Database Engine

The underlying system that a database uses to create, retrieve, update, and delete data is referred to as a database engine. Most database management systems (DBMS) include their own application programming interface (API) that allows users to interact with the underlying engine without having to go through the DBMS’s interface. A database engine can handle multiple users, transactions, buffers and caches, ACID, as well as different isolation levels.

A SQL database engine is also commonly referred to as a SQL engine or a SQL query engine. A database engine collects and interprets SQL commands so the appropriate operations can be performed on a relational database. A SQL database engine’s main job is to create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) data from a database.

The two main components of a database engine are a storage engine and a query processor. If you have a lot of data stored and want to bring analytics to it, a database query engine is the best tool for the job. Examples of SQL database engines include Presto, Cloudera Impala, Apache Spark, and Apache Drill. 

Presto is an open source, widely adopted, ANSI SQL query engine for data platform teams. Presto supports a large variety of use cases, from user-facing reporting applications to multi-hour ETL jobs that can join terabytes of data. Presto is a highly adaptable, flexible, and extensible query engine, making it an ideal choice for accessing and querying data in place on many different data sources. For more information, check out the Presto Foundation, which is focused on supporting and sustaining the Presto community.