Using SQLite

Self-Contained, No Server Required

Unlike most RDBMS products, SQLite does not have a client/server architecture. Most large-scale database systems have a large server package that makes up the database engine. The database server often consists of multiple processes that work in concert to manage client connections, file I/O, caches, query optimization, and query processing. A database instance typically consists of a large number of files organized into one or more directory trees on the server filesystem. In order to access the database, all of the files must be present and correct. This can make it somewhat difficult to move or reliably back up a database instance.

All of these components require resources and support from the host computer. Best practices also dictate that the host system be configured with dedicated service-user accounts, startup scripts, and dedicated storage, making the database server a very intrusive piece of software. For this reason, and for performance concerns, it is customary to dedicate a host computer system solely for the database server software.

To access the database, client software libraries are typically provided by the database vendor. These libraries must be integrated into any client application that wishes to access the database server. These client libraries provide APIs to find and connect to the database server, as well as set up and execute database queries and commands. Figure 1-1 shows how everything fits together in a typical client/server ...