IBM Peterlee Relational Test Vehicle (PRTV)

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PRTV (Peterlee Relational Test Vehicle) was the world's first relational database management system that could handle significant data volumes.

It was a relational query system with powerful query facilities, but very limited update facility and no simultaneous multiuser facility. PRTV was a follow-on from the very first relational implementation, IS1.

[edit] Features

PRTV included several firsts in the relational database area:

  • implemented relational optimizer [1]
  • implemented cost based relational optimizer [2]
  • handle tables of 1000 rows (1993) up to 10,000,000 rows (1996)[3]
  • user defined functions (UDFs) within an RDB (also a large suite of built-in functions such as trigonometric and statistical)[4]
  • geographic information system based on an RDB (using UDFs such as point-in-polygon).[5]

PRTV was based on a relational algebra, Information Systems Base Language (ISBL) and followed the relational model very strictly. Even features such as user defined functions were formalized within that model [1]. The PRTV team also introduced surrogates to the relational model[1] to help formalize relational update operations; and a formalisation for updating through views.[4] However neither of these was implemented within PRTV. PRTV emphatically did NOT implement NULL values, because of the formal problems these pose.

PRTV was itself never available as a product, but the Urban Management System[5] built on it was available as a limited IBM product.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c HALL, P.A.V. Optimization of a single relational expression in a relational database system. IBM J. Res. Develop. {May 1976}, 244–257.
  2. ^ S J P Todd, "The Peterlee Relational Test Vehicle - A System Overview", IBM Systems Journal, 15,4, pp.285–308, 1976.
  3. ^ Storey, R, Trebeljahr, W, Ourusoff, N, Bunzel, M, "Report of the World Health Organisation Information Systems Programme and IBM UK Scientific Centre study on the design of information systems", 1979, UKSC Report 105
  4. ^ a b P A V Hall, J Owlett, S J P Todd, "Relations and entities", Modelling in Data Base Management Systems (ed GM Nijssen), North Holland 1976.
  5. ^ a b ALDRED, B. K., AND SMEDLEY, B.S. An urban management system — general overview, Rep. No UKSC-53, IBM UK Scientific Center, Peterlee, England, May 1974.
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