Database management systems (DBMSs) form the foundation of most information
systems. This study asked database developers and administrators to identi
fy the features that are most important to them. The study finds that the f
eatures desired by respondents relate to query performance - particularly o
n complex queries. Respondents are also concerned about data integrity cont
rols - particularly support for triggers, deadlock resolution, and control
over data transaction logs. The study also provides insight into how respon
dents use the DBMS. Transaction processing and application development were
primary factors. Distributed databases, administration, and general featur
es were less important. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Inc.