Howard Stearns wrote:
Yes, I'm quite serious. I'm asking what kinds of problems RDBMS are uniquely best at solving (or at least no worse). I'm not asking whether they CAN be used for this problem or that. I'm asking this from an engineering/mathematics perspective, not a business ("we've always done things this way" or "we like this vendor") perspective.
The main benefit: They work. There is no question how to use them, apply them to problems, map them into different domains etc. This has all been worked out, there is nothing new to find out, just a book or two to read. From an engineering perspective that is vastly advantageous since it represents a solution with a proven track-record and no surprises.
Cheers, - Andreas