Java in the RDBMS: A Robust Combination

The Oracle RDBMS provides Java applications with a dynamic data-processing engine, which supports complex queries and various views of the same data. All client requests are assembled as data queries for immediate processing, and query results are generated on the fly.

Several features make Java ideal for server programming. Java lets you assemble applications using off-the-shelf software components (JavaBeans). Its type safety and automatic memory management allow for tight integration with the RDBMS. In addition, Java supports the transparent distribution of application components across a network.

Thus, Java and the RDBMS support the rapid assembly of component-based, network-centric applications that can evolve gracefully as business needs change. In addition, you can move applications and data stores off the desktop and onto intelligent networks and network-centric servers. More important, you can access those applications and data stores from any client device.

Figure 1-1 shows a traditional two-tier, client/server configuration in which clients call Java stored procedures the same way they call PL/SQL stored procedures. (PL/SQL is an advanced 4GL tightly integrated with Oracle8i.) The figure also shows how the Net8 Connection Manager can funnel many network connections into a single database connection. This enables the RDBMS to support a large number of concurrent users.

Figure 1-1 Two-Tier Client/Server Configuration

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