COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH in BOSTON and BEYOND (CRIBB)

SciDB is an open-source DBMS oriented toward the data management needs of scientists. As such it mixes statistical and linear algebra operations with data management ones, using a natural nested multi-dimensional array data model. We have been working on the code for two years, most recently with the help of venture capital backing. A preliminary version of the system (V 0.75) is currently downloadable from our web site (SciDB.org), and Version 1.0 is imminent.

This talk presents the main components of SciDB. As such, it focuses on our high-level, SQL-like query language, the issues facing our query optimizer and executor and efficient storage management for arrays. The paper also discusses implementation of features not usually present in DBMSs, including version control, uncertainty and provenance. Lastly, we briefly discuss our integration with R.