The Standard Desktop Engine or Microsoft Jet Database Engine is the same database engine that powers Microsoft Access. JET stands for Joint Engine Technology and it is the typical relational database for desktop solutions. As such, Microsoft Jet is not intended to be used with high-stress, high-concurrency, 24x7 server applications.

In terms of the usability of the Standard Desktop Engine as an Implementation Engine, the following factors are the most important:

• Data Volume: The supported database size is limited to 2GB.

 

• Data Security: Security regarding data access is in place by default and cannot be changed. This means that the data stored in the Standard Desktop Engine cannot be accessed from outside Quella Creator.

 

• Maintenance: The Standard Desktop Engine requires in general low maintenance. However, indexes for tables, to which new records are often added, need to be rebuild on a regular basis if performance is to be kept in optimal conditions.

 

• Scalability: The Standard Desktop Engine cannot provide any form of scalability. The data warehouse is implemented using a single-file database.

 

• Complexity: The Standard Desktop Engine offers a rich set of functions based on Visual Basic for Applications.

 

• Reliability: The Standard Desktop Engine does not provide any sophisticated backup system. The only possible backup process is the manual copy of the single file on which the data warehouse has been implemented.

 

• Platform: The Standard Desktop Engine can only run on the Microsoft Windows operating system.

 

• Cost: The Standard Desktop Engine is free and it can be downloaded directly from Microsoft. However, it is normally pre-installed in most Windows Systems (see System Requirements). The latest version of this component, as for September 2007, is version 4.0 SP8.

See also:

• Quella Business Intelligence Solution
• Quella Creator
• Implementation Engine