Why Databases Are the Crown Jewel of Core Software – A 60‑Year History

Part 1: Who Is the "Crown Jewel of Foundational Software"?

From the rise of the Internet to the proliferation of AI applications, data storage and computation have driven software evolution, and databases have always occupied the core position.

Although end users rarely notice databases, without them applications such as e‑commerce, real‑time communication, and gaming would appear blank.

A database is a repository organized by specific data structures that stores related data together.

The software that provides database functionality is called a Database Management System (DBMS), which ensures security and integrity.

As the hub of data processing, databases leverage hardware storage and compute power while enabling higher‑level applications, truly earning the title of the "crown jewel of foundational software".

The book Database History showcases this remarkable development.

Part 2: The Three Eras of Database Development

The book divides database evolution into three interwoven eras.

Commercial Database Era

In the 1960s, research on network and hierarchical databases began. The 1970s saw the emergence of relational databases, quickly gaining industry favor. The 1980s, with the birth of SQL, marked the maturity of transactional databases.

Companies such as Oracle and DB2 provided stable, efficient products that powered enterprise‑level applications.

During this golden age, mainframes, minicomputers, and commercial storage formed the infrastructure supporting the rise of commercial software.

Open‑Source Database Era

From the 1990s to the early 2000s, data application scale grew, leading to analytical databases and the rise of NoSQL to meet diverse data needs, paving the way for big data and AI.

Products such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Hadoop, and Redis, released as open source, fueled the rapid expansion of the Internet.

Cloud Database Era

In the past decade, cloud technology reshaped infrastructure provisioning. Databases can now be deployed and operated automatically on cloud platforms, accelerating business rollout.

Innovations such as compute‑storage separation boosted performance and elasticity. Services such as Amazon Redshift, Aurora, Alibaba PolarDB, Huawei GaussDB, and Tencent TDSQL have grown rapidly.

During this period, Chinese database products have emerged on the global stage.

Part 3: China’s Rise in Database Development

China entered the database field later but has progressed from academic research to product imitation and now to innovation leadership.

Academic Exploration

Early conferences in 1977 (Huangshan) and 1999 (Lanzhou) marked the start and maturation of Chinese database research.

Universities and research institutes tracked foreign advances, built DBMS prototypes, and cultivated talent, rapidly raising research levels.

Product Imitation

The Chinese industry moved through prototype development, user validation, and commercialization, with academia feeding technology to companies and internet firms adopting open‑source solutions and offering cloud database services.

Domestic databases evolved from merely usable to truly user‑friendly over two decades.

Innovation Leadership

China now hosts the world’s largest data‑infrastructure environment, providing fertile ground for breakthroughs.

Products like Alibaba PolarDB and OceanBase support massive workloads such as Alibaba’s Double‑11 and Alipay’s core transaction system.

Chinese contributions to the three major global database conferences now account for roughly 24‑41% of annual papers, a steadily rising share.

Conclusion

Database History offers a comprehensive, engaging overview of six decades of database evolution, highlighting key scientists, pioneering products, and China’s accelerating progress, making it valuable for both technical professionals and interested lay readers.