VistaDB is an Embedded .NET Database Engine
VistaDB is an embedded database
that executes in-process with your application. The database is stored in
a single file that may be renamed in order to be used as a file format for your
application.
Most desktop users of VistaDB don't ever know they are using us!
VistaDB allows you to seamlessly embed our .net database engine into your application
for the best possible end user experience. No need to deploy complex servers
or multiple editions for 32 and 64 bit platforms. Our single managed assembly
handles it all.
Applications developed with VistaDB can run on desktops, file servers, and web servers.
VistaDB is a lightweight serverless alternative to SQL Server for applications that
do not always need the Enterprise features of Microsoft SQL Server.
Improved SQL Server Compatibility
VistaDB 4 continues to improve compatibility with SQL Server. New SQL syntax support,
and even more functionality to help you maintain a single application that can work
with both VistaDB and SQL Server. There is no other database engine that so
closely matches SQL Server abilities. VistaDB has many more features than
SQL CE for desktop developers who want more out of their database than a simple
query engine.
T-SQL and CLR Procs?
VistaDB remains the only database that can execute T-SQL and CLR Procs that are
compatible with SQL Server. The new syntax and namespace changes in VistaDB
4 make it easier than ever to build CLR Procs and CLR Triggers than can operate
with both database engines.
Who needs VistaDB?
Developers building small to midsize database applications for the Microsoft .NET
Framework, or Novell's Mono Framework should take a serious look at VistaDB.
VistaDB was designed specifically for these next generation, managed and typesafe
development platforms. VistaDB is the only T-SQL compliant database written
in 100% managed code.
Why spend your time trying to figure out which dlls to distribute based upon the
target machine cpu? VistaDB has the best deployment scenario for any managed
application - true xcopy deployment. You can just xcopy our engine
alongside your application and run. Nothing to install, nothing to configure.
A single assembly is all you need for both 32 and 64 bit runtimes on any
.Net Framework from 2.0 SP1 to the latest .Net version
If you need the following features in a database engine, then VistaDB is the solution
for you.
- 100% .NET, no interop or COM components
- Easy-to-use (fully ADO.NET 2 compliant) - Works using the
same object model as Microsoft SQL Server
- Ability to deploy one assembly for all versions of your product
from .Net 2 SP1 up to .Net 4 with no changes.
- Very small footprint with less than 1 MB total redistribution
in a royalty free package! This means smaller downloads for your product.
- Zero configure database - No complicated setups during deployment.
A single DLL, less than 1 MB, XCopy or embed the database with your product! No
need to gain admin rights or install services on the user machine. See what
we mean by zero config database engine.
- 100% embeddable engine using ILMerge. If you merge our DLL
into your product using the Microsoft ILMerge tool, there are no DLL's to distribute.
You can also change the extension of the database file to a custom name to further
embed us within your application.
- Fully managed and verifiably typesafe architecture (100%
PEVerify). We can run in a partially trusted caller environment (including shared
hosting medium trust) or as a guest user. Perfect for running under Windows Vista
with UAC, a thumbdrive, or even from a readonly DVD-ROM. No elevated security privilidges
are required.
- SQL Server 2005 Compatible T-SQL data types and T-SQL syntax
support. VistaDB strives to provide T-SQL datatypes, functions, and syntax to allow
you to support both VistaDB and SQL Server from a single project build. Anyone who
has ever tried to support both an Access database and SQL Server from the same application
will appreciate how much easier this is with VistaDB.
- Full Visual Studio 2008, 2010 and 2012
Server Explorer integration. Visual Studio supports plugins to the Server Explorer
pane. VistaDB fully integrates with the Server Explorer providing you drag and drop
capability just like SQL Server. (not available with Visual Studio Express
Editions)
- Not sure where your product will deployed? We support the
database file being on a local drive (single user or multi user), a network drive
for LAN multi user support, or in Memory (virtual memory backed) storage for quicker
temporary database access. (Lite users may not have access to all of these features)
- Single data file for easy backup and management. Need to
backup your database? Simply copy the database file and you are done. No complex
directory structures or multi file databases. Restoration is just as simple, replace
the VDB4 file.
- Data Migration Wizard
(DMW) makes it easy to get your data from Microsoft Access (MDB and ACCDB), SQL CE
3.5 and SQL Server into VistaDB. The DMW is also scriptable and may be deployed
with your application for runtime migration of data.
SQL Server compatiblity
SQL Server 2005 compatible data types and T-SQL syntax support lets you get up and
running quickly with VistaDB by re-using existing source code and SQL statements
designed for SQL Server 2005.
Visual Studio 2008, 2010 and 2012 Support
Full integration into Visual Studio 2008/2010/2012 allows you to become highly productive with VistaDB very quickly. VistaDB
integrates directly with the Server Explorer under
Visual Studio 2008 / 2010 / 2012 (on both 32 and 64 bit platforms). This also includes
support for the Visual Studio Entity Framework designer.
ASP.NET, WinForms, Console, Webservices - run anywhere
The small 1 MB footprint of VistaDB's assembly makes it very easy to build and
deploy .NET applications for desktops, LAN, and web servers.
VistaDB's support for ADO.NET 2 through .NET 4 and high degree of compatibility
with SQL Server T-SQL syntax and data types make it easy for developers to reuse
code designed for SQL Server. We have an almost identical namespace to Microsoft's
SQLClient, but named VistaDB.
Support for Allow Partially Trusted Callers (APTC attribute) lets ASP.NET
developers run applications on both shared hosting and dedicated servers. No registry
or GAC access is required for deployment of the runtime assembly.
Website database xcopy deployment for both the engine and your databases is possible
only with VistaDB. FTP your web application to your server, put the VistaDB
engine in the bin folder, and your database in the App_Data.
No other .Net database engine is as easy to deploy!
Nothing to put in the GAC, no need to bother your hosting provider for special access,
no services to run.
SQL CE cannot be run on websites, or shared drives.
Compare SQL CE
Sqlite requires elevated priviledges due to unmanaged code, and has multiple versions
to deploy for 32 and 64 bit versions. Sqlite also cannot run under .Net
4 due to unmanaged code being embedded into the ADO.Net provider.
Microsoft Access has no 64 bit runtime, and must be installed on the server through
a runtime MSI in order to work with 64 bit IIS.
Compare Access
100% C# Embedded Database Engine - no unsafe or unmanaged calls
VistaDB was designed and developed using fully managed and typesafe C# to maximize
integration with the .NET Framework. We knew that there would be a need for
a 100% managed database that can go wherever your application needs it. If
an assembly uses COM or platform invokes it simply cannot go everywhere your .Net
application can without some sort of setup.
The core embedded database, the built-in T-SQL compatible query processor, ADO.NET
Data Provider, Visual Studio plugins, and the database management tools are all
developed in C#. The result of VistaDB's purely managed and typesafe architecture
is that applications developed using VistaDB fully PEVerify and can run on any CLR
compliant platform.
Because we are a fully managed database engine we support 64 bit Windows platforms
in native 64 bit mode from a single DLL. There is only a single
assembly to ship with your application to support both 32 bit and 64 bit systems.
You don't even have to care if the target machine is running 64 or 32 bit mode.
XCopy the runtime and let us worry about it.
Works with Windows 7 and 8
Yes, VistaDB runs with both 32 and 64 bit Windows 7 and 8. VistaDB developers
run 64 bit Windows 8 on their workstations. We think that Windows 8 is a great
Operating System for developers and users alike.
Works with Windows Server 2008 R2
Yes,
VistaDB runs quite well with both 32 and 64 bit Windows 2008 R2. We use Windows
Server 2008 R2 for all our of internal testing, application builds, and much more.