A Case for Database Filesystems

Data intensive science is offering new challenges and opportunities for information technology and traditional relational databases in particular. Database file systems offer the potential to store level zero data and analyze level 1 and level 3 data within the same database system. Scientific data is typically composed of both unstructured files and scalar data. Oracle SecureFiles is a new database file system feature in Oracle Database 11 g that is specifically engineered to deliver high performance and scalability for storing unstructured or file data inside the Oracle database. SecureFiles presents the best of both the file system and the database worlds for unstructured content. Data stored inside SecureFiles can be queried or written at performance levels comparable to that of traditional file systems while retaining the advantages of the Oracle database.