Compare Type 5 and Type 4 JDBC Drivers

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Type 5 JDBC drivers offer the same client-side, single-tier, 100% Java architecture of Type 4 JDBC drivers, but address the limitations of many of the Type 4 JDBC drivers available today.

Type 5 Features Include:

• Unrestricted Performance
  Type 5 JDBC drivers maximize data throughput regardless of the runtime environment or data access model (e.g. Hibernate, JPA, JBoss, Spring, Websphere, and more).
• Codeless Enhancement
  Type 5 JDBC drivers allow features and functionality to be added, configured, or tuned for any application without changing application code, regardless of runtime or data access model.
• Resource Efficiency
  Type 5 JDBC drivers use a minimal amount of runtime CPU and memory resources to deliver optimum performance.
• All-In-One Deployment
  Type 5 JDBC drivers deploy as a single driver JAR file regardless of environment, JVM version, database version, or functionality required by the application.
• Streamlined Standard
  Type 5 JDBC drivers require no proprietary extensions to the JDBC specification regardless of the environment or functionality required by the application.

With an array of architectural benefits, Type 5 JDBC drivers are tomorrow’s JDBC driver for today’s Java applications.

The Benefits of Type 5

Type 5 JDBC drivers allow modern data-driven Java applications to take advantage of years of innovation in database features, data access models, and virtualization technologies without requiring code changes. By overcoming the limitations of Type 4 JDBC drivers, they can deliver many benefits to any data-driven Java application.

Type 5 Benefits Include:

• Faster Performance
  Applications that use Type 5 JDBC drivers run faster and continue to do so even as more users are added.
• Instant Application Enhancement
  By switching to Type 5 JDBC drivers, any existing applications can immediately start to leverage advanced features and functionality such as failover, bulk load, and statement pooling.
• Smaller Application Runtime Footprint
  Applications that switch to Type 5 JDBC drivers see a significant reduction their runtime CPU and memory footprint which boosts the degree of server consolidation possible in a virtualized environment.
• Simplified Deployment
  Deploying applications with Type 5 JDBC drivers means fewer files to deploy and keep track of no matter what environment or driver functionality is required.
• Reduced QA
  Applications using Type 5 JDBC drivers can be developed without the need for data source specific code, thereby shortening the QA process.

With these benefits, organizations can save time and money enhancing their modern data-driven Java applications by expanding their feature set, performance, and scalability without making major application changes.

The Limitations of Type 4 JDBC Drivers

Despite many of the industry changes that have taken place since 1998, Type 4 JDBC driver architecture has not changed. As a result, modern data-driven Java applications that use Type 4 JDBC drivers can suffer any number of limitations.

Type 4 Limitations Include:

• Slow or Inconsistent Performance
  The response time and data throughput performance of many Type 4 drivers is poor or inconsistent, particularly when deployed into certain runtime environments (e.g. different JVMs) or with modern data access models (e.g. ORM and app servers).
• Unavailable or Inaccessible Functionality
  Enabling or tuning critical functionality with many Type 4 JDBC drivers requires access to JDBC code, which is not available to applications deployed with ORM frameworks or in app servers. New database or driver functionality is not available across all supported JVMs or environments.
• Poor Resource Efficiency
  Most Type 4 JDBC drivers use excessive amounts of CPU and memory resources during data access and tuning options, if available are inaccessible or limited. This leads to applications that require significant CPU resources and have an disproportionately large memory footprint.
• Application Deployment Restrictions
  Most Type 4 JDBC drivers require multiple JAR files to support different JVMs or database versions. They also typically require the deployment of platform-dependent DLLs or shared libraries to support certain driver or database functionality, limiting what environments they can be deployed to.
• Proprietary Implementation
  The use of proprietary code with many Type 4 JDBC drivers is required for applications to leverage features such as BLOBs and CLOBs, high availability, and XA. As more and more data sources must be accessed from a single application, the amount of application code, and potential for bugs, increases significantly.

Many of the most common Type 4 JDBC drivers exhibit most, if not all, of these limitations. Java architects and Java developers should review this checklist to evaluate the critical applications that depend on these drivers to see if they can benefit from Type 5 JDBC drivers.