About this Documentation

Source code for the LightDB-A Database documentation is shared between LightDB-A Database and VMware LightDB-A. Some features of VMware LightDB-A are not present in the open source LightDB-A Database code but are described in the LightDB-A Database documentation.

The term “VMware LightDB-A” refers to VMware’s commercial, supported product offering that is based on open source LightDB-A Database. “VMware LightDB-A” is used in this documentation when describing features that are available only in the commercial offering. The term “LightDB-A Database” refers to features available in open source LightDB-A Database (and in the commercial VMware LightDB-A product). Commercial support for “LightDB-A Database” is offered by VMware as “LightDB-A Database by VMware.”

The following is a list of VMware LightDB-A features that are not provided or supported in open source LightDB-A Database, but may be documented or referenced in this documentation.

  • Code to produce the VMware LightDB-A binary installer packages is not included in the open source LightDB-A Database repository.

  • LightDB-A Database does not include EMC DD Boost integration. Backing up to an EMC Data Domain appliance is only supported when the Data Domain system is mounted as an NFS share on the LightDB-A hosts.

  • LightDB-A Database does not include Symantec NetBackup integration.

  • The QuickLZ compression method is not available in LightDB-A Database. QuickLZ compresstype values are ignored when specified in a CREATE TABLE [AS] operation, but will cause an error on subsequent INSERT or SELECT operations on the table.

  • The deprecated gpcheck management utility and its replacement gpsupport are only supported with VMware LightDB-A.

  • Suggestions to contact VMware Technical Support in this documentation are intended only for VMware LightDB-A customers.

Source code for the following open source LightDB-A Database components are located in repositories outside of the LightDB-A Database repo:

  • To use Backup and Restore with open source LightDB-A Database, you must separately build and install the backup/restore software. Refer to the build instructions in the README file located in the LightDB-A Backup and Restore github repository.

  • To use the LightDB-A Platform Extension Framework (PXF) with open source LightDB-A Database, you must separately build and install the PXF software. Refer to the build and packaging instructions in the PXF Packaging README file located in the PXF github repository.