> System: Firebird (Interbase)
>
> Introduced 1983
> Client/Server 1983
> No table locks 1983
> MVCC 1983
> Hot backup 1983
> Programmable 1983? or 1990?
> Cluster -
> Self-tuning 1983

Supported VAX Clusters from the start as it used the VAX/VMS DLM.

> System: Oracle
>
> Introduced 1981
> Client/Server 1985
> No table locks 1988
> MVCC 1998? (only 4 record versions, I'm told)

Actually limited by the size of the log file....
If no log no MVCC.... if you want to access a version
that is no longer in the log... your problem.

> Hot backup 1988
> Programmable 1992
> Cluster 2001
> Self-tuning 2004
>
> System: SQLServer (Sybase)
>
> Introduced 1988
> Client/Server 1988
> No table locks 1995?

Hmmm I still believe it will propogate to a table lock
in the right circumstances.

> MVCC 2005 (if yukon ships this year)
> Hot backup ?
> Programmable 1995?
> Cluster -
> Self-tuning -
>
> System: MySQL
>
> Introduced 1996
> Client/Server 1996
> No table locks 2000
> MVCC -
> Hot backup -
> Programmable 2005 (in beta)
> Cluster 2004
> Self-tuning -
>
> System: DB2
>
> Introduced 1982
> Client/Server 1988?
> No table locks ?
> MVCC -
> Hot backup ?
> Programmable ?
> Cluster ?
> Self-tuning ?

Regards
Paul