Versant has announced the general availability of Versant JPA, a Java-based API that supports high-performance database and analytics operations in big data applications.

This new release is compliant with the latest JPA (Java Persistent API) specifications and includes a solution for zero-downtime schema changes, a Java standards-based analytics framework, and compliance with JBoss Application Server.

Big Data, Big Claims

Versant JPA's Java standards-based API allows developers to use existing coding skills to process what the company calls "previously unmanageable" big data sets — and perform complex operations at speeds and scales "unmatched" by any other NoSQL technology.

The Versant JPA server ships with an Eclipse IDE plugin. The firm says that the Versant JPA server adds several features (based on "direct feedback" from thousands of users) that expand on the original Java Persistence API's capabilities.

"Despite society's 'always-on' expectations, many enterprises still accept application downtime as an unavoidable side effect of migrating to big data technologies, or updating applications," said IDC analyst Carl Olofson.

"Enterprises also tend to equate big data with big money, and when economic uncertainty is still very high, they need ways to save while still enabling innovation. Standards-based, open source NoSQL technologies are rare, but they are hugely important for combatting both of these challenges, and for allowing enterprises to handle big data's inherently uncertain future."

The Versant JPA SDK also includes technical previews including a Hadoop Connector, which allows enterprises to ingest data from a map/reduce process into their datastores. There is also Versant's R, which enables enterprises to import data into the open-source R analytics framework to perform statistical analysis.