Editing Oracle Rdb (section)

==Product history==
Rdb was a component of the ''VAX Information Architecture'', and was designed to interoperate with other Digital database tools and application frameworks such as the [[Application Control Management System]], [[Datatrieve]] and the Common Data Dictionary.<ref name="vax-info-handbook">{{cite web|url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/vax/handbook/VMS_Information_Management_Handbook_1985.pdf|title=VAX/VMS Software Information Management Handbook|date=1985|access-date=2021-01-24|publisher=Digital}}</ref> It originally provided a proprietary query interface known as the Relational Data Operator (RDO), but later gained support for [[ANSI SQL]].<ref name="first-20-years" />

In 1994 DEC sold the Rdb division to [[Oracle Corporation]] where it was rebranded Oracle Rdb. As of 2020, Oracle is still actively developing Rdb, with over half of the codebase developed under Oracle's ownership.<ref>[http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/rdb/learnmore/rdb-statement-of-direction-086886.html Oracle Rdb Statement of Direction] // Oracle</ref> It remains a VMS-only product;<ref name="rdbmslateryears20070612">{{Cite interview |interviewer=Burton Grad |title=RDBMS Plenary Session: The Later Years |url=https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2013/05/102701921-05-01-acc.pdf |access-date=2025-05-30 |publisher=Computer History Museum |date=2007-06-12}}</ref> version 7.0 runs on OpenVMS for [[VAX]] and [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]], version 7.1 on Alpha only, and versions 7.2 to 7.4 on Alpha and [[IA-64|IA-64 (Itanium)]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/database-technologies/rdb/documentation/rdb-rn709-133387.pdf|title=Oracle Rdb for OpenVMS|website=Oracle.com|access-date=2022-07-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/database-technologies/rdb/documentation/rdb-rn7152-130501.pdf|title=Oracle Rdb for OpenVMS|website=Oracle.com|access-date=2022-07-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://download.oracle.com/otndocs/products/rdb/pdf/rdb07258_release_notes.pdf|title=Oracle Rdb for OpenVMS|website=Download.oracle.com|access-date=2022-07-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://download.oracle.com/otndocs/products/rdb/pdf/rdb07332_release_notes.pdf|title=Oracle Rdb for OpenVMS|website=Download.oracle.com|access-date=2022-07-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oracle.com/a/tech/docs/rdb07411-release-notes.pdf|title=Oracle Rdb for OpenVMS : Release Notes|website=Oracle.com|access-date=2022-07-29}}</ref>

Rdb featured one of the first [[Query optimizer|cost-based optimizers]], and after acquisition Oracle introduced a cost-based optimizer in its regular [[Oracle RDBMS]] product.

On March 22, 2011, Oracle announced it had decided to end all software development on the [[Itanium]], and that Oracle Rdb 7.3 would be the last major version released by Oracle. Due to a [[Oracle Corporation#HP and Oracle lawsuit|lawsuit filed by HP against Oracle]], Oracle was ordered to continue porting its software to Itanium computers for as long as HP (now [[Hewlett Packard Enterprise]]) sells Itanium computers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/features/itanium-346707.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-03-27 |archive-date=2013-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308091127/http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/features/itanium-346707.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Despite the announcement that 7.3 would be the last major release, Oracle released version 7.4.1.0 of Rdb in August 2020 for OpenVMS on both Alpha and Itanium.<ref name="Oracle_Rdb_release" /> In November 2020, Oracle announced that they are in the process of porting Rdb 7.4 to the [[x86-64]] port of OpenVMS.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.vms/c/gVJPLdhkJgw|title=Rdb/x86|access-date=2020-11-12|date=2020-11-12|website=Groups.google.com}}</ref>