Crossroads 2002 A-List Award Winners

Sleepycat Software, Inc.
Lincoln, MA

Berkeey DB
> Embedded Database Management

CUSTOMERS AT WORK

Online businesses, independent software vendors, and high-tech OEMs struggle with the trade-off between price and performance. Sleepycat Software’s clients are focused on delivering high-performance applications and information services at a reasonable cost. A technology service provider and two high-tech manufacturers were among the reference customers. Common strategic objectives included:

§ Designing efficient object-oriented applications

§ Serving millions of users with instantaneous information

§ Minimizing initial outlays and maintenance costs

WHY SLEEPYCAT SOFTWARE?

Sleepycat Software offers licensing terms that allow customers to use the open source Berkeley DB in proprietary products. Companies use Berkeley DB inside products and services such as messaging applications, directory servers, and storage systems. Berkeley DB has a small resource footprint and runs within an application process rather than a separate server. Highly reliable, it is suitable for use in unattended systems such as switches and routers. Sleepycat Software backs the quality generated by the process of open source review with a long-term corporate commitment to product and customer support.

BUSINESS IMPACT

Near-term value: Customers have been able to scale applications to millions more users with Berkeley DB than they had reached with major commercial databases.

Enterprise innovation: Making the financial numbers is one critical design requirement for new applications and information services. Another is providing a convenient experience that end users can come to trust. Companies providing new software and services depend on both to grow profitably. Sleepycat’s customers have been able to achieve their performance goals, meet their deadlines, and avoid cost overruns. One customer reported that Berkeley DB presented a more cost-effective alternative than the leading proprietary database providers, yet delivered a performance advantage in excess of 25 percent.

Technology gains: Berkeley DB provides the performance that customers expect of a mature commercial database package, without overhead cost or complexity. However, it also does not involve substantial hardware costs, a complex installation, or a cumbersome development environment. Customers note that, with solid C++ and/or Java programming skills and adequate database programming knowledge, developer teams have found the Berkeley DB easier to customize than the commercial alternatives.

SUCCESS FACTORS

Project strategy: Prototyping proved invaluable for Sleepycat Software’s customers. Each customer tested the Berkeley DB for its specific storage and TPS needs before proceeding.

Learning: Developer teams should have strong database skills and should be comfortable working with hash files in particular.

Resources: The Berkeley DB, supported by Sleepycat Software, remains an evolving product. More advanced customers have built additional functionality on top of the Berkeley DB foundation. Such additions include a transaction manager and replication functionality.

Fit: Technology providers and online businesses should consider using software and services from Sleepycat Software.

COMPANY INFO

Sleepycat Software is a private company with 12 employees.

617.876.0858
www.sleepycat.com
Published: January 2002