TAdviser Interview: Igor Boychenko, Relex - how to create this domestic DBMS

Igor Boychenko: In the 70-80th years of the last century when concept DBMS only appeared, it was already clear that it is critically necessary, backbone element of any information system.

And the value of technologies of data management only grows. Today the paradigm of development of DBMS is transformed towards support of "artificial intelligence" and a "human" method of decision making. So work of future DBMS, in my opinion, can be compared to activity of a brain metaphorically.

For the last several years in focus of the main attention of Relex – essentially new DBMS. Here we are aimed at technology breaks as it is necessary to developer DBMS. We aim to become more noticeable in the field where big players play.

Igor Boychenko: Such tasks for the Russian programmers are set by the market and development of technologies. Means, they should be solved. Tests of prototypes of our new DBMS show very good results on data processing rate, in a number of indicators is multiple above, than at competitors. And we are proud of it already in advance.

Igor Boychenko: One of development sources – new architectural opportunities within which it is possible to develop data, multinuclear configurations of processors, distributed networks and clouds, IoT-solutions today. The second direction – intellectualization of software. DBMS of new generation should be self-adaptable, selfrepair, self-training. It should understand the nature of requests and be configured independently for the best performance of processing and data analysis.

Igor Boychenko: In addition to growth of amount of data, also computing powers for their processing grow - it is the known fact. But here in what feature: quite often DBMS effectively use only a part of computing powers on which they work and which are available to them. The lion share is spent also for service of the system. As a result for the end consumer there is the only way today – accumulation of computing powers, acquisition of new versions of software products, etc., actually continuous run on a peculiar vicious circle.

Igor Boychenko: The most important indicator of DBMS is the efficiency of data processing in different options and conditions of stay, extraction, delivery and data view: in the centralized and cloud solutions, in huge DPC or in a complex the mobile distributed devices, including in a combination of these options. It means high performance in real time with guarantees of fault tolerance and effective use of resources, control, the analysis and localization of processes and also an opportunity for work with unreliable resources. Probably, it will not be "discovery of America", but in scientific search and during creation of a new product we in Relex are guided by these requirements.

Igor Boychenko: Research activity is a subject of special pride of the Relex scientific and production enterprise! Our company – only of the Russian DBMS developers, holds a number of the patents, and regularly makes out new. For example, the patent in the field of a compression of data. Everything began with one foreign project: the financial trader looked for the developer capable to create Read-only of DBMS capable to support very fast processing of terabytes of information for what it was required to provide very high compression ratio of data. Specifically: Oracle is six times better. We made even better, to ten.

The following big and major direction of our work is a data security. Within the last 20 years we regularly confirm FSTEC certificates and the Ministries of Defence for new versions of LINTER DBMS on compliance systems 2 and 3 to a security class from unauthorized access and to the 2nd level of absence control of not declared opportunities. I will notice that such level of security and an indicator of the power of attorney is achievable only for with own hand written code – without the borrowed elements.

Igor Boychenko: In our market there is rather wide class of IT systems where both LINTER, and other DBMS, can replace surely Oracle, and the corresponding IT system in many cases will even better work, than earlier. Our joint projects with such organizations as the Central Bank of Russian Federation and Goznak successfully confirm it.

We initially actively developed in those niches which for the global monopolist were not priority: the built-in DBMS, use in real-time systems, for systems with restrictions of computing resources, DBMS for specific applications. We help customers to pass from universal solutions to specialized where it is reasonable and effective also now.

The main problem today in another: Oracle is irreplaceable in the difficult decisions now and seriously "was placed" at the Russian consumers, including different government institutions. For last decades Oracle companies Microsoft SAP , etc. very strongly "sprouted" in IT infrastructure the enterprises and organizations. But more serious is its influence on the choice of priorities and domination in "minds" of our domestic consumers and specialists. There was it for lack of any state policy in this area. And now, again, only the state can change a situation and solve a problem of dependence on global DBMS vendors.

Igor Boychenko: From the professional point of view, it is our colleagues whom we appreciate and we respect, and in communication with whom we see a huge field for cooperation.

However it is necessary to understand that Open Source solutions set to both developers, and users a certain framework.

The first problem: in this structure it is obligatory to eat the certain initial well worked prototype. Yes, Open Source solutions on its base develop, but initial basic design specifications and restrictions of a prototype do not disappear anywhere. Respectively on its base the clone is created, quite, can be successful, but it is forced and for life inherits the main conceptual characteristics of the original.

The second problem of Open Source – code safety. Vulnerabilities are present at some systems where used Open Source product, decades, but them is difficult and it is even impossible to eliminate because it is the working applied system which you will not correct any more.

Even more serious, in my opinion, conceptual problem is a wrong positioning of Open Source products as a domestic panacea in global tasks of import substitution. When the priority role of Open Source products is explicitly or implicitly proclaimed at the state level, it is fatally defective position terrible for national interests. For the world IT industry of Open Source the community is clear, with the rules, the driving force and a factor of development. But in the conditions of politicization of the IT sphere, in my opinion, it is precipitate to stake on Open Source as a part of the strategy of development of national digital economy.

The next strategic moment – the personnel. In development of native DBMS and Open Source solutions absolutely different specialists both technically, and mentally, and work with different motivation. I will explain on the example of assembly of the car: or you are engaged in "screwdriver assembly", or you design the car. Do you understand a difference? But the most unpleasant in this situation, in my opinion is that today the IT personnel is by force brought up with motivation of handicraftsmen, from a commercial component of development, without promotion of scientific and research approach to create something special – new, unique, perspective.

Igor Boychenko: Our main objective – creation of new perspective DBMS. The second task – creation of an ecosystem from the partner companies with which we will be able to continue development of this project. I see that such approach finds understanding and support in the circle of the Russian developers. Even the hint from the state on project implementation of creation of domestic DBMS will provide an incentive and enthusiasm of the Russian developers. We in return within decades try to save active, creative, motivated on achievements, a keen DBMS command. It is sure that it will be enough for start and future breaks in development of the world-class domestic DBMS project within state programs of creation of the Russian modern IT industry.