Relational Database

Relational database is a “classic” type of database that uses tables to store data. Fields of those tables may have relations between each other, allowing to use SQL language to query specific data from a relational storage facility.

Iotellect Server communicates with a relational database engine using a JDBC driver, so it can work with most modern Relational Database Management Systems.

JDBC stands for the Java DataBase Connectivity API. It is a standardized way for Java-based applications to interact with a wide range of databases and data sources. JDBC differs from ODBC (Microsoft's Open DataBase Connectivity) primarily in the fact that JDBC is written in Java, and thus can be used without modification in cross-platform environments. Additionally, whereas ODBC is a complex standard that is becoming technically outdated, JDBC is a modern, clean specification for cross-vendor database access.

The Iotellect Server distribution package includes an embedded database engine (Apache Derby). This database can be used for system testing.

Embedded database is not suitable for long-term production usage! Using the embedded database in production installations will cause high memory usage and performance troubles. It's necessary to switch to any enterprise-grade database once the system is switched into production mode.

See switching to another database engine for more information on how to change the database used by the server.

A separate group of global server configuration settings controls how Iotellect Server interacts with the database engine.

The embedded database's data is located in the /database subfolder of the Iotellect Server installation folder.

Some plugins (Classes, CMDB, NetFlow) require SQL database for work. So the embedded DB engine (Apache Derby) will be started for them. If you want to completely disable the embedded DB engine, please remove these plugins from the Iotellect Server folder.

If Iotellect Server is installed with an Apache Derby database instead of bundled MySQL database, you should always consider switching to an external relational database.

All data stored in Iotellect Server Apache Derby database is loaded into memory during server startup. If your Iotellect Server consumes a lot of memory with a relatively small number of devices, check the size of the /database subdirectory in the Iotellect Server installation directory. If it occupies more than 100-200 megabytes, seriously consider switching to an external relational database server.

Please check Switching To Another Database Engine for more information on relational database switching.

The database server documentation usually has its own Performance Optimization section. Check the database server administrator's manual for more information on maximizing database performance in your environment.

Some distributions of Iotellect Server include a pre-configured MySQL bundle. MySQL is a well-known powerful free database server that can serve Iotellect installations with thousands of devices.

If the bundled MySQL package is selected during installation, it will be downloaded from Iotellect website and installed in the /mysql subfolder of the Iotellect Server installation folder. It is already fine-tuned to be used with the Iotellect Server, so no additional configuration should be necessary in most cases.

The bundled MySQL server is normally auto-launched during Windows startup. To start/stop it manually:

• Go to Start Menu > Control Panel > Administration > Services

• Find MySQL for Iotellect service

• Right-click on it to see the list of control functions in the context menu

If the MySQL service fails to start, see its error log file (mysql/error.log) to find out failure details.

Was this page helpful?

Tell us more

Send

Thank you!