Oracle Database 21c bridges NoSQL gap with native JSON support, plays catch-up with relational rivals

Oracle has announced the general availability, at least in the cloud, of Database 21c. Those wanting an on-premises edition for Exadata, Linux and Windows will have to wait until 2021 - for now 21c will exist exclusively in the Oracle Cloud Database Service Virtual Machine and Bare Metal Service. In terms of new features, …

[Charlie Clark]

Sorry, what?

Meanwhile, MariaDB, which was sharded out of NoSQL after Oracle bought earlier custodian Sun Microsystems

Don't you mean forked from MySQL after Big Red bought the previous owner Sun?

[PermissionToSpeakPlease]

Re: Sorry, what?

Also "Willie Hardie, Big Reg's vice president of database product management,"

Author probably meant to say Big *Red*

[diodesign]

MySQL v NoSQL

Yeah, MySQL. It's fixed -- and the Big Reg typo, too.

We're all knackered, to be honest, from this year, and our brains aren't as sharp as they usually are, and fingers are thus free to type the wrong words. We all need a Christmas break.

Don't forget to email [e-mail] if you spot anything wrong so we can fix it ASAP. It's lower latency than waiting for us to read through comments.

C.

[Korev]

As well as native JSON support, Oracle's 21c release also introduced blockchain tables, which it said help in building applications that can support the distributed ledger. ®

We're saved!!! Can we declare world hunger, COVID and Piers Morgan things of the past?

[Anonymous Coward]

I think that actually describes the past too, as what is a "blockchain table" in an RDBS... a link list? What ever the future brings for Oracle, you can read about it yesterday.

[werdsmith]

A blockchain table is a table of tamperproof immutable rows that are chained together. Not a distributed blockchain, but a sort of simulation of one in an RDBMS.

[Anonymous Coward]

Just guessing...

... is the reason they've just now incorporated JSON because the trap is starting to weaken? It's one thing to fly the flag of "industrial strength" or "for enterprise", but it isn't a natural thing to lag waaaaaaay behind without motivation (especially when JSON is "balls" simple). Then there's the feeling that if you've really wanted JSON with your RDB you've probably already have something worked up by now (I mean a decade?), so this kind of seems just like a advert. for "hey, we move forward too".

[Julz]

Re: Just guessing...

I prefer the thought that Big Red have recognized that JSON has gained sufficient traction that is now constitutes a threat.

[Tim Hall]

Re: Just guessing...

Oracle has had JSON support and JSON indexes since Oracle 12.1. That's over 7 years. This is just a new data type that was included mainly for performance reasons. All the JSON functionality added over the previous 4 releases (12.1, 12.2, 18, 19) works just fine with the new data type.

[oliversalmon]

Thanks but No Thanks

Having escaped from the hell of Oracle licensing, I won't be going back, I'll stick with Mongo thanks.

[jhlj]

Postgresql have json for years.

Oracle is playing catchup.

Postgresql have json for years, with index support.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Postgresql have json for years.

Oracle has had JSON support and JSON indexes for years too. Ever since Oracle 12.1. This is just a new data type that was included mainly for performance reasons. All the JSON functionality added over the previous 4 releases (12.1, 12.2, 18, 19) works just fine with the new data type.

If anything, Oracle are confusing people with this new data type, because uninformed people will think it's Oracle's first steps into JSON.

[Bryan Hall]

Yawn....

Still on 11g and 18c after we cut Oracle loose a couple years ago.

Now to do the same with SQL Server

Postgress Rocks!

[Tim Hall]

Re: Yawn....

You can use JSON with 11.2. Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS) is free. You can use it to interact with you 11.2 databases and JSON enable your database.