NET version does not support mirroring or failover clustering according to faq, whereas java version and Interbase do

Compared to mySQL:

• MySQL is not always free. It might be for you. It depends on how you deploy it.
• Blackfish SQL is not always free, but for small deployments on .Net it is.
• Blackfish SQL requires .Net 2.0 or higher,  or Java for the database. MySQL is native.
• Blackfish SQL has native stored procedures. That means you can write them in pure Java or any .Net application that generates an assembly.
• Blackfish SQL is easy to deploy/redeploy on web hosted environments.