Introduction

“Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes.”

—HUGH PRATHER

Databases are like television. There was a time in the history of both when you had few options to choose from and all the choices were disappointingly similar. Times have changed. The database management system is no longer synonymous with relational databases, and television is no longer limited to a handful of networks broadcasting indistinguishable programs.

Names like PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and IBM DB2 are well known in the IT community, even among professionals outside the data management arena. Relational databases have been the choice of data management professionals for decades. They meet the needs of businesses tracking ...

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