H2 Database Engine
H2 is an open-source relational database management system written in Java. It can be embedded in Java applications or run in client-server mode. H2 supports SQL and JDBC APIs and has a small footprint, making it well-suited for testing, prototyping, and small applications.
H2 Database Engine: Open-Source Java Relational DB
H2 Database Engine: An open-source relational database management system written in Java, ideal for testing, prototyping, and small applications.
What is H2 Database Engine?
The H2 Database Engine is an open-source relational database management system written in Java. It can be embedded in Java applications or run in client-server mode, with either TCP or disk-based database files.
Some key features of H2 include:
- Small footprint - The H2 jar file is around 2MB and it has a relatively low memory footprint.
- Support for standard SQL and JDBC APIs - Applications using JDBC can easily switch from other databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL.
- Client-server capabilities - H2 can run in a client-server mode where multiple applications can connect to it.
- In-memory capability - Tables can reside either on disk or in memory depending on need.
- Encryption - Database files can be encrypted using algorithms like AES or SHA-256.
- User authentication - Users can be restricted and granted permissions on different database objects.
- ACID transactions - H2 properly implements transactions, rollbacks, commits etc.
- There are also various options available for backup and recovery, clustering, monitoring etc.
Some common use cases well-suited for H2 include testing, prototyping, small applications and websites. Its lightweight nature, small footprint and in memory capabilities make it very convenient to be embedded into applications.
H2 Database Engine Features
Features
- Embedded and server modes
- Pure Java implementation
- Very small footprint
- SQL and JDBC support
- Disk-based or in-memory databases
- Browser-based Console application
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Lightweight and fast
Easy to embed in applications
Good for prototyping and testing
Developer-friendly
Written in Java - works anywhere Java works
Cons
Not designed for large-scale production use
Limited ecosystem compared to larger databases
Not as feature rich as commercial databases
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