Firebird

Firebird is an open-source relational database system that can be deployed on multiple platforms, providing a starting point in creating and developing complex database applications. The package comprises an assortment of server, development and administration tools, as well as client components that work together in order to provide a robust yet versatile option as far as database management is concerned.

Aiming to meet the variate requirements of users, Firebird relies on two different server architectures. The classic one is available on Win32 only from v1.5 onward and makes it possible for applications to access database files directly, allowing concurrent and remote connections via inetd or xinetd services.

A different approach is that of the Super Server architecture (which is the main architecture for Win32 platforms), which centralizes all the client SQL requests and sends them to a server, which processes them individually.

Firebird can run as an application or as a Windows service, providing powerful yet easy to use development tools and compatibility with ANSI SQL. Transaction management and query execution against multiple databases are features bound to ease your work when dealing with multiple databases at once.

Various database connectivity alternatives are available when working with Firebird. You can choose between Firebird.NET, Java, Delphi/C++, Lazarus, FreePascal, FireRuby, PHP, Python, Perl, and more. Firebird's real-time monitoring and data logging capabilities allow on-the-spot debugging of SQL code, as well as remote auditing.

As far as security is concerned, Firebird can manage multiple users and assign them different roles and rights, allowing administrators to grant and revoke rights. It adopts a robust authentication system and allows integration with the Windows domain or Active Directory. The server only opens a network port, not leaving room for breaching attempts, and uses aliases to hide the path of the main database.

With powerful development options and strong security features, Firebird offers developers a high-performance database system with language support for triggers and procedures that ensures its versatility. Used since 1981 in the production environment, Firebird has gathered enough experience to cater to the most demanding developers and database administrators.