VistaDB.Net

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 seemlessly 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!

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
• 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.
• Sample DBA tool with source and no VistaDB branding information.  Use this DBA tool code as a quick way to build admin capabilities into your own application. This DBA Tool is similar to our Data Builder graphical interface, but you can customize it and brand it as your own.
• Full Visual Studio 2008 and 2010 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 Micrsoft 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.  Some editions include the source code to allow you to build custom data migrations and distribute it with your applications.

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. And when it comes time to ship your software. VistaDB may be fully embedded into your EXEs and DLLs for the ultimate in hassle-free deployment using ILMerge. VistaDB's embedded architecture makes it very easy-to-use and eliminates administration hassles found in other database solutions.

Visual Studio 2008 and 2010 Support

Full integration into the Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2010 beta 2 allows you to become highly productive with VistaDB very quickly. VistaDB integrates directly with the Server Explorer under Visual Studio 2008 / 2010 (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 and web servers.

VistaDB's support for ADO.NET 2 and 3.5 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 by license restrictions. SQLITE requires elevated priviledges due to unmanaged code, and has multiple versions to deploy for 32 and 64 bit versions.  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.

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.

Mono is almost compliant at this point, and VistaDB runs on most Mono targets. 

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

Yes, VistaDB runs quite well with both 32 and 64 bit Windows 7.  VistaDB developers run 64 bit Windows 7 on their workstations.  We think that Windows 7 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.