What is RDBMS? Top Providers, Languages & Certifications in 2024

• The Global Database Management Systems market had a valuation of 66 billion in early 2024, with a growth rate of 8%.
   
• Some authorities estimate that the growth will reach 120 billion by 2028.
   
• Relational databases are by far the most dominant in the DBMS market.
   
• Deployment can also be on the cloud, not just on-site.
   
• Relational DBMS are a key component of most enterprise stacks due to their reliability and success at managing structured data (data in tables).
   
• They also offer SQL and SQL-based technologies to perform the most common database operations.
   
• RDBMS has been widely adopted in various industries, including finance, healthcare, retail, and telecommunications, due to its proven reliability, scalability, and security.
   
• It provides a stable and consistent platform for storing and managing transactional data, which is critical for business operations.
   
• Cloud-based deployments are extremely cost-effective when it comes to enterprise management.
   
• Nearly all enterprise programming languages can use the RDBMS through an ODBC connection (Microsoft Open Database Connectivity) or other mechanisms such as:
  
  
  • JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) for Java
     
  • Entity Framework for Microsoft.NET (C#, F#, VB.NET)
     
  • ADO.NET for legacy .NET applications
     
  • Numerous options like SQLAlchemy, cursors, connectors for Python
     
  • DBI (Database Independent Interface) for Ruby
     
  • Practically every programming language which uses structured data (nearly every programming language) has a mechanism to connect to a database.
     
• An RDBMS provides full ACID compliance. ACID stands for the four primary requirements for a database transaction, which are:
  
  
  • Atomicity – At least two elements or no elements participate in every database transaction.
     
  • Consistency – transactions retain data validity.
     
  • Isolation – Uncommitted transactions should be independent of all other transactions.
     
  • Durability – Committed data remains persistent even in the case of a system failure.
     
• Programmers who work on traditional three-tier enterprise stacks or even who work with all forms of structured data will need to be familiar with an RDBMS.
   
• In fact, Database Connection is one of the most important components of nearly all programming languages.

We will look at the major RDBMS companies next.

Relational database vendors are software companies that provide products for managing and querying relational databases. The most common relational databases include Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, MySQL and PostgreSQL. Each vendor has its own strengths and weaknesses, and they differ in terms of their pricing, features, and support.

Oracle

Oracle is a vendor that offers various products for managing and querying databases, with its latest version being Oracle Database 19c, which was launched in January 2019. This version has many new features and improvements that enhance security, performance, and scalability.

Features of Oracle Database 19c include improved query optimization, JSON support, and support for multitenant databases. The Oracle Enterprise Manager has also been updated to provide a unified management interface for all Oracle products.

Oracle has always been the dominant player in the largest and most widely used database systems today. It is ideally geared for the largest of enterprise companies, and now Oracle Cloud has reached maturity, and Oracle has thus started offering cloud-native deployments as well, which hugely reduces operational costs, especially if you are a small-midsize enterprise business. It is also the most costly option at a very complex and comprehensive pricing table using its many features other than the flagship database project, offerings that have grown massively over the years. The Standard Edition costs 17,500 USD, and the Enterprise Edition 47,500 USD. But if you are a full-scale enterprise-level organization, you might have to shell out nearly 300,000 USD just for all possible features.
 

Microsoft SQL Server

Organizations rely on Microsoft's SQL Server, an RDBMS solution that manages and queries databases. SQL Server 2019, the latest version, became available in November 2019 and offers many advancements compared to its predecessors. With better security, enhanced performance, and improved compatibility with other Microsoft products, SQL Server 2019 is a popular choice for many.

One notable security feature of SQL Server 2019 is Always Encrypted with Secure Enclaves, which protects sensitive data from even privileged administrators. Additionally, SQL Server 2019 supports encrypted backups, improved auditing, and better key management.

Furthermore, SQL Server 2019 is compatible with other Microsoft products like containers, allowing for easy deployment and management in various environments. It also integrates with big data scenarios via Apache Spark and Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS).

The database management system also enhances Business Intelligence capabilities, including data virtualization support and improved reporting through Power BI. Additionally, SQL Server 2019 supports graph databases, enabling organizations to model complex relationships between data.
 

IBM DB2

IBM DB2 is a popular relational database management system (RDBMS) used by organizations for managing and querying databases. The latest version of IBM DB2 is DB2 version 11.5, which was released in June 2019. DB2 11.5 provides a range of new features and improvements over previous versions, including enhanced security, performance, and availability.

One of the key features of DB2 11.5 is enhanced security. It includes support for a new encryption algorithm called ChaCha20, which provides improved encryption performance and security. It also includes support for dynamic data masking, which allows organizations to control access to sensitive data. Additionally, DB2 11.5 includes enhancements to its built-in security auditing capabilities, making it easier for organizations to monitor and manage security events.

DB2 11.5 also includes improvements to its compatibility with other IBM products. It includes support for the IBM Cloud Pak for Data, which allows organizations to integrate and analyze data from a variety of sources easily. It also includes support for IBM Watson Studio, which provides a platform for developing and deploying machine learning models.
 

MySQL

MySQL is a common open-source RDBMS example that is well-known for its reliability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Some of its features are: 

• Open Source: MySQL is an open-source database system, which means that it is free to use, modify and distribute. This makes it a cost-effective option for small businesses and individuals who don't have the budget for expensive proprietary software.
   
• Scalability: MySQL is a scalable database system, which means that it can handle large amounts of data and can grow as your business or project expands. It can be configured to meet your specific needs.
   
• Reliability: MySQL is a reliable database system used worldwide. It is known for its stability and low failure rates, making it a popular choice for businesses that require high uptime.
   
• Performance: MySQL is designed to perform well even in high-traffic environments. It is optimized for speed and can handle complex queries quickly and efficiently.
   
• Compatibility: MySQL is compatible with a wide range of programming languages, including PHP, Java, Python, and Ruby. Developers who work with multiple programming languages hence find this ideal.

As an open-source software, MySQL Community Edition Server is free to use and distribute. 
 

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is an open-source, powerful, and feature-rich RDBMS that is widely used in modern software development. It offers a wide range of advanced features, including support for JSON and XML data types, advanced indexing and query optimization, support for spatial data, and built-in replication capabilities. PostgreSQL is designed to handle high workloads. Its architecture allows for parallel processing and efficient resource management, resulting in high performance even under heavy loads.

PostgreSQL is known for its reliability and stability, thanks to its robust transaction management system and support for data replication and backups. It is highly scalable, and it can be easily configured to handle growing workloads as the business grows. It supports both horizontal and vertical scaling, making it a versatile choice for businesses of any size.

PostgreSQL is open-source software, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. Companies that want to avoid expensive licensing fees can thus use this RDBMS solution. PostgreSQL has a thriving and active open-source community behind it and resources for users. This community has contributed to the development of many third-party tools and plugins that extend the functionality of PostgreSQL.

Web development, data warehousing, analytics, scientific computing, and many other applications are possible with PostgreSQL. Its features, performance, and reliability make it a popular choice for many businesses and developers who want a powerful, flexible, and cost-effective database management system.

Pricing: Completely open-source and free, released under the PostgreSQL License, similar to the MIT open-source license.

RDBMS uses several languages to interact with the database. The most basic is SQL. But databases often require responses to events, business logic that needs to be run when some condition is met, packages that are a group of procedures or functions that perform interrelated functionality, and functions, also known as stored procedures. SQL is common to all RDBMS offerings, but the associated languages used to create Functions, Triggers, Stored Procedures, and Packages vary. They are grouped below.
 

SQL (Structured Query Language)

SQL is the primary language used to interact with RDBMS. It is a standard query language used to retrieve and update values from tables. SQL is used for querying, updating, inserting, and deleting data from the database.
 

PL/SQL (Procedural Language/Structured Query Language):

 PL/SQL adds procedural features like loops, conditionals, and variables to SQL. It is used to write stored procedures, triggers, and functions in RDBMS. PL/SQL is specific to Oracle RDBMS.
 

T-SQL (Transact-SQL):

T-SQL is the procedural language used with Microsoft SQL Server. It adds additional features like stored procedures, triggers, and functions to SQL.
 

PSM (Persistent Stored Modules): 

PSM is a procedural language used with IBM DB2. It allows for creating stored procedures, triggers, and functions in DB2.
 

SQL/PSM (SQL/Persistent Stored Modules): 

SQL/PSM is an extension of SQL that adds procedural features to SQL. It is used with several RDBMS, including IBM DB2, PostgreSQL, and Sybase.

• Data Analyst with SQL Server by DataCamp
   
  This is not a course but a learning path that is free of cost and can get you a job as a data analyst. All of 41 hours and 5 courses – free! It is incredible that such high-paying jobs are accessible to millions all around the world because of the Internet and online learning platforms such as Careervira. Thanks to the Internet, a resident of Ethiopia, one of the world’s poorest countries, could make huge amounts of money, transforming lives, communities, businesses and the entire society.
   
• SQL Fundamentals with DataCamp
   
  This is also a learning path that is free and teaches you SQL quickly and efficiently. Twenty-one hours duration, 5 courses, again free! SQL is the primary language with which users interact with relational databases. If you don’t know SQL, you can’t work in data science. It is the cornerstone of modern technology that manages relational databases, and all developers need to be as highly skilled in SQL as they can be. These include performance tuning, computational costs, time complexity, and many other such factors. You need to know to Create table/View/Joins Nested Queries/Subqueries/ Correlated Queries (be careful with performance)/Inner and Outer Joins, Grouping, Aggregating data based on aggregate functions like COUNT or SUM, and add conditions correctly using the WHERE clause and the HAVING Clause (The HAVING CLAUSE is used with GROUP BY). You should also be familiar with table name aliasing and, of course, SORTED BY.
   
• The Structured Query Language by Coursera
   
  This is an official certificate from the University of Huddersfield and is a very highly rated course. This official certificate gives you everything the last course does, but there is a major difference. You can earn an official certification and add it to your resume as an additional qualification. This is a solid, verifiable, measurable credential that states that you have officially learned and mastered SQL. This is a course for beginners mostly, but don’t worry about paying the extra money; the recognition and the official certificate are well worth the money,
   
• Database Management Essentials by Coursera
   
  This course teaches you the basics of DBMS and is for an intermediate-level of learners. Databases are created to reliably and securely store data and to record accurately all the transactions that have been performed on them. Transactions must be atomic, consistent, independent, and durable (the famous ACID acronym). We also have to manage users and create users and administrators who can be granted certain privileges that allow them to perform operations on the whole database. This course is offered by a faculty member of the Business School of the University of Colorado, Denver.
   
• Meta Database Engineer Professional Certificate from Coursera
   
  The formerly called Facebook, now turned Meta, offers this professional certificate via Coursera. Not only does it teach you databases, but also Python and Django. Perhaps the best course you could take in this list. This is a professional certificate from one of the industry leaders in databases, who have to take care of petabytes of data on a regular day-to-day basis. Python And Django training makes this a complete package for those who work in Meta (formerly Facebook). In case you were not aware, websites can be built completely out of Django, Python, and Relational or NoSQL Databases. Such websites are called full-stack Python web applications. This certificate is by far the best course on the list.
   
• Advanced SQL Queries in Oracle and SQL Server via Pluralsight
   
  There is a lot to SQL. We touched upon some of the more complex topics, but we also have complicated queries that use over 6-8 clauses and combine two or more large, complicated queries together. The only way to become an expert on advanced queries is to practice, practice, and then practice some more. For extra value, you can even participate in online SQL contests and see where you stand globally. They are hosted on sites like CodeChef. However, you need to know the basis of Oracle and SQL already first before you start this course.
   
• PostgreSQL for Everybody Specialisation via Coursera
   
  This is a wonderful course offered by the University of Michigan and is composed of 3 courses or modules. Highly recommended, especially if you are an open-source, free software enthusiast. PostgreSQL is open source, and experts in PostgreSQL are in high demand because outside the US and the EU (and perhaps China), very few companies can afford a proprietary database solution provider. Being open source, PostgreSQL can also be customized to the needs of each organization or service that uses it. Being an expert and an enthusiast on open source (which I see as the future of all software everywhere, worldwide), this is a highly valuable and prestigious Specialisation. Especially if you live in countries with high USD currency conversion rates like India!
   
• Analyzing Business Data in SQL by DataCamp
   
  This is another free course from DataCamp that teaches you to use SQL to track business metrics and manage analytics. This is a particularly wonderful course because most businesses in the SME(small and medium enterprise) sector need to track their metrics as an integral part of their daily day-to-day business. The course uses a sample data scenario, so you can enter the office and track the metrics of your own business with this tool. This is a particularly powerful feature (Business Intelligence) where you can measure your own business’ success with these metrics. This is a remarkably quick way to assess the commercial status of your business.
   
• Oracle PL/SQL Fundamentals - Part 1
   
  Sometimes SQL does not provide enough functionality that is required. Different database systems use various languages to implement stored procedures, triggers, functions, and packages. This course offers the Oracle version, called PL/SQL, Part 1. Stored procedures can be thought of as business logic, whereas triggers are specific responses to events. In fact, triggers well implemented hugely automate the business processing of most enterprises. If you want to learn RDBMS well, you need to master TRIGGERS. Packages are grouped functions or procedures or triggers that all serve a particular domain of the business and hence should be organized together.
   
• Oracle PL/SQL Fundamentals – Part 2
   
  Part 2 of the course referred to above. For your reference, SQL Server uses T-SQL (Transact-SQL), IBM DB2 uses PL/SQL, and PostgreSQL uses PL/pgSQL or PL/Python for the same purpose mentioned above. These languages are very similar in syntax to PL/SQL, and so once you become an expert in PL/SQL, it is possible to easily master any of these other languages or dialects because you are basically implementing the same system but in a different environment with slight changes in syntax. These two courses should preferably be done together. It is important to master all the languages that a database system uses before you start going into serious production systems where millions of dollars can be lost because of one wrong implementation.

There are many jobs that use RDBMS, SQL and PL/SQL, including:
 

Database Administrator

 A DBA is responsible for maintaining, organizing and securing databases. SQL is used for querying data, and PL/SQL is used for developing custom procedures, functions, and triggers. 
 

Data Analyst

SQL skills make the journey of becoming a Data Analyst easier. A data analyst is responsible for analyzing data to extract insights and provide recommendations for business decisions. SQL is used to extract data from databases, and PL/SQL is used to automate data processing tasks. 
 

Data Engineer

 A data engineer is an expert behind ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) data pipelines that extract, transform, and load data from various sources. SQL is used to extract data from databases, and PL/SQL is used to write custom procedures and functions for data transformation. 
 

Business Intelligence Developer

A BI developer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining business intelligence systems that provide insights into business operations. SQL is used to extract data from databases, and PL/SQL is used to develop custom procedures, functions, and triggers to support the BI system. 
 

Software Developer 

A software developer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining software applications. SQL is used to retrieve data from databases, and PL/SQL is used to develop custom procedures, functions, and triggers that interact with the database. 
 

Data Scientist

A data scientist is responsible for analyzing large and complex datasets to identify patterns, trends, and insights. SQL is used to extract data from databases, and PL/SQL is used to automate data processing tasks. 

Needless to say, the demands for these roles are huge, and the opportunities for lucrative careers are also vast. The majority of IT companies need expertise in these areas, and they will continue to do so for a long time to come. How high you can go on the career ladder if you have a vision for your life is a question of discipline and focus, in sync with the IT careers and opportunities available all around you, and even remotely.

The RDBMS might be an old topic right now with the advent of Big Data, Social Media, IoT, Streaming Platforms, and Internet Search, all of which require NoSQL database systems with varying data models since relational databases do not scale well vertically and hence performance becomes low for even 2 exabytes of data. And companies like Google are handling unstructured data far larger than that. In fact, the data generated in 2028 is projected to be 180 zettabytes (magnitudes of 1024)!

Relational databases are the old war-horses of the IT sector. Being in use since the 1980s, they are still majorly used today by nearly all major enterprise systems and companies. Where there are companies, there are people. Where there are people, there is data. And where there is structured data, we need relational DBMS. A lucrative and intellectually rewarding career is within your grasp. Focus and work with passion towards your goals! NoSQL, however, is the trend now, where we have Big Data and other similar use cases pervading the entire world. 

However, relational databases are here to stay. Transaction processing is still commonly done with RDBMS since only RDBMS have the ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) constraints strictly maintained at all times. The majority of tech giants still do conventional data processing with structured data. And as long as structured data is available, RDBMS vendors will still be in high demand. Expect the demand to last as long as the IT industry itself. Here’s to a fantastic future career with a specialization in RDBMSs and their vendors!