Jim Starkey
Encyclopedia
Jim Starkey is a database architect who developed InterBase
, the first relational database to support multi-versioning
, the blob column type (see The true story of BLOBs), type event alerts, arrays and trigger
s. He founded the web application development and database tool company Netfrastructure
. The Star Online provides a brief history of the creation of InterBase
and its mutation into Firebird
. It mentions only in passing his earlier work at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
where he created DATATRIEVE
, Rdb/ELN, and DSRI, the Digital Standard Relational Interface for the company's database products. (More to come).
written in 1965 and used by IIT for undergraduate instruction. Graduated from University of Wisconsin, in Mathematics. Worked at the Computer Corporation of America on the Data Computer and Data Language. Starkey joined Digital Equipment Corporation in 1977. He released DATATRIEVE
Version 1 for the PDP-11 in 1977, VAX DATATRIEVE in 1981 as part of the VAX Information Architecture, Rdb/ELN, the Digital Standard Relational Interface, and a variety of uncommercialized database-centric and 4GL proofs of concept. In 1984 he founded Groton Database Systems which became Interbase Software Corporation. Interbase was sold to Ashton-Tate in 1991, which in turn was sold to Borland. Borland subsequently incorporated InterBase in its Delphi
product. After leaving Interbase, Starkey began a series of attempts to productize innovative database technology, including Netfrastructure
which was acquired by MySQL AB
. He is known fondly as "The Wolf" to Firebird SQL developers (which is an open source branch from InterBase v6.0).
He created Falcon
- a new transactional database engine for MySQL
based on the Netfrastructure codebase, but left MySQL in June 2008 before Falcon finishes, see http://www.theopenforce.com/2008/06/falcon-and-jim.html. Starkey has statedhttp://www.firebirdnews.org/?p=1742 he was moving on to NuoDB, Inc a new startup company rethinking of database technology to run in clouds
.
See http://www.ddj.com/database/202802994 Dr. Dobb's Portal for a November 2007 interview with Starkey.
Another http://www.ibphoenix.com/main.nfs?a=ibphoenix&page=ibp_jim_interview Interview with Jim Starkey was done in 2003 from InterBase World website
The History of the Blob and Interbase is on this http://ibphoenix.com/main.nfs?a=ibphoenix&page=ibp_history page in the History section of Ibphoenix website
InterBase
InterBase is a relational database management system currently developed and marketed by Embarcadero Technologies. InterBase is distinguished from other DBMSs by its small footprint, close to zero administration requirements, and multi-generational architecture...
, the first relational database to support multi-versioning
Multiversion concurrency control
Multiversion concurrency control , in the database field of computer science, is a concurrency control method commonly used by database management systems to provide concurrent access to the database and in programming languages to implement transactional memory.For instance, a database will...
, the blob column type (see The true story of BLOBs), type event alerts, arrays and trigger
Database trigger
A database trigger is procedural code that is automatically executed in response to certain events on a particular table or view in a database. The trigger is mostly used for keeping the integrity of the information on the database...
s. He founded the web application development and database tool company Netfrastructure
Netfrastructure
Netfrastructure is both a web application development and database tool for Java and the name of the company which produces it. It was founded by Jim Starkey, a well known database architect....
. The Star Online provides a brief history of the creation of InterBase
InterBase
InterBase is a relational database management system currently developed and marketed by Embarcadero Technologies. InterBase is distinguished from other DBMSs by its small footprint, close to zero administration requirements, and multi-generational architecture...
and its mutation into Firebird
Firebird (database server)
Firebird is an open source SQL relational database management system that runs on Linux, Windows, and a variety of Unix. The database forked from Borland's open source edition of InterBase in 2000, but since Firebird 1.5 the code has been largely rewritten ....
. It mentions only in passing his earlier work at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
where he created DATATRIEVE
DATATRIEVE
DATATRIEVE is a database query and report writer tool that runs on OpenVMS operating system as well as several PDP-11 operating systems. Its command structure is nearly plain English, and it is an early example of a Fourth Generation Language...
, Rdb/ELN, and DSRI, the Digital Standard Relational Interface for the company's database products. (More to come).
Education and career
Born 6 January 1949 in Illinois, USA. Starkey's first major computer language was STOP, an assembler emulatorwritten in 1965 and used by IIT for undergraduate instruction. Graduated from University of Wisconsin, in Mathematics. Worked at the Computer Corporation of America on the Data Computer and Data Language. Starkey joined Digital Equipment Corporation in 1977. He released DATATRIEVE
DATATRIEVE
DATATRIEVE is a database query and report writer tool that runs on OpenVMS operating system as well as several PDP-11 operating systems. Its command structure is nearly plain English, and it is an early example of a Fourth Generation Language...
Version 1 for the PDP-11 in 1977, VAX DATATRIEVE in 1981 as part of the VAX Information Architecture, Rdb/ELN, the Digital Standard Relational Interface, and a variety of uncommercialized database-centric and 4GL proofs of concept. In 1984 he founded Groton Database Systems which became Interbase Software Corporation. Interbase was sold to Ashton-Tate in 1991, which in turn was sold to Borland. Borland subsequently incorporated InterBase in its Delphi
Delphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
product. After leaving Interbase, Starkey began a series of attempts to productize innovative database technology, including Netfrastructure
Netfrastructure
Netfrastructure is both a web application development and database tool for Java and the name of the company which produces it. It was founded by Jim Starkey, a well known database architect....
which was acquired by MySQL AB
MySQL AB
MySQL AB was a software company. MySQL AB is the creator of MySQL, a relational database management system, as well as related products such as MySQL Cluster...
. He is known fondly as "The Wolf" to Firebird SQL developers (which is an open source branch from InterBase v6.0).
He created Falcon
Falcon (storage engine)
Falcon was a transactional storage engine being developed for the MySQL relational database management system. Development was stopped after Oracle purchased MySQL. It was based on the Netfrastructure database engine...
- a new transactional database engine for MySQL
MySQL
MySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
based on the Netfrastructure codebase, but left MySQL in June 2008 before Falcon finishes, see http://www.theopenforce.com/2008/06/falcon-and-jim.html. Starkey has statedhttp://www.firebirdnews.org/?p=1742 he was moving on to NuoDB, Inc a new startup company rethinking of database technology to run in clouds
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
.
See http://www.ddj.com/database/202802994 Dr. Dobb's Portal for a November 2007 interview with Starkey.
Another http://www.ibphoenix.com/main.nfs?a=ibphoenix&page=ibp_jim_interview Interview with Jim Starkey was done in 2003 from InterBase World website
The History of the Blob and Interbase is on this http://ibphoenix.com/main.nfs?a=ibphoenix&page=ibp_history page in the History section of Ibphoenix website