I have found SQLite is uniquely suited to server-based applications of all kinds. Wrapped in a simple custom server it is an outstandingly performant ultra-lightweight engine that can easily service multiple clients. The ability to spin up multiple instances of the library against the same file is invaluable. It is the high performance core of a distributed system we use. Zero configuration is a beautiful thing.
We have found it to be suitable for quite large data; recently loaded the full Census 2010 and ACS survey datasets, over 0.5 billion rows, into a single file totalling over 100GB. Properly indexed it is a instantly queryable allowing some fascinating data exploration and visualization. We have also used it in scenarios where the ability to 'attach' distinct database files allows the system to load only what it needs to service particular queries and makes it simple to clone core tables and distribute them over multiple systems for combining with related data. Finally, it has replaced many traditional text-based data exploration tools I once used... sed, awk, grep etc. Server logs, data exports from 'enterprise' systems, all manner of regularly structured data, are easily ingested into a sqlite database file and with the addition of simple dynamically loaded plugins + SQL can be quickly explored, data summarized, etc. Creating views off of the raw data, I can deliver a single compact database file to a report writer who using the ODBC driver can make eye candy reports off of the summarized data with Excel, Access or other UI based tools. I will say, the recent addition of the 'WITH' clause to the language as brought consider expressive power to what I can write directly in SQL. I love the fact that I can do so much with the SQL language itself now without writing a line of low-level code and the SQLite API makes it easy to extend the functional api as needed. In short, the zero configuration, high performance and lightweight characteristics of SQLite have made it uniquely suited for the distributed 'cloud' environment we run in where relational data can be fragmented and distributed over many VMs and still be accessible with a common interface and query language. Many thanks. Best Regards Lindsay On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 11:11 AM, Darko Volaric <lists at darko.org> wrote: > I second this notion. I think SQLite is uniquely suited to server based > applications of all kinds. Its light footprint and the fact that it's a > library rather than a full system gives it a flexibility and raw > performance that other systems cannot. We use it at the core of each node > in a distributed and parallel system. > > When using SQLite the architecture of your database system is not > preordained by designers who could not foresee novel designs and > approaches. SQLite is like a systems programing language: It's lean and > mean and a powerful tool that gives full control to the systems designer > and programmer. > > The only thing I'd change about SQLite is the SQL bit. To me it's an > anachronism and a mess and needs to be factored further out of the SQLite > core, with a more rigorous formalism providing an interface (with an > exposed and supported API) to the database engine, but at a higher level > than say the virtual machine. > > On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 9:12 AM, Marcus Grimm <mgrimm at medcom-online.de> > wrote: > > > We use sqlite as the db engine inside a server application > > with a number of clients that connect to the server. > > Sqlite works just beatiful here and I wish these statements > > "sqlite shall not be used for client/server things" would be > > worded less generally. In fact when we mention sqlite as our > > db engine customer point to this restriction and we run into > > an excuse sort of arguments. > > On the bottom line: Sqlite CAN very well serve as the DB > > engine for client/server applications, it just depend how > > the api is used. > > > > Marcus > > > > Am 2015-02-18 15:34, schrieb Richard Hipp: > > > >> In a feeble effort to do "marketing", I have revised the "Appropriate > >> Uses For SQLite" webpage to move trendy buzzwords like "Internet of > >> Things" and "Edge of the Network" above the break. See: > >> > >> https://www.sqlite.org/whentouse.html > >> > >> Please be my "focus group", and provide feedback, comments, > >> suggestions, and/or criticism about the revised document. Send your > >> remarks back to this mailing list, or directly to me at the email in > >> the signature. > >> > >> Thank you for your help. > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > sqlite-users mailing list > > sqlite-users at mailinglists.sqlite.org > > http://mailinglists.sqlite.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sqlite-users > > > _______________________________________________ > sqlite-users mailing list > sqlite-users at mailinglists.sqlite.org > http://mailinglists.sqlite.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sqlite-users >
